Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 34 Bracknell 15

As was to be expected from their neighbouring League positions and the even nature of previous seasons' clashes between the two, this game was fiercely contested.

Having turned over possession from the opening kick-off, Stortford spent the first seven minutes of the game in their own half and barely had a touch of the ball. This culminated in a penalty award to Bracknell for offside and player-coach Ben Nowak duly took the three points. This seemed to spur the home side into action and, having ruined a great opportunity after 21 minutes with a knock-on after a searing break by centre, John Stocker from an inside pass from returning flyhalf, Tom Coleman, they took the lead three minutes later through a great solo try from No 12, Jono Child, bursting through a number of tackles from yet another decisive Coleman pass. Sam Coleman, switched this week to scrumhalf to make way for his brother, kicked the conversion. The lead lasted only 8 minutes, when Bracknell's right wing, Ian Burch first broke through the close attentions of Stortford's backrow tight to the touchline from a set scrum and then swept some 60 yards, rounding two cover defenders with ease to touchdown for a try, converted by Nowak to take the score to 7-10. Two penalties converted by Coleman quickly restored the home lead, but some stern defence was called for from the home side to enable them to reach halftime with a 3 point lead.

Stortford started the second half in determined fashion and were rewarded with a try by hooker, Richie McMillan after 5 minutes, surging over from the last of a series of forward drives. Sam Coleman again converted. Shortly thereafter Bracknell were reduced temporarily to 14 men, when one of their props was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle and a sweeping move from the resultant penalty, involving fluent handling by both forwards and backs would have brought another try, had not the final pass gone astray under the visitors' posts. The home side now appeared to be in control, but the interception by a Bracknell lock of a long inside pass from Tom Coleman intended for his blind side wing suddenly switched the momentum and, although an immediate score was prevented by a desperate cover tackle, a yellow card issued to Stortford's second row, Dave Aldam for trying to kill the ball at the resultant ruck gave the visitors new impetus. It took only two more phases of play for Bracknell to make the breakthrough, when a try was scored out wide on the left after simple but effective passing from the back of a five metre scrum on 15 minutes. This reduced the points gap to 5 points, but Nowak was unable to convert to further narrow the lead. Stortford now began to reassert their control and some 8 minutes later, No 8, Mark McCraith drove over with good support from McMillan from a freekick, following a 5 metre lineout. Sam Coleman converted. Having lost an 11 point lead last week at Tring with only minutes to go, there was no temptation for Stortford to try and sit on its 12 point margin and the side continued to press. It tok 20 minutes, though before they were able to register the important 4th, bonus point-winning try. McCraith was again prominent, making a telling break from the back of a ruck some 25 metres out from the Bracknell line. When he was stopped he managed to pass out of the tackle to second row, Matt Tomlinson, who revived memories of his days as a rampaging number 8 for Stortford Colts to sidestep his way over to touch down under the posts. Sam Coleman again converted to take the final score to 34-15.

Next week brings a first visit to London Irish Amateurs, another close neighbour of ours in the League table.