Sunday 5th October

Olney Colts Overcome Gritty Chinnor to Advance in National Cup

“We were far from our best today, but this is knockout rugby — and we’re through to the next round. The journey begins here.”
Head Coach Chris Denoven

Olney came out firing, asserting early dominance with a high-tempo attack that caught Chinnor off guard. Their forwards laid the platform with powerful carries and solid ruck work, allowing the backs to exploit space out wide. It was Ronan Perkins who capitalised, breaking through three tackles and handing off the final defender to cross the line for the opening try inside the first ten minutes. The conversion drifted wide, but Olney led 5–0.
Straight from the restart, Olney surged forward again through strong carries from Charlie Down, Charlie Constantine, Ollie Surley, and Perkins. Slick interplay between Owain Harries and Maxton Hubbard almost produced a second try, only for the final pass to go astray. Chinnor’s early indiscipline gifted Olney another opportunity, with Beau Stenson kicking into the corner. The resulting lineout was executed perfectly, but Olney’s eagerness to score saw them miss the open space out wide, and Chinnor’s defence held firm.

Despite moments of promise, Olney began to let Chinnor off the hook with small errors. A yellow card for Down and then a series of scrums followed, before relentless midfield pressure from Stenson and Will Tierney led to a brilliant charge-down try. Stenson chased the loose ball, controlled it superbly with his foot, and dotted down near the posts before adding the extras to extend the lead to 12–0.

Chinnor then enjoyed their best spell of the half. A yellow card to Constantine for a high tackle gave them field position, and they converted the pressure into three points to close the gap before the break.
Half-time: Olney 12–3 Chinnor

The second half began scrappily, with both sides exchanging possession through a series of lineouts and scrums. Chinnor began to make ground through the middle, testing Olney’s defence, but a crucial turnover from Perkins inside the 10-metre line flipped the momentum. He burst down the blindside, linking up with Joe Grainger to take play deep into Chinnor territory. Quick recycling and sharp handling from Cam Garvey, Constantine, and Pegg set up Stenson, who floated a deft kick over the top for the onrushing Freddie Wells. Two perfect bounces later, Wells collected and finished brilliantly — an absolute peach of a try. Stenson’s conversion made it 17–3.

Chinnor, backed by their home crowd, clawed their way back with a well-worked try and another penalty, cutting the deficit to 17–13. With the game finely balanced, Olney’s coaches injected fresh legs from the bench, which immediately lifted their defensive intensity. Sustained pressure forced Chinnor errors, and Olney capitalised through dynamic carries from Dylan French and Sammy Inman. A quick tap penalty and slick interplay from Hubbard, Adebayo, and French saw Olney crash over under the posts. Stenson converted to make it 24–13.

The visitors sealed the result with two moments of attacking brilliance. First, Alfie Mutuma’s powerful carry set up another chance deep in Chinnor territory. Then, after a frantic sequence, Ade Adebayo jinked through seven defenders to score a sensational solo try. Stenson’s conversion took the score to 31–13. Chinnor grabbed a late consolation, but the result was beyond doubt by this point.

Full-time: Olney Colts 31–20 Chinnor Colts

Head Coach Chris Denoven reflected after the match:
“We were far from our best here today, but this is knockout rugby — and we’re through to the next round of the National Colts Cup. The journey begins here. Thanks to Chinnor for hosting us, and we wish them well for the rest of their season.”

Olney RFC Colt Captain Beau Stenson:
"We showed flashes of quality throughout and played some really promising rugby, but a few careless mistakes nearly gave them a way back in. Credit to the lads though—when it mattered most, they dug deep and put in the hard yards. There’s still plenty to sharpen up over the next few weeks, but we’ll take the lessons and be ready to go again in Round 2”.