Playing into a strong wind, Stortford got off to the worst possible start, butchering the opening dropout reception and, after conceding 2 penalties in their own 22, allowed home Captain, Alfie To'oala to force his way over for a converted try after only 2 minutes. Stortford struck back immediately, though and levelled the scores after 6 minutes, when Tom Whiteley was driven over for a try, converted by himself, after the scrumhalf had half charged down an attempted Chinnor clearing kick from their own 22. Within 8 minutes, though the home side had restored their 7 point lead, with a good backs' try from a clever chip kick by their flyhalf. After 21 minutes the Chinnor 12 was yellow carded, but it was nevertheless his team that spoiled the seesaw pattern by adding an unconverted try 3 minutes later from a driving maul, after Stortford concede a soft penalty for crossing well inside the Chinnor half. Stortford fought back with a try by Nick Hankin, outstripping the cover defence after 29 minutes, following a passage of great interpassing by backs and forwards through many phases. Whiteley's conversion narrowed the deficit to 5 points, but this was extended to 12 on 33 minutes, when Chinnor's 13, Jack Hayes crashed over, after Stortford got in a tangle at their own lineout in their 22. 26-14 at halftime, with the wind at Stortford's back to come for the second half left the game pretty evenly balanced.

An early penalty try to the visitors, after the Chinnor pack collapsed a maul right on their own line evidenced this and Whiteley's conversion took his side to within 5 points. What had been a pretty loose game became even more so after 12 minutes of the half, when Jon George and Chinnor's scrumhalf, Frank Jones were both yellow carded after a bit of a scuffle. This appeared to play into Stortford's hands when, only 2 minutes later Hankin scored his second try - and his team's fourth - gatheriing an excellent long rolling kick from Marcus Cattell, exploiting to the full a crucial turnover ball. This took the visitors into the lead for the first time in the match and the gap was widened when, only 3 minutes later, the same formula of a grubber kick- thies time from Whiteley - and a pick up by Mike Gallagher brought another try. This time the difficult conversion proved beyond Whiteley's considerable abilities, but he had no difficulty from under the posts some 6 minutes later, after skipper, Tom Coleman touched down, having taken a clean interception close to half way, as the home side tried to force the game. A fourteen point lead against a side with no real motivation as far as league points/position are concerned might well have ended the contest against a lesser team than Chinnor, but the home side seemed to redouble their efforts and, throwing caution to the wind proceeded to batter away at Stortford's line for much of the rest of the game. This yielded an early dividend for the home side, with an unconverted try by Hayes, after some battering forward drives. Some more breathing space was created after 29 minutes, though, when Whitely calmly took the three points from a penalty conceded by the Chinnor pack at a set scrum, at which they were under severe pressure. The home side was undaunted and flew back onto the attack, scoring another try after 34 minutes, going through many phases of good handling and committed running, to eventually break down Stortford's extremely determined defence - albeit with what looked suspiciously like at least a double movement by the forward awarded the score. The conversion narrowed Stortford's lead to 5 again but the pressure was once more relieved somewhat by another Whitely penalty goal, following yet another offence by the Chinnor pack at an under-pressure scrum under their own posts on 36 minutes. These three points proved to be crucial, as the home side once again threw everything at Stortford's stubborn defence, eventually forcing their way over for an excellent forwards' try, after multiple phases of tremendous close support and driving rugby. The successful conversion proved to be the last action of this pulsating battle - probably avoiding the need for Chinnor's defibrillator to be deployed to treat any number of the many travelling supporters (and, possibly our Head Coach!), whose tickers had been put under severe strain in the closing minutes.

This was an extremely well contested match, with two good sides showing huge commitment and, at times, considerable skill, in what were difficult conditions of strong wind and intermittent rain. A tremendous spectacle for the large crowd of supporters from both sides to enjoy.