Early pressure from Sale took them into Stortford’s 22, but typically strong defence kept them out and one of a number of ambitious attempts at grubber kicks by the home side produced a turnover. Unfortunately, an immediate Stortford handling error provided loose ball to the opposition, allowing their number 8 to crash over for a converted try with barely 2 minutes gone. The scores were level 4 minutes later, when Alex Rayment seized on a loose ball, as Sale attacked again, put in a long, raking kick, which stood up nicely just short of the home try line for Declan Murphy to gather and touch down out wide, calling for a tremendous conversion from Mike Cooke. It was then the home side’s turn to make a crucial error in their own 22, allowing Rayment again to scoop up the ball, drive forward and set up good ball, which was moved quickly wide, where a double-pump short pass from Austin Pope put fellow centre, Jack Biard into a gap, through which he sprinted over the line for an unconverted try. Stortford moved 12 points ahead with 20 minutes gone, when two Sale offences produced a 5m lineout, from which Rayment (again!) was driven over for the try, well-converted by Cooke. The home side were stung into aggressive response and it took some more resolute defence to hold them out, including strong defence of a couple of 5m lineout drives. Stortford countered and ended the half with the best try of the match to bring up the 4-try bonus point. Good hands inside drew in the defence, creating space for Biard to break outside his opposite number and two accurate passes gave Murphy enough room to dash over in the corner for an unconverted try. This took the score at the break to 7-24.
Not surprisingly, the home side came out aggressively in the second half. But were again met with stern resistance, with another attacking lineout maul driven into touch. Unfortunately, Stortford were unable to clear their lines and some smart handling by Sale’s backs created an opening for their flyhalf who took advantage of a couple of uncharacteristically loose tackles to step his way through for a try close to the posts. The conversion attempt, nevertheless, went wide. Stortford were now making a few errors in possession and the opposition took advantage to exert a period of pressure, but this was met with more resolute defence and it was the visitors that scored next – albeit only 3 points from a Cooke penalty. This came after Tom Mills had been stopped only inches short of the try line, following a break by Murphy, cutting a great line close to a ruck. Stortford piled in behind the recycled ball and the penalty came from a cynical tackle on the halfback waiting to move the ball from another quick ruck, resulting in a yellow card to a Sale backrow. Stortford moved into a 22 points lead within 5 minutes, when Murphy again showed his pace – and his dancing feet - to step his way on the outside of two Sale players chasing a defensive kick close to touch. Having made some 40 metres, he drew the last defender and found Cooke with a long inside pass to send him in unopposed under the posts- giving himself the easiest conversion of the day. Stortford looked to be seeing out the remaining 10 minutes reasonably comfortably, with some more strong tackling to counter the battling home side. Eventually, though, Sale were able to make a 5m lineout count, after successive penalties against Stortford, driving over for a converted try, with barely a minute left. Not content with this consolation score, though, the home side’s backs countered with some very ambitious handling under pressure in their own 22 and were rewarded with their bonus point try, as time ran out, with their left wing running in from distance after Stortford’s outside defence had been sucked in.