2:34pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Alan Feldberg
BEACONSFIELD RFC have tipped rivals Amersham & Chiltern to finish the season as Southern Counties North champions.
They lost 41-5 to their Bucks neighbours on Saturday and, despite running the league-leaders closer than the scoreline suggests, they say Amersham have the edge in what is a two-horse race with Witney at the top of the league.
Beaconsfield director of rugby Peter Tappin said: “I think Amersham are the better side.
“Witney have marginally better forwards, but Amersham’s backs are a lot better and I think they’ll give them the edge.
“They are well-drilled, their defence is good and when they get a little bit of space they are away. I was very impressed with them, particularly their nine, ten and 12. They are very destructive.
”I wouldn’t like to put more than a £1 on it, but if I did I put it on Amersham.”
Beaconsfield lost to Amersham 44-10 at home earlier in the season and in two games against Witney were on the wrong end of 21-11 and 36-0 scorelines.
Tappin said: “They play each other at the end of the season and that game will definitely be the decider. I can’t see any team beating either of them before then.”
Beaconsfield meanwhile, have their own concerns.
Successive defeats have slowed their revival but Tappin is optimistic that his players will win at least two of their four remaining matches.
He said: “We were beaten by the better side on Saturday, but we made a lot of mistakes that we shouldn’t have and our forwards matched them.
“We’ve got a few players coming back and I think we can go again and pick up at least two more wins.”
On Saturday they go to Newbury Stags.
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