Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 62 Staines 7

Early Stortford pressure failed to produce scores, largely due to handling errors resulting from a combination of impatience and overambition in passing out of contact. After 9 minutes, though, the deadlock was broken, when Sam Winter ran in a try after a forceful run out of defence by winger, Jimmy Rea found support from lock, Hamish Irving, who’s controlled pass out of a tackle set the fullback free to cross te line. The conversion was missed but a further try came after a further 5 minutes, when flanker, David Rose showed remarkable presence of mind to release the ball when tackled just short of the Staines line and, having regained his feet, drove through a couple of opposing forwards looking to create a ruck to dive over for the try. Tom Coleman’s conversion attempt from the touchline bounced out off the far post to leave the score at 10-0. The home side suffered a setback after 17 minutes, when openside, Richard Gill was yellow-carded for what was deemed to be a late tackle, as the Staines fullback, Chris Bishay squeezed a touchkick away close to his line. Stortford were, however, undaunted by having to play one man short, registering a further 10 points during the sin bin period via a Coleman penalty, when Staines failed to release at the tackle and a try by Jono Child following a clean break by fellow centre, John Stocker, which Coleman converted. Ironically, Gill’s return to the field of play saw an almost immediate adverse turn of fortunes, when Stortford prop, Sean Edwards was yellow-carded for collapsing a driving maul, despite being a first such offence, when the home side’s line didn't appear to be under immediate threat. Staines took full advantage of their numerical advantage this time by kicking the resultant penalty to touch and executing a well-drilled catch and drive over the line from the resultant lineout. A good conversion took the score to 20-7 after 28 minutes. The rest of the half was played out without further scores, as a number of handling errors were committed by both sides.

Stortford started the second period in more controlled mode and scored their 4th, bonus point try after 9 minutes, when scrumhalf, Sam Coleman ran in to touch down under the posts after an excellent switch move between Rea and Stocker, as the home side ran back a weak Staines kick. Coleman’s conversion took the score to 27-7 and the lead was extended by a further 7 points within 4 minutes, when the flyhalf again converted a try scored by Marcus Cattell, just on as substitute in the centre for Jono Child, following good work by Wayne Child down the wing, supported by a powerful drive up the middle by number 8, Mark McCraith. Stortford’s 15 man running game was now in full flow, producing further tries after 16 and 23 minutes for Rea and Sam Coleman, both of which were converted by his brother. Stocker and Rose played key roles in the respective build-ups, the latter handing his scrumhalf the score, as he ran out of puff, after cutting clean through on the halfway line. Although never giving up, the visitors were now under serious pressure and had no answer to a brilliant bit of interplay between Winter and Rea, swapping rapid-fire passes, after the fullback ran back another Staines kick and rounded off the move by touching down under the posts for an easy conversion by his skipper after 35 minutes of the half. The home forwards again got into the scoring act in the final minute of the half, when substitute prop, Will Freeston was driven over for a try after a Staines player was caught in possession in a desperate effort to run the ball out of defence. Yet another conversion by Coleman took the final score to 62-7.

Dorking's tremendous win at table-topping Tonbridge Juddians today serves only to re-emphasise the challenge which we already knew lies ahead next week. This offers the prospect of e real battle between two ball-playing sides, which should be well worth the journey down to Surrey to watch.