Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 43 Barnes 10

Despite looking to be in control from the start, Stortford made repeated unforced errors in the early stages, with one of a number of unnecessary forward passes setting up an opening penalty score for the visitors after 12 minutes. Stortford struck back immediately, though, when two penalties in quick succession from the restart allowed prop, Will Roberts to crash over for a try after a quick tap from the second offence. George Cullen's conversion attempt fell just short, but the flyhalf was more successful some 13 minutes later after Roberts' second try, which came from some good handling out of tackles, with centre, Johnny Neville making the crucial final half break to set his prop clear to the line. Cullen this time made no mistake with the conversion and Stortford looked to be in control from the restart, but a wild long pass thrown some thirty yards into a congested midfield allowed Barnes' inside centre to pick the ball off cleanly and burst clear for an easy try under the posts to narrow the deficit to 2 points. Stortford might have been unsettled by this error, but instead dug in and forced their way back onto the front foot. Eventually, an excellent chip kick by Cullen, successfully regathered by the flyhalf himself split the Barnes defence, allowing Sam Winter to draw the final defender and set his fellow centre, Neville clear to the line for a crucial converted try right on half time. Cullen's conversion took the score at the break to 19-10, which scarcely reflected the clear edge that the home side had enjoyed for most of the half.

Stortford came out after the break with a clear determination to make their superiority count and to cut out the unforced errors of the first half. Within 2 minutes of the restart, this paid dividends, with prop, Sean Edwards touching down for an unconverted try from a smart inside pass from winger, Nick Hankin after a pinpoint crosskick from Cullen exploited an opening created by a great break by Winter. The home team retained the upper hand and a second try for Neville some 9 minutes later was the reward, as the centre drove powerfully for the line after a quick tap penalty. Cullen's conversion extended the lead to 21 points and it took only 7 minutes for the next try to be scored. The nature of the score typified Stortford's much more clinical approach, as the forwards exploited a 5 metre lineout, but not through the usual driving maul, with the forwards opting instead to move the point of attack quickly to the left, where three short passes took out the covering defenders, allowing replacement backrow, Rory Banks to dive over under the posts untouched for another converted try. Barnes now managed to launch their one concerted attack of the whole game on the Stortford line and a series of penalties conceded by the home side led to a yellow card for prop, Tom McCrone. Ironically, as soon as they were reduced to 14 men, Stortford managed to turn the ball over and the visitors were unable to mount any more meaningful attacks. Instead, the home side came back onto the attack and the game was settled after 74 minutes when winger, Jimmy Rea capitalised on one of many strong Stortford scrums by using the resultant quick ball to dummy and step inside the covering defence to dash over for a try out wide. Cullen's conversion attempt from out wide bounced out off the upright to leave the final score at 43-10.