Onward for Chippenham, and possibly upward

Beginning the second half of their fifth successive year in South West Two East against Aylesbury on Saturday at Allington Field the club sit on top of the league.

If they can maintain their form, the black and whites could secure automatic promotion to South West One, or with a second place finish, go into a play off against the second placed finisher in South West Two West. This is currently Gloucestershire side Coney Hill, and with a win, Chippenham could be heading for the lofty heights of the top division for the first time.

Rob Alford, was who was brought back in as head coach last season to succeed Matt Shepherd, has achieved this success while still maintaining a vigorous youth policy during this campaign.

Sticking with many of the lads he brought through the youth ranks of the club's development system, Chippenham have fielded largely home grown players and are reaping the benefits of their groundbreaking junior program and a move from Birch Grove.

"We started to get serious about juniors about 12 years ago when we moved to Allington Field," Alford said.

"We were one of the first clubs to start a junior section, but with the new facilities we gained with the move, we had the room to really expand.

"We won the Bristol Combination Cup five seasons running, which was an amazing achievement with an exceptionally talented bunch of players. With our youth formation we really set the standard for other clubs to follow.

"It's a great feeling for everyone at the club to look out at the first team and see five of the starting forward pack are lads who came through our youth section."

The oldest of these Chippenham bred forwards is 22, and for the side to lead the league going into the Christmas break with such an inexperienced pack is testament to the belief Alford has instilled in his young charges.

"These boys are not used to losing," he said.

"Most of them came through the club in a junior team which did not lose a game for four years, and it's been them who has brought us home in the tight games."

Close encounters are something there's been plenty of this season for Chippenham, mostly of the first kind.

They have won six games by 13 points or less, reflecting the closeness of the league, with the only slip ups a surprise loss at home to lowly Windsor, and a 19-3 defeat on a tough trip to fellow title contenders Reading Abbey.

Abbey are one point behind Chippenham but have a game in hand. Their initial fixture was abandoned when the referee suffered a hamstring injury in the second half, but Alford said people shouldn't read too much into the result from the rescheduled match.

"That was initially a weekend off for us, so a lot of guys had arranged to be away and we were under strength.

"They have to come here in the New Year, but I don't see why we can't beat them."

With so many players having come through the juniors together, a strong bond exists within the team, but keeping a reasonably settled squad and possessing players who can fill a number of positions has also been key.

Loose head prop Graham Treen will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, but the front row void has been ably filled by 19-year-old Chippenham junior Karl Parry Curtis, who is back from two seasons with Bath U19s.

John Angel has been solid at hooker and John Bearte is another loan player from Bath who has made an impact.

Second rower Nick Doyle has been at the club since he was six, and with Kev Thornton, the locks have supplied quality ball from set pieces all season.

"Our line-out has a lot of variation and Nick punches well above his weight," Alford said.

Gary Squires, Scott Sherratt and Koroi Misimisi have been settled in the back row for most of the campaign, and scrum-half Andy Williamson is having a great year with the boot, leading the league in point scoring.

Fly-half Grant Trewartha has had a number of personnel fill the positions outside him as skipper and centre Rupert Crockett continues to battle a knee injury.

Keith Stokes and Gary Champion have played in both centre positions, while Bath loanee Dom Hitchcock has made a big impact since coming to the club wearing the 13 jersey. Unfortunately Hitchcock looks like running out with some pals for Frome in 2005 as he wants to reduce travel.

Ryan Surry, Darren McMillan and Alex Fereday have rotated on the wings and Dan Reynolds has filled in at full-back while the classy Dave Spiers was away at university.

But the player Alford singled out for his priceless input is utility forward Jonathon Whiteman, who has played prop, hooker and back row so far this season.

Since returning from a position as first team hooker at Leicester University he has started the last six matches.

"To tell the truth he's been a godsend and solved a lot of problems for us in the forwards.

"He's worth a first team shirt in three positions.

"Getting him, Gary (Champion) and Andy Williamson back this year has been like getting three new players, even though they're Chippenham juniors."

Alford praised his team's bottle under pressure, but to stay at the top of the pile in 2005, Alford said his players have to stop getting themselves into situations where they can lose games.

"We have been good in close games but our big problem has been opening up a lead and then taking the foot off the pedal, letting other teams back in, and then having to pick up the pace again, which is not easy to do.

"Being so young we do play to the final whistle, but we could make it easier without lapses," he said.

Chippenham are still a totally amateur club, no one is paid, but if success continues, are they ready to go up?

"Bath and Bristol generally don't lend out players to any clubs below South West One, they think the standard of fixtures isn't there.

"We have a formal agreement in exchanging players with the youth system at Bath, but if we went up, we would have to speak with Bath and Bristol about lending their senior fringe players out.

"If you get two or three players, a big number eight or lock, it can make a huge difference."