Stortford had slightly the better of early sparring in their first game at Level Three, sponsored by major Club supporters, Tees. They were duly rewarded after 5 minutes with a penalty goal kicked by George Cullen, after the visitors failed to release after a tackle in front of their own posts. The lead was extended to 6 points some 4 minutes later, when another convincing Stortford attack was halted by a high tackle and Cullem, once again slotted the kick. Caldy,though playing a fast and loose attacking game were undaunted and their aggression was rewarded on 15 minutes, when some uncharacteristically loose Stortford tackling allowed Jack Collister to round off some direct running with a try, duly converted by flyhalf, Reece Hayes to take the visitors into a one point lead. This served only to fire up the home side, who regained the lead within 5 minutes, when second row, Matt Tomlinson surprised Caldy's covering fullback with a turn of speed that allowed him to round the last defender down the wing and touch down sufficiently close to the posts to allow Cullen a relatively easy conversion. After another 4 minutes, debutant centre, Matt Riddington scored a brilliant solo try, stepping his way through the heart of the visitors' defence from some 30 yards out to touch down under the posts for another try, converted by Cullen. The lead was stretched to 20 points after 34 minutes, when Tom Banks touched down after Cullen had split the defence with a clever chip kick, which he re-gathered and fed to Tomlinson, for the lock to hand on immediately to his scrumhalf to round off an excellent team move, leaving his flyhalf with another easy conversion. Caldy battled back, though and some more free-flowing rugby eventually gave their speedy right winger enough room some 40 yards out to burst down the outside and step inside Stortford's covering fullback for a tremendous converted try. Almost straight from the restart, however, Caldy were penalised at a breakdown and Cullen took the three points to take his side into a 30-14 halftime lead.

The second half started much more slowly, with neither side able to establish control, but it was Stortford, who broke the deadlock after 15 minutes with a try from replacement prop, Will Roberts crashing over close to the posts, after a tremendous line break by James Apperley. who had recently entered the fray on the blindside flank. This, importantly brought the 4-try bonus point. Within 5 minutes the outcome was effectively sealed, when another 7 points were added to the home side's tally, when Tom McCrone charged down an attempted Caldy clearance kick and Jon George was able to hack on the loose ball and just win the race to touch down, giving his flyhalf another easy extra 2 points. A bad injury to outstanding flanker, Dan Elsom in between these two tries and a couple of other niggling injuries in the backs triggered a series of interchanges for the home side, which inevitably disrupted the previously well-organised Stortford machine and, although Cullen scored an opportunist try out wide after some 70 minutes, seizing on a Caldy handling error inside their own 22, it was the visitors that finished the stronger. Despite the daunting points deficit, they continued to play free-flowing rugby and were rewarded with two tries in quick succession, as they ruthlessly exploited chinks in a now slightly disjointed and wearying Stortford defence. The first, by prop, Jack Parker was converted, but the second from Reece Hayes proved to be just beyond the flyhalf's range, though he would have been content to have registered his spirited side's 4-try bonus point.

This was an impressively disciplined first outing of the season for Stortford and made a great start to the Club's first ever campaign at Level 3. Stiffer challenges will undoubtedly lie ahead - starting with a tough trip next week to OEs, who provided tough opposition last season and will, undoubtedly have been significantly reinforced in the meantime.