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National League 1: Plucky Bishop’s Stortford suffer narrow defeat to leaders Rams




Bishop’s Stortford became the first side this season to deny National League 1 leaders Rams a five-point win.

In a low-scoring affair at a sodden Silver Leys on Saturday, the visitors’ two unconverted tries to the hosts’ two penalty kicks gave them a narrow 10-6 victory that maintains their 100% winning start to the campaign.

But given that the Berkshire side arrived in East Herts having averaged 43 points in their first five games, Tom Coleman’s side can take great heart from their battling display, especially in the second half when they were reduced to 14 men.

Man of the match Ollie Jones is presented with a bottle of bubbly by star man sponsors Menor Ltd
Man of the match Ollie Jones is presented with a bottle of bubbly by star man sponsors Menor Ltd

The bonus point in defeat leaves Stortford 10th in the table with 11 points. Three of the four teams below them lost, including Darlington Mowden Park in the basement duel at Esher.

Handling errors inevitably occurred in the very wet conditions, with both sides determined to play running rugby, but unusual laxity in Stortford’s defence after five minutes left a gaping hole for Swedish international winger Axel Kalling-Smith to step back towards a breakdown and run in almost unopposed for a try out wide.

Rams spurned an easy shot at goal three minutes later, instead going for touch, but were turned over at the lineout.

Stortford made no such mistake very shortly after when fly half Mike Cooke took three points after a breakdown offence.

Even though the rain abated, errors continued and the only further score before half time was a second penalty goal to Cooke after 33 minutes.

In the second half Stortford exerted early pressure, but after 48 minutes they lost prop Toby Hill to a yellow card for a high tackle. With fellow prop Harry Peck having been concussed at the end of the first half, the hosts were forced into playing with 13 men for 10 minutes as the scrums went uncontested.

Showing immense character, they held out a rampant Rams team through the sin-bin period, but their defence was finally breached, very shortly afterwards, when slick handling in the visitors’ backline made room for a try out wide to other winger Tomasz Pozniak.

Stortford hurled themselves onto the attack, but stout Rams defence held out for a narrow win.

Bishop’s Stortford: Hayes, Gilham, Pope, Biard, Mills, Cooke, Bolton; Hill, Rayment, Peck, Ferguson, Charter, Jones, Langworthy, Rogers. Replacements: Smith T, Moffitt, Kiff, Hammick, Briers.

Rams: Clow, Kalling-Smith, Radianirova, Grundy, Pozniak, Honey, Monye; Marris, Hayman, Bishop, Stone, Swain, Mcrae, Vooght, Stapley. Replacements: Harris, Lomas, Macrae, Hodgson, Humberstone.

SCORERS: Bishop’s Stortford – pens: Cooke 11 & 35. Rams – tries: Kalling-Smith 5, Pozniak 60.

Referee: Matt Sharpe. Star man: Ollie Jones, Bishop’s Stortford. Attendance: 503.

OTHER RESULTS: Leicester Lions 17, Rotherham 34; Sale FC 15, Rosslyn Park 34; Dings Crusaders 31, Richmond 31; Esher 31, Darlington Mowden Park 21; Birmingham Moseley 28, Sedgley Park 26; Plymouth Albion 29, Blackheath 23.



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