BSRFC 1st XV 58 North Walsham 0

What a fantastic day for Bishops Stortford Rugby Club! The first XV repaid the welcome afforded them by the next generation of Stortford Stars from the Under 8, 11 & 12 age groups with a wonderful display of running rugby which simply blew our visitors from Norfolk away.

Walshams nickname is the Vikings but within moments of the teams running onto the pitch through the guard of honour and the referee blowing the first whistle Stortford showed that they were in no mood to be pilaged! Last Saturday Ben De Grandis scored within 90 seconds but his record for scoring the fastest try of the season didn’t last a week because with barely 30 seconds on the clock Full Back Jimmy Rae crossed for a try after being set up by Tom Coleman.

North Walsham responded to this setback by maintaining a period of pressure in the home sides 22 for the next 5 minutes but all of their attacks were comfortably thwarted. Eventually Stortford’s disciplined and aggressive defence led to the ball being turned over and from the ensuing break out the referee awarded us a penalty just inside the Norfolk teams 22 when the tackler failed to roll away. Tom Coleman added the 3 points. With 18 minutes gone Stortford’s Centres caused their opposite numbers to fumble deep in their own territory. De Grandis swooped to collect the loose ball and put Stortford on the front foot. Two quick rucks ensued before Fly Half Coleman found himself in sight of the line. His jinking run and diving finish was too good for the last two Viking defenders. It obviously took a lot out of Tom though as he missed the resulting conversion attempt. 13-0

The home side continued to dominate the game with slick handling, brilliant offloads in the tackle and quick recycling all proving too much for the visitors. On 28 mins Stortford extended their lead through the impressive De Grandis who crossed the line wide out on the right after more good recycling work by our very mobile forwards. Coleman this time found his kicking boots and slotted the conversion. Barely 2 minutes later Stortford secured the bonus point after scoring their fourth try of the afternoon. Brilliant work by lock Hamish Irving who fended off and offloaded the ball to maintain the momentum in the attack despite being perilously close to left touchline was the catalyst to an attack which was finished two phases later by winger Ed Merrivale who took an inside ball to score close to the posts. Once again Coleman made no mistake with the extra points.

On the stroke of half time Stortford added their 5th try of the afternoon when Skipper Mark McCraith scored the first of his two tries after good work by Rae who was twice involved in the move that set McCraith free ten yards from the line. He coolly stepped inside the Walsham Full back to score. Coleman finished off a fantastic 40 minutes work by the home side to leave them home and hosed at Half time leading 34 points to Nil.

To their immense credit our visitors mustered themselves during the break and enjoyed their most sustained period of influence within the game for the first 20 minutes of the second period.
Stortford seemed to have taken their foot of the pedal and as a result they found themselves having to repel a number of attacks close to their line, anyone of which could have led to Walsham breaking their scoreboard duck. But with 60 mins gone normal service was resumed an Merrivale scored his second try of the afternoon after good work by young prop Declan Caulfield who drew defenders before moving the ball into space to release his backs. Coleman once more added the 2 extra points on offer.

Shortly afterwards the Vikings were forced to ask for uncontested scrums but this only meant the Stortford forwards had even more energy to attack them in the loose. A dynamic driving maul set up by a good McCraith catch in the line out took Stortford to within a few metres of the Walsham line before it was stopped. But from the uncontested scrum that followed a training ground move saw winger Joe Clarke take an inside ball from Coleman before feeding Will Freestone just short of the line and the big prop wasn’t going to be stopped from that distance! Coleman had the simple task of slotting his 5th and final conversion of the afternoon.

The game now resembled a 15 man game of festival Sevens rugby as the home side relentlessly attacked the beleaguered Vikings defences and efficiently recycled quick ball and the substantial home crowd were sent to the bar happy with a final two scintillating tries in the last 2 minutes of the game.

First flanker Maehe Austin seized upon a wonky Walsham throw in the line out to gallop yards up the pitch before passing to Irving who still had plenty to do but showed his athleticism and fitness despite it being the 79th minute to run in for a try that his brilliant overall performance fully merited.

Straight from the restart and with the final play of the game Stortford racked up their ninth try of the game when Rae sprinted down the right hand touchline before feeding the ball inside to Captain McCraith who fittingly scored the last points of the game.

Clearly more difficult opponents lay ahead not least next Saturday when we visit near neighbours Hertford. But on a sunny late summer Saturday afternoon Stortford clinically despatched the Vikings with a free flowing display of attacking rugby which will gives us all much optimism for the colder days ahead.