Tonbridge Juddians 18 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 18

The first game of a new season after the 18 month break in league rugby, was hotly anticipated by the many supporters of both sides, with an extra edge for TJs’ fans for their first ever game at level 3. The home side soon established control at the scrums, but it was, nevertheless, Stortford, with their lineout functioning extremely well on both their own and opposition throws, that enjoyed territorial advantage through the first ten minutes, as the flowing passing of their backs stretched the home defence repeatedly. Eventually this pressure had to tell and quick ball to the left produced an overlap, which Josh Stannard, looping round from the blindside wing, exploited to perfection, to put fellow winger, Chris Smith clear to run round for a try, converted by George Cullen after 11 minutes. The visitors’ threequarters continued to look threatening, but a combination of strong TJs’ defence and some soft Stortford turnovers prevented any further score until the 28th minute. It was at this point that the home side finally managed to capitalise properly on their scrum control, forcing a couple of penalties in quick succession to set up a further scrum, 5 metres from the Stortford line. TJs were inevitably again on the front foot and, although another penalty was avoided, two forward drives were enough to break Stortford’s goal line defence for an unconverted try. The visitors soon forced a penalty for a breakdown offence just outside TJs’ 22, but the shot at goal went narrowly wide, as did a home attempt shortly afterwards. With 36 minutes on the clock, though, a further offence by the home team in a similar position, for failing to release at a tackle, was duly punished by George Cullen. This took his side into the break with a five point lead, but, turning to face a stiffish breeze, this was a far from comfortable margin, leaving Stortford rueing a couple of good scoring opportunities missed.

TJs started the second period strongly, dominating possession and territory and duly forced another penalty with 10 minutes of the half gone, which went to touch inside Stortford’s 22. A series of threatening forward drives were held out, but after three or four phases, the ball was spun out for an unconverted try close to the touchline to level the scores. Five minutes later, the benefit of the following wind was clearly demonstrated, as the home side won a penalty for offside close to halfway and their fullback stepped up to plant the kick well over the crossbar to put his side into the lead for the first time in the game. The scores were soon level again, though, as Stortford quickly moved into the opposition 22 and were awarded a penalty, as a maul, driving towards the TJs’ line was collapsed, Cullen slotting the kick at goal. Despite continued solid defending from Stortford, they came under increasing pressure, as they failed to hold on for any significant periods of time onto increasingly scarce possession, as fortunes at the lineout swung in the home side’s favour. Eventually, with little more than 10 minutes left, TJs ran back a poor defensive kick and made a rare clean break to set up a two on one in Stortford’s 22. They were unable to exploit the opportunity as cleanly as had Stortford in the first half, though, and allowed the scrambling defence to block the offload, requiring good fortune from the resultant loose ball bouncing back into their hands for one of their big forwards to force his way over for another unconverted try. The visitors bounced straight back onto the attack from the restart and almost immediately stretched the home defence to breaking point, with only a deliberate knock-on inside their 22 preventing a potentially scoring pass reaching its target. The culprit was duly yellow-carded and from the resultant penalty Stortford were soon driving at the try line. With another penalty advantage going in their favour, they spun the ball quickly wide, where skipper, Sam Winter used an overlap outside to dummy and crash over for a try. Cullen’s conversion, delayed for some time by a scuffle between the sides behind the posts went narrowly wide. Aidan Burnett and a TJs prop were both yellow-carded for their parts in the fracas, after intervention by the assistant referees. Although down to 13 men at the finish, the home side ended very much on the front foot. They were, nevertheless happy to settle for a draw from this extremely tight encounter, kicking the ball into touch to finish the game well inside the Stortford half.