Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 20 Rotherham Titans 22

Stortford started strongly and were 7 points up after 9 minutes, when Dan Elsom, back from injury rounded off some good handling by Jimmy Rea, Reuben Byrd-Tulloch and Rob Duff to go in for a try out wide. George Cullen produced an excellent conversion. The visitors fought back, though and, showing ambition and aggression in possession drove their way upfield. Stortford defended well, but eventually conceded a penalty in midfield, which was kicked to touch and the Stortford pack had no answer to the driving maul from the resultant 5 metre lineout, resulting in an unconverted try out wide. Stortford countered almost immediately, as James Apperley knocked back the restart kick to a teammate and a couple of phases later, Nick Hankin stepped inside from the wing some 40 yards out to run diagonally, wrongfooting three or four defenders along the way to touch down close to the posts. The conversion attempt, unfortunately bounced just wide off an upright. Rotherham bounced back again and, after Stortford failed twice to clear their lines effectively after winning two turnovers inside their own 22, the visiting pack gave another lesson in the driving maul to grind their way over from some 15 metres out on 28 minutes. Alex Dolly converted to level the scores. Stortford again won the ball from the restart and were soon awarded a penalty under the posts, as they exerted more pressure in the Rotherham 22. Cullen kicked the goal to move his side into a 3 point lead, but now it was the visitors' turn to bounce straight back, when their captain and outstanding No 8, Seb Nagle-Taylor cut a great inside line against the flow of play to leave the Stortford defence uncharacteristically floundering, as he burst past the previous ruck to crash over under the posts. Dolly's conversion took their side into a 4 point lead, which they held comfortably until the break.

Rotherham started the second period well and deprived Stortford of the ball through many phases but without seriously threatening a further score. Stortford countered through another good run from Hankin from a probing opposition kick, taking play into the visitors' half, where a penalty was won and Rotherham's fullback was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on after 15 minutes. The home side, unfortunately, were unable to drive home the advantage from the kick for touch and allowed the visitors to drive them back into their own 22, where they first pushed the Stortford pack off their own scrum and then forced a penalty, when the scrum was re-set. This gave Dolly a shot at goal from under the posts, which he duly converted to extend his side's lead to 7 points with 17 minutes gone. Undaunted, Stortford forced their way back into the game and spent several minutes hammering at the Rotherham defence, but were unable to capitalise on a number of opportunities, including three 5 metre lineouts. A few crucial handling errors were made, allowing the visitors to relieve the pressure, but it was still the home side that registered the next score with 4 minutes still left on the clock. This came, when Tom Banks, on as replacement scrumhalf took a quick tap close to halfway, after a freekick had been awarded against Rotherham at a scrum. Most uncharacteristically, the visitors' backrow were slow to break off, allowing Banks to run all the way round his own pack and hit the space beyond the scrum before they had moved, allowing him to scoot some 30 yards forward and quick ball at the breakdown allowed Joss Linney to power his way over out wide. Controversy then ensued, as the assistant referee insisted that the ball had been touched down, although the replacement winger claimed - and appeared to well-placed spectators - to have held the ball up before heading towards the post to touch down. The conversion attempt from the touchline was well wide and we can only speculate on what the outcome might have been, had the kick been taken from much nearer the posts. As it was, Stortford were left 2 points in arrears and despite hurling themselves back onto the attack were unable to breach the tough Rotherham defence again in the few remaining minutes.

Dan Elsom, on his return from injury was the Lunch Club's Man of the Match for a barnstorming performance at the heart of another battling team effort. Next week we go to table-topping OEs, but our record there is pretty good and they will know not to take us lightly.