VETERAN Chinnor prop Simon Matthews overcame a heart scare to help his club win the Oxfordshire Cup.

The 44-year-old stalwart was treated for an irregular heartbeat at the John Radcliffe Hospital just a week before starting for Chinnor 2nd in their 27-9 victory over Oxford University Greyhounds.

Matthews marked a rapid recovery by playing for an hour at Iffley Road and scoring a try.

“My heart was racing at 120 beats per minute,” he said.

“It was something called atrial fibrillation. I was getting out of breath just brushing my teeth.

“I went to the JR the week before the final.

“It started on the Thursday and I was in hospital on Friday.

“I had some really thorough tests and they gave me some drugs to try and sort it out.”

His dad Peter Matthews added: “We were a bit worried, but he said the doctors have told me to carry on as normal.”

With Chinnor’s first team playing on Saturday, plus fellow props Joe Pickett in Australia and second-team skipper Ian Stock injured, Matthews had been asked to turn out for the final.

He went for a jog on a running machine on the Monday and then got the all clear to play to play from his GP the following day.

“It was the first game I have played this year and I wasn’t really match fit,” said Matthews.

“I usually get one try a season, so it was good to keep that record up!

“The second team have had such a fantastic season.

“I felt a bit of a fraud just turning up for their last game.”

This was Matthews’ tenth appearance in an Oxfordshire Cup final, while he was an unused replacement in 2012.

“I have always enjoyed the county cup,” said Matthews, who believes he has played in a record number of finals.

“It is a privilege to play in it and to get to that number is great.”

But after a number of ‘retirements’, Matthews said is definitely hanging up his boots.

“That’s it for me, although I may play a bit of vets rugby,” he said.

“When I played in my first final with Henley in 1992, some of the Chinnor side on Sunday weren’t even born!”