Plymouth Albion 23 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 19

A highly combative Stortford performance, despite losing Seb Brownhill during the first half, in the end failed to bring its just desserts, as the home side’s forward dominance in the last 10 minutes proved decisive. The game was nip and tuck throughout and in the end it was probably Plymouth’s stout defence against our clearly superior backs that made the difference, allowing the advantage they had at set pieces eventually to carry the day.

Stortford mistakes allowed the home side to dominate early territory and possession and it was only Stortford’s own dogged defence that limited the damage after 10 minutes to 2 penalty goals to Matt Shepherd. After 17 minutes, though the deficit was halved, when Manu Vunipola knocked over a penalty from the breakdown at which Brownhill’s injury occurred. With Tom McCrone on for Brownhill, two successive penalties at scrums went Stortford’s way and a third penalty for a breakdown offence, after Stortford opted to go for touch allowed Vunipola to level the scores with 7 minutes of the half left. After Plymouth had missed an eminently kickable penalty a couple of minutes later, it was Stortford’s turn to win a decisive turnover after a counter-ruck of which the powerful Plymouth back row would have been proud. This provided the platform for the best passage of rugby in the whole game, as the visitors went through several phases, swinging the ball first right then left allowing Rob Duff and Dec Caulfield to make two telling breaks, with the latter finding Mark McCraith in close support to gallop over for a try from some 20 yards out with only 3 or 4 minutes to go to half time. An excellent conversion from Vunipola stretched the lead to 7 points but in the 5 or 6 minutes that the ref allowed the game to go on, Stortford concede a number of penalties, eventually allowing the home side to go for touch close to the visitors’ line. Although Plymouth’s previously dominant lineout drive was on this occasion stopped well by Stortford, a quick pass from the base was all that was needed to allow No 12, Connor Eastgate to step around an exposed defender to touchdown under the posts, allowing Shepherd to level the scores immediately before the halftime whistle blew.

13-13 at halftime was probably a fair reflection of the game, with Plymouth’s territorial and possessional advantages balanced out by the greater threat that Stortford had posed on the few occasions they won good ball. The second half continued in similar vein, with Stortford conceding a soft breakdown penalty shortly after the restart to allow Shepherd to nudge his side into another 3 point lead after only 2 minutes, followed by some more sustained forward pressure on the Stortford 22. The visitors countered, though and eventually forced a penalty for a high tackle in front of the Plymouth posts, with Vunipola making no mistake from the tee in levelling the scores. Stortford then took advantage of a botched attempt by Plymouth to clear a box kick from the visitors to launch another series of attacks on the home line but, eventually had to settle for another 3 points from Vunipola’s boot, for an offside penalty. At the death, unfortunately from Stortford’s point of view, Plymouth’s bigger pack found an extra gear and looked for all the world as if they would scrummage their way to victory, after demolishing two successive Stortford scrums and the winning penalties at three successive put-ins of their own. Finally, though – and somewhat miraculously, it seemed – Stortford produced a solid scrum and forced the home side to run the ball. Another penalty was eventually conceded, as Plymouth continued to press, but, with time running out, they went for touch and Stortford again rallied by winning the lineout. Unfortunately, though the now very young visitors’ pack lacked the ability to protect the ball at the resultant maul and conceded another scrum. This, almost inevitably produced a further penalty to Plymouth and this time, their pack proved unstoppable, as they won clean lineout ball and drove over the line for a try to replacement hooker, Paul Davis. Shepherd’s difficult conversion stretched the lead beyond a penalty goal and, with time up, Stortford’s valiant final fling of the dice to try and register a winning try foundered with a knock-on close to the Plymouth 22.