Bishop’s Stortford knock Rams off National 1 top spot with 34-25 away win

Tom Coleman was thrilled with Bishop’s Stortford’s strength and composure as they registered an impressive 34-25 win at National 1 title-chasers Rams on Saturday (February 8).

The head coach saw his side - who were reduced to 12 men for a spell in the first half - score five tries to claim a bonus-point success and end their four-game losing streak.

Rams went into the game at the top of the table but have now dropped to second behind new leaders Richmond while Stortford are up one place to eighth.

“We had a really good energy about us all week in training and I’m delighted the players transferred this to the game,” said head coach Coleman, whose team host third-placed Rotherham Titans at Silver Leys this Saturday (February 15).

“We were accurate in our attack sets and really physical in defence which is a non-negotiable if you want to go to Rams and win.

“There were moments of adversity, but the players stood strong to a man and showed great composure, which was very pleasing.”

Stortford were clearly up for the battle from the start and produced probably their most complete performance of the season to date.

They started aggressively and forced Rams onto the backfoot. Unfortunately, a very rare loss of the ball at their own scrum, well inside the opposition half, left the defence at sixes and sevens and a lightning break down the left wing took the home side into Stortford’s 22. Two quick phases later, after some slick handling by their backs, Rams clinically exploited a big blind side and went a try ahead with four minutes gone.

Stortford struck back swiftly by winning a penalty around halfway from which Mike Cooke found touch inside the home 22. The lineout drill went perfectly and Rams were unable to stop the visiting pack from driving over from long range for a try to Will Rogers, expertly converted by Cooke.

Stortford stretched their lead to nine after two quick penalties in succession brought them a five-metre lineout and, varying their game, an early break from the resultant maul saw Hamish Ferguson crashing over, with Cooke again adding the extras.

The hosts stormed back onto the attack and, although aided by a bit of Stortford indiscipline, managed to force a series of penalties, eventually resulting in a team yellow card to David Hayes for an innocuous offside offence.

The 14 men defended stoutly, holding out against a couple of Rams five-metre lineouts, but quickly lost a second player to the bin when Henry Peck was carded for seeking too forcibly to discuss with the opposing front row a penalty which had been awarded against him.

The home side opted sensibly for another scrum and, when the inevitable resultant penalty was quickly tapped, Stortford were reduced to 12 men when Cooke was carded for not retreating, though a try had been scored under the penalty advantage.

Stortford still defended manfully, but were aided by Rams’ folly in sticking to their kicking game. The home side did, though, eventually keep ball in hand long enough to stretch Stortford’s defence to breaking point to take the lead with another unconverted try.

Still persisting with the kicking game, the home side were made to pay when Stortford won a bout of kick-tennis and won a breakdown penalty close to halfway, right on half time, and Tom Mills calmly kicked a great goal to take his side into the break two points up.

Even though the visitors were soon restored to their full complement of players, Rams started the second half very quickly and were five points up within two minutes of the restart, tearing a hole in Stortford’s midfield before Fraser Honey finally found his range off the tee. Stortford drew level following a great line run up the middle by Rogers which resulted in a try out wide to Mills, with Cooke’s conversion attempt sliding narrowly wide.

He was more successful from the opposite touchline four minutes later when he brilliantly converted Chris Smith’s try after the ball was moved swiftly along the line from another five-metre lineout.

Rams surged back, but settled for three points from a penalty in front of the posts.

With only four points in it, play swung backwards and forwards, but Stortford’s defence stayed solid and they gradually gained a slight edge.

After Cooke’s attempt at goal had fallen agonisingly short, they later opted to go for touch from a penalty slightly nearer to the posts and the fly-half won a five-metre lineout. This was well defended by Rams, but they soon infringed again and were unable to hold another great driving maul from the visitors which resulted in Alex Rayment touching down for an unconverted try.

Despite a late surge by the home side, Stortford managed, with some more determined defending, to keep their line intact for the remaining eight minutes to seal a memorable victory.

Stortford: Hayes, C Smith, Mills, Pope, Gilham, Cooke, Bolton; Hill, Bell, Peck, Ferguson, Kiff, Langworthy, Jones, Rogers. Replacements: Rayment, T Smith, Johnson, Briers, Biard.