Blackheath 27 Bishop's Stortford 31

Stortford got off to a fast start, threatening from the kick-off and took three points from a Connor Lloyd penalty for offside. The home side fought back immediately and, although a couple of threatening moves by their slick backs were frustrated by good Stortford defence, Blackheath were not to be denied and pressure eventually told, when flyhalf, Tom Ffitch dummied his way over for a try under the posts, which he also converted. His side continued to look the more threatening and it took a fantastic solo try from Josh Stannard to take the visitors back into the lead. Taking a long pass close to halfway, he stepped out of a first-up tackle to run into space and scythed his way past a number of covering defenders to score under the posts. Blackheath again threatened but lost the ball under pressure in midfield and were penalised for holding on in their twenty two after a great Stortford chase of the hacked-on loose ball. From the resultant 5 metre lineout, Stortford were able to drive the maul over the line for a try to Harrison Langworthy, well converted by Lloyd. The home side finished the half strongly, though, with an unconverted try out wide from more ambitious handling by their backs and a penalty under the posts at the death - one of many awarded against Stortford at breakdowns.

Blackheath picked up after the break, where they had left off and looked well on top after 20 minutes, when they had converted three penalties, as Stortford's breakdown play in particular continued to find the referee's displeasure. Arguably, the home side failed fully to press home their strong advantage by kicking the third goal, rather than going for a try and they were eventually made to pay the price when the visitors seemed to find a second wind and new cohesion after one of a number of drinks breaks on a stiflingly hot day. The comeback started after half an hour of the half, when Stortford broke out of defence with an initial break from James Ayrton, taken on by Chris Bolton. The scrumhalf, recognizing that he didn't quite have the pace to make it all the way to the try line, set the ball up and a couple of quick phases later, Chris Smith was given a gap for the third try, well converted by Matt Riddington. The turnaround was completed 7 minutes later, when a good offload from Fraizer Kiff set Ryan Jackson galloping into the home 22, where Riddington put in a clever grubber kick and Toby Tierney seized on the ball, having the presence of mind to stop and step inside the covering defenders to score under the posts. Riddington converted and the pack were able to see out the remaining minutes with controlled possession rugby against a shocked home side, who had probably thought that the game had been won, when they had gone 10 points up.