Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 28 Luton 3

Playing into a stiffish breeze, Stortford started strongly and with better passing would have registered at least two tries within the first half hour with good breaks by Will Freeston and Tom Banks in particular not reaping the returns they deserved. On thirty minutes, though the deadlock was finally broken when good interplay in midfield, involving Richard Gill, Owen Thomas and Jack Knowles put the centre into space just inside his own half and he had the strength and pace to fend off the last couple of tacklers to touch down under the posts. Sam Coleman duly converted to stretch the lead to 7 points. It took only another three minutes for the visitors to break their own duck with a penalty conversion by fullback, Joe Murphy but only a further 2 minutes had passed before Stortford struck again. A stolen Luton lineout on the visitors' own 22 set up the position and a good break by Thomas saw him almost to the line, but he was able to pass out of the tackle to find centre, Jono Child, who burst over for another try close to the posts, duly converted by Coleman. This took the score at halftime to 14-3.

Turning to play with the wind in the second half, the home side would have been looking to build on the solid foundations of the first period, but found themselves unable for an extended period to sustain any period of possession and were, therefore unable to establish the territorial dominance they were seeking. Having said this, the home side was never seriously under pressure and the well organised defence held out with little trouble. The cause did not appear to be helped when, after 67 minutes skipper, Richard Gill went off with what looked like a bad hamstring tear, but in the event, the side did not suffer unduly, as the forward effort was boosted by the not insubstantial form of Gareth Davies coming off the bench. Within three minutes, the home side were able finally to register another try, when Thomas dummied his way over to touch down under the posts, after good ground had been made by the pack down the left touchline. The flyhalf converted his own try. Stortford now found an added sense of urgency, as they pursued a fourth, bonus point try and were twice deemed to have been held up over the line during the next five minutes. As these attacks were repulsed, however and Luton pushed the game back into the Stortford half, it looked as if the fifth point was not to be achieved. In the final minute of the game, though, winger, Nick Harris who had come on as substitute for Coleman some 10 minutes earlier, was able to intercept a loose Luton pass, as they sought desperately to breach the home defence and ran some 60 metres to touch down under the posts. Thomas duly converted to take the final score to 28-3.

Coaches' man of the match was Jamie Campbell for his non-stop contribution at No. 6.