Sat 26 Sep 2026, 15:00
The first half was closely contested between two sides looking to play attacking rugby against strong defences. The result was a mixture of good, adventurous rugby and some basic handling errors, with Stortford overall coming out on the better side. It was a mistake in the home side’s midfield, however, that saw Moseley take a 5 point lead after only 4 minutes, when a Stortford pass went astray and the visitors were able to kick ahead and force an attacking lineout. It took them a few phases to stretch the home defence, with Nathan Decalmer, eventually, touching down out wide. Stortford took the lead 5 minutes later, when Austin Pope scored a try, after a break from Will Rogers through the middle of Moseley’s aggressive defence was well supported by a number of his fellow forwards and quick hands from the backs did the rest. Dan Cole added the conversion, as he did 9 minutes later, when Seva Kava took a pass from Tom Mills to take advantage of some quickly recycled ball from the pack, which created an overlap. Moseley mounted a number of threatening attacks themselves, but strong home defence, with two crucial turnovers by Mills and Pope prevented any further scores, leaving the halftime scoreboard at 14-5.
The second period started with early Stortford errors inviting the visitors onto the attack, but solid defence saw the home side burst out of defence through Ioan Parry to exert considerable pressure on the Moseley line. As in the first half, though mistakes occurred, with a home player being held up over the line and a ball knocked on, trying to force an offload only feet from the opposition line. It took a serious mistake in Moseley’s midfield on 47 minutes for the scoring deadlock to be broken, when a pass was thrown in behind their centres, allowing Kava to rush through, flyhack the ball twice and touch it down as it crossed the line, close to the posts. With Cole off injured, Chris Bolton converted, as he did 4 minutes later, when it was the scrumhalf himself who scored the try, when a high chip kick right on Moseley’s line by Pope caught everyone on the hop. With their forwards becoming increasingly dominant at breakdowns, Stortford piled on the pressure and, after both Parry and Alex Rayment had come close to breaking through the visitors’ defence, it was replacement hooker, Alex Osborn that got the try on 57 minutes, plunging over from the fringe of one of a number of tryline rucks. The opposition now seemed to be reeling and Pope got his second try and his team’s sixth five minutes later, rounding off a move triggered by a good break through the middle from Parry, backed up with some strong forward pressure, with George Breese going close and sealed with quick hands down the backs. Ben Morrow converted. Stortford were now rampant and it was Morrow who scored the final try of the game after 75 minutes, finishing off some impressive handling from the backs, swinging first right then left, with both Kava and James Naylor in turn then stepping in from the left to wrong-foot multiple defenders and put the replacement 10 in for his first league try.
Special thanks to today’s Matchday Sponsors, Jems Accountancy and Man of the Match sponsors, Bit Solutions, whose award went to Alex Rayment for another barnstorming performance at 7.
