Cambridge 32 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 36

As has become their wont, Stortford started the game strongly and put a hard-tackling Cambridge defence to the test. Unfortunately, the visitors’ own tackling proved far less stern when, after 3 minutes, despite a good chase of a testing long kick from flyhalf, Tom Coleman, the home side managed to run the ball back to halfway and a well-judged kick-ahead forced fullback, Nick Hankin to carry the ball over his own try line for a Cambridge 5 metre scrum. When the ball was moved wide, Cambridge were awarded a try, though there appeared to be some doubt as to whether the ball had actually touched the line. The conversion attempt went wide, but the home side’s lead was extended after a further 2 minutes to 8 points with a penalty for a breakdown offence. Attack being by far Stortford’s best form of defence, the visitors dominated possession for the next 10 minutes, during which the Cambridge line was threatened a number of times. Eventually, the pressure told, when winger, Jimmy Rea touched down out wide, exploiting to the full an opportunity created by a half break by centre, Sam Winter. The home side’s powerful backs surged back onto the attack and scored their second unconverted try after 25 minutes of the game with some sharp handling, which put winger, Jim Wigglesworth over out wide, after the visitors had botched ball at the back of their own scrum on halfway. Some more poor Stortford tackling against the elusive Wigglesworth saw the winger in for his second try, weaving his way some 30 yards to touch down under the posts and the routine conversion took his side out to a 20-5 lead. A less resilient side than Stortford might have wilted under this pressure, but instead they fought their way back onto the attack against some very tough tackling and, after 4 minutes stretched the home defence and created a gap through which centre, Johnny Neville was able to dash over and cut in towards the home posts to give Coleman a relatively easy conversion, which he duly slotted. The visitors maintained the upper hand for most of the remainder of the half and a period of sustained pressure in the Cambridge 22 forced a series of penalties at breakdowns, resulting in a “team” yellow card after 40 minutes for home hooker, Ean Griffiths. Although held up over the line after a first thrust via a driving maul, Stortford’s pack were not to be denied and the resultant 5 metre scrum was driven over the line for number 8, Mark McCraith to touch down close to the touchline. Coleman’s excellent conversion on the stroke of halftime took his side to within a point for a 20-19 scoreline at the turn round.

Whereas Stortford had had to work extremely hard for their scores against a hard-tackling home defence, Cambridge’s points had to date come relatively easily against less robust tackling and this pattern looked like being repeated in the second period when, within 2 minutes of the restart, the home side had stretched away to an 8 point lead via a converted try to their slick backs. When Cambridge added another try after 17 minutes of the half by right wing, Mike Ayrton, after a quick dart down the blindside by their scrumhalf, Ross Kevan, it looked as if the writing was on the wall for a brave, but battered visiting side, even though the conversion went wide. The Stortfod side, however, seemed not to have brought their reading glasses and appeared completely undaunted by the 13 point deficit. Some concerted pressure in the home 22 resulted and a key momentum swing came after 23 minutes of the half, with a yellow card to Cambridge prop, Jamal Ford- Robinson for a breakdown offence. While not exploiting the extra man in the pack quite as directly as at the end of the first half, the visitors maintained pressure and pulled back 5 points via their fourth try, scored on 28 minutes out wide by fullback, Nick Hankin, after the ball was swung quickly down the backline. Stortford were now getting on top of what appeared to be a tiring Cambridge side and maintained this growing dominance, despite the opposition’s return to full strength. With 6 or 7 minutes to go, the visitors pulled themselves within range of a second bonus point via a try to winger, Jono Child, given space by a good break by McCraith off the back of a scrum. Coleman’s conversion attempt from the touchline and into the breeze flew only narrowly wide to leave the score at 32-29. Stortford’s tails now were well and truly up, though and they surged back into Cambridge territory. Although the home side’s tackling remained strong, they were put under unrelenting pressure and were forced to concede 2 penalties close to their own line in quick succession. Both of these were eminently kickable, but skipper, Coleman was not content to settle for the draw, that would have resulted and had his side press for the win. This bold approach was rewarded when, with time fast running out, his now dominant pack drove the opposition back towards their line from a 5 metre scrum and were awarded a penalty try, which the flyhalf duly converted. Cue wild and raucous celebrations from the huge Stortford contingent in the crowd, who had seen their side fight their way back from big deficits in both halves to snatch a 32-36 victory right at the death! As word quickly spread of the Blues' win at OAs Seconds in the Herts Cup Semi Final, the mood of both players and supporters was raised even further.