Birmingham Moseley 34 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 32

The visitors started confidently and, were 5 points up within 2 minutes, when Chris Smith beat the cover defence to run in from some 40 metres, after James Ayrton had collected a chip kick by Brad Burr from just inside his own half. Stortford had much the better of the next 16 minutes, dominating possession and showing great line speed on the few occasions Moseley were allowed the ball. They could have scored a couple more tries, but had to settle for just one after a period of concerted pressure on the home line, with James Apperley plunging over from short range. Burr's conversion attempt bounced out from an upright. Moseley fought back quickly, winning a turnover, as Stortford tried to run the ball out of defence and three phases of forward mauling from a 10 metre lineout by the well-organised home pack saw them over for a try by Morgan Dawes, which flyhalf, Ben Palmer converted confidently. At this point, Stortford's previously well-oiled lineout started to falter, meaning that a front throw at a lineout in their own red zone was all too predictable and duly stolen by Moseley. A few quick phases and dangerous left winger, Aquile Smith used a bit of space out wide to dash over for a try, made easier by a poor attempt at a cover tackle, allowing Palmer an easier conversion. Stortford immediately threatened from the restart, after great work by Sam Winter and Luis Ball produced a turnover. A knock-on unfortunately handed the ball over and a great clearing kick put the ball back into the Stortford 22. The visitors opted to try and run the ball, but a good team chase from the opposition put Stortford's backs under pressure, forcing a slightly panicky forward pass. A penalty at the scrum was turned down by Moseley in favour of a re-scrum and quick ball from the base allowed Smith all too easily to crash over in the corner. Just to rub salt into the wound, Palmer put over the conversion, giving his team, that had been second best for much of the half, into an 11 point lead at the break.

Moseley started the second period well, but strong Stortford defence persuaded them to take three points from a second successive penalty after 4 minutes. The visitors were quickly on the front foot, though and had some good fortune from another lineout error, when Burr had to jump high to retrieve an overthrow, only to be tackled in the air, producing a yellow card for Moseley's hooker, Pete Austin. Unfortunately, the penalty attempt from an eminently kickable position went wide. Pressure was maintained on the Moseley 22, though and Sam Winter scored a good try out wide with 10 minutes gone, after a great drive up the middle by prop, Ben Harrison-Price. The conversion was again missed, but 10 minutes later, Tom Walker, on at fullback, kicked a penalty goal after more Stortford pressure. Moseley swept back onto the attack in what had become a real ding-dong match, but Smith's hat-trick try - inevitably converted by Palmer - came far too easily, with Stortford's defensive alignment for once found wanting. Undaunted, the visitors bounced straight back and, with JP Nel and Dec Caulfield freshly on in the front row, a dominant push at a 5 metre scrum allowed Baxter Wilson to plunge over from number 8. Walker converted well, as he did on 35 minutes, following a try by the posts to Chris Smith, from a scything training ground move straight from a good lineout, with the blind-side winger looping round in midfield. This put Stortford a point ahead, but hopes of seeing out the game with this narrowest of leads were immediately snuffed out, with an unforced knock-on from a wobbly restart kick. An immediate penalty against the visitors for a high tackle gave Palmer an easy opportunity to add 3 points, which he thumped between the posts. Moseley managed to see out time, but not without another brief threat from the visitors, snuffed out by a penalty for an illegal clearout at a ruck in midfield.