Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 18 London Irish Wild Geese 13

The game didn’t start at all well for the home team, as they were punished for twice failing to clear their own lines and, after 5 minutes were a converted try down, when they failed to cope with a fly-hack ahead of a turnover ball. Irish exploited the opportunity ruthlessly via a couple of close-range passes, off which centre, Ben Kitching managed to force his way over the line with the help of his forwards. Fullback, Oscar Thomas made no mistake with the conversion. Stortford were still struggling to come to terms with the wet conditions but, nevertheless, managed to force their way back into opposition territory and flyhalf, George Cullen narrowed the deficit to 4 points after 10 minutes, following a breakdown offence by the visitors. There followed a lengthy period of midfield wrestling, but it was the home side that, 25 minutes into the game, broke the deadlock with a try to prop, Will Roberts out wide, breaking off the back of an excellent driving maul set up from a Stortford lineout won from a rare penalty conceded by the Irish in midfield. Cullen kicked a tremendous conversion to take his side out into a 3 point lead. The home side now steadily seemed to gain the ascendency in most aspects of the game and, as the first half entered injury time, some impressive handling by the backs in the tricky conditions produced a try for winger Jono Child right in the corner. Cullen’s conversion attempt this time fell narrowly short. The first period finished with a yellow card for the visitors’ 12, after he ran from yards away to join a minor fracas close to the Stortford line. This may well have resulted from frustration at his side having been held out by some determined Stortford defending over a five-minute period pinned back on their own line.

Despite starting the second half one man short, the Wild Geese soon got onto the front foot and some early indiscipline on Stortford’s part brought 2 quick penalties, the second of which was in range of the posts and Thomas duly slotted the shot at goal to bring his side within 5 points. The same player was successful again some 10 minutes later, when Stortford were penalised in front of the posts for what was deemed a deliberate knock-on, as the visitors mounted a period of sustained pressure. This took the score to 15-13. To this point, Stortford had struggled to regain the initiative they had won in the first half, but they now buckled down again and slowly ground their way back into the game. It took, though a reckless challenge from the visitors’ 6, Scott Moore after 22 minutes of the half to bring a decisive swing in the proceedings, when he charged forward, while a Stortford player prepared to take a kick from a mark and followed through with a tackle almost as soon as the kick was taken. The inevitable yellow card gave a boost to the home side, who duly took control of most of the rest of the match, on occasions showing some impressive ball handling across the whole side. They were thus able to squander a first opportunity for three points for a penalty under the Visitors’ posts by taking a quick tap and also concede a number of unnecessary penalties at breakdowns, but still managed to dominate territory and to extend their lead to 5 points with another Cullen penalty after 35 minutes. This had been awarded for a late tackle after a Nick Hankin kick-ahead. Fullback, Jimmy Rea (now standing in at scrumhalf, after an injury to Arran Mahoney), No 8, Steve Ball and centre, Johnny Neville were both prominent in Stortford’s repeated attacks during this period. The only remaining incidents of note were a yellow card after 38 minutes to the Wild Geese’s second row, Charlie Davey for a dangerous tackle off the ball on substitute centre, Sam Winter and a sin binning 5 minutes later to Stortford hooker, Sam James, who was the unlucky one to be called to account for a series of breakdown penalties conceded by his team. The match ended with a hard-fought, but deserved home win 18-13.

It was great to see centre, Sam Winter, prop, Sean Edwards, second row, Matt Tomlinson and, in particular, skipper, Tom Coleman coming on from the bench in the second half after their various injury travails to restore the squad towards full strength, but thanks have to go to a handful of talented students, who have been willing to travel back from universities near and far to help cover the recent injury problems. With the likes of Tom Banks, Will Roberts, Rory Young, Joss Linney. George Cullen and Tom McCrone showing this level of commitment to the Club, where they learned much of their rugby, prospects for the future must surely be bright.