CHINGFORD travelled west to Ruislip a team prior to this game who were sat just above the Waltham Way men in the league table.

With once again changes from the team that had demolished Welwyn the previous week, Chingford included in their squad Cypriot international lock Lawrence Macrides, who next weekend swaps the London league rugby for a full cap international.

Chingford started extremely well with Steve Hollis making a break, after good work by returning fly half Jan Bonney, who then gave flying winger Diamond Dave Knight a sprint into the corner for the first points of the day. John Paine was unfortunate with the difficult conversion, but Chingford were ahead, a lead that they would keep until the final whistle.

Apart from Ruislip converting 1 of their penalty opportunities, those were the only points of the first half.

Chingford were now playing down the slope and with a strong behind the visitors the management of the game was extremely important.

With scrum half Ben Bolton Smith now pulling the strings at the base of rucks and mauls, Steve Piper and Declan Bird getting the better of their opponents at scrum time, with hooker Andy Grounds playing like an extra back row forward, complimenting Chingford awesome back row of Hoad, Finn, and Gavan.

Even though they only held a slender 2 point lead, Chingford always looked like the team that would walk away with today's victory.

It was Kiwi full back Mark Lawson who scored Chingford's next try with a great line, cutting through the Ruislip defence after an impressive break by Ryan Pask. The conversion was once again wide, but now the home team would need to score twice to take the lead, and as yet they had not ventured in the Chingford half during this second period.

Coach Stefan Smith then made a change taking off try scoring winger Dave Knight and replaced him with Luke Campbell, who after his first touch of the ball, I am sure Smith wished he kept him off the field.

His second touch was much more impressive after catching a high ball, he stepped his way through numerous tacklers, linked well with Hollis who returned the ball to Campbell who went in to score, and he also converted his own try, Ruislip 3 Chingord 17.

Ruislip then managed to create a well worked try, that was also converted, now once again the deficit was only 7 points.

Chingford then threw on Cypriot International Macrides, in place of Aussie Michael Lee, a player who is getting better week in week out with every game he plays, and Billy Raby a player who this season has fought his way into the 1st XV squad, and who will never let you down on the park.

Once gain it was Campbell who made the break, scored the try and converted it to ensure a good victory.

Team manager Phil Howell said afterwards: "It was Campbell who took the tries very well, but the unseen work by the Chingford forwards was fantastic today.

"It was not that long ago that we came over here and were pushed all over the park. James Finn was brilliant today always a close to ball, and he was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

"With Captain Fantastic Ben Jeynes leading from the front, Chingford are looking to be side everyone thought they could be at the start of this season, and with an Essex Senior Cup semi final away to Southend on Saturday, a game we possibly can win, this could turn out to be a good season."