Clifton 20 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 17

Stortford started the game with ambition, running the ball despite the appalling weather - driving rain in high wind - and were rewarded almost instantly, when Tom Coleman seized on a loose ball shooting out the back of a ruck outside the Clifton 22, made a few yards before chipping the advancing fullback and picked up the ball brilliantly, as it bounced back of a post to plunge over for a try within 2 minutes. Pier Dotta added the two points. The next 27 minutes were played mostly in midfield and, with handling in the conditions very difficult, neither side threatened to break away.Stortford generally, though enjoyed the better of the exchanges and after half an hours a period of sustained pressure in the home 22 brought a 5 metre scrum for Stortford, after the ball was knocked on over the Clifton line. The visitors' scrum held firm, No 8, Baxter Wilson darted to the blindside and found scrumhalf, Tom Banks in support to drive the ball close to the line. Two more phases of driving play saw the pack drive over for Wilson to touch down. Dotta's conversion attempt flew wide and, with the rest of the half proving fairly uneventful, the sides turned round with a 0-12 scoreline.

With the wind now having veered rather more down the pitch, behind Clifton from its previous direction, considerably more across the field, Stortford were clearly going to have to withstand a lot of pressure from the big home pack. The first few minutes of the second period reflected this, but the visitors' staunch defence proved up to the task, until a rather harsh (and slightly late call) by the referee for a high tackle inside the Stortford half after 7 minutes provided a crucial turning point. Clifton, predictably kicked for touch and, as they drove inexorably for the line after the resultant lineout, Hamish Irving was sin-binned for diving in at the side of the maul. Almost inevitably, the home side opted for a scrum from the resultant penalty and drove over for a try, which was well converted to narrow the deficit to 5 points. Clifton took further advantage of the man advantage to exert more pressure and just before the 10 minutes expired, a rare show of adventure from the home backs, ending with a clever grubber kick led to another 5 metre lineout, from which the pack, once again drove over the line for a second converted try to take the lead. This was extended to five points some 5 minutes later from a penalty right under the posts. This was awarded when Stortford, having resisted a period of sustained forward pressure on their line with some brilliant defending, had caught the home scrum half in possession and driven him some 10 metres back, only for a forward driving over the ball to allow himself to be pushed to the ground, for which he was penalised for diving over the ball. Undaunted, the visitors went straight onto the attack and, when Clifton were penalised at a breakdown in their own 22, opted for a scrum, resulting in another penalty, as the Stortford 8 drove powerfully forward. Not surprisingly, opting for another scrum, they found resistance form the opposition considerably sterner and Banks did well to squeeze the ball under pressure out to Nick Hankin, running to a wide blind side, having stepped in from the left wing. Using his fellow winger, Dom Morris as a foil outside, Hankin had the pace to run diagonally past an opposition centre to touch down an equalising try. Unfortunately the conversion attempt directly into the wind again was blown wide. Clifton proceeded then to take a degree of control through a combination of astute kicking and powerful close-quarters driving rugby through their forwards, going remorselessly through phase after phase. Once again, Stortford's tackling was resolute but, with time running out, a penalty was awarded for offside on their own 22, only half way out from the posts to the touchline. As the goal attempt was hooked wide, Stortford's large band of traveling supporters heaved a sigh of relief, as it looked as if the visitors' determined defensive effort was going to be rewarded with a draw. Play, though was resumed and, some 4 minutes later, some more strong forward drives from the home pack, following a huge effort at a Stortford scrum took them back close to the visitors' 22, where a penalty was awarded for a breakdown offence. The resultant kick at goal was rather more centrally positioned than the previous one and Clifton's kicker this time held his nerve admirably to drive the ball between the posts for the winning points, since the final whistle was blown immediately.