The first home game of the 2024/25 season saw Chelmsford 1st XV play Stowmarket at Coronation Park. In hot sunshine the pack had 6 changes from the previous week. Browne, Cooper, Cavey, Cranwell and Kelly were all back in the fray and Scott Turner was making his home team debut having returned from the Midlands.

Playing with the slope in the first half, the game was played at a relentless pace. The lineout was functioning well, and the power of both props was on show. Stowmarket just couldn’t get a foot in the game and Chelmsford were 26-0 up in the first 20 minutes. Tries by Cavey x 2, Ale and Turner showed a real intensity in attack. Each restart seemed to have a touch of ‘déjà vu’. The Stowmarket fly half would kick the ball down the throat of the Chelmsford pack. Cavey would catch the ball and drive fearlessly forward giving Hutchinson and Lavin time to set the backs in motion.

More tries came from Cranwell, Morrish, Lavin, Toomey and Kelly and as the first half ended, 9 tries had been scored and the half century had already been reached. In this period of the game Chelmsford played some scintillating rugby on hard ground and little could be done to stop the onslaught. Half time score – Chelmsford 52 Stowmarket 0.

After a frantic first half the game started to slow a little. At this stage in the match the teams were trading scores as the substitutes in of Moseley, Wood and Eden entered the field. Wood scored with a little skip and change of direct. Ale found some space for his third try and Kelly drove over from 5 metres out – Chelmsford 76 Stowmarket 12.

As players started to tire so did their decision making. Wood scored his second and Stowmarket scored their third try. The referee was starting to favour the opposition and both Cavey and Cooper were shown yellow cards in the dying minutes as the game petered out. Final score – Chelmsford 83 Stowmarket 17. In summary a great first half performance but still lots to work on including availability.

Squad – Ashley Browne, Joel Barker, Scott Turner, Will Cooper, Frankie Hart, Ben Cranwell, Ronan Kelly, Joshua Cavey. Alex Hutchinson, Jack Lavin, Noah Pyne, Scott James, Anup Ale, Ashley Toomey, Jamie Morrish, George Wood, Bayley Eden and Harry Moseley.

Scorers – Tries - Ale x 3, Cavey x 2, Wood x 2, Cranwell, Lavin, Kelly, Morrish, Toomey, Turner. Conversions - Morrish x 9

Photos on www.chelmsfordrubgy.club courtesy of Brian Purdy