Bishop’s Stortford lose 39-31 at Dings Crusaders in National 1

Bishop’s Stortford’s three-game winning run came to an end as they lost 39-31 at Dings Crusaders in National 1 on Saturday (December 14).

Both sides scored five tries to earn a bonus point, but it was the hosts, who sit one place below Stortford in ninth, who took the win and deprived the visitors of a second, losing bonus point at the death.

Tom Coleman’s team play their final game of the calendar year at Blackheath this Saturday (December 21) before returning to action at home to Birmingham Moseley on January 11.

Stortford took full advantage of an early mistake by the hosts, with Chris Bolton touching down under the posts from a five-metre scrum after a goal-line dropout had flown straight into touch.

Dings levelled within two minutes, with their backs moving the ball fluently from side to side to enable Harry Tarling to step in from outside centre and wrong-foot a couple of defenders on his way to the try line.

The home side were looking sharper in possession and took the lead when hooker Nick English comfortably won the race to touch down a clever grubber kick from scrum-half Tom Knight.

It was then Dings’ turn to make a big error, knocking on as they tried to run the ball out of their own 22. Stortford exerted pressure on the line and slick hands from a second five-metre scrum, including an instinctive take and give behind his back from Dan Powell, saw Tom Mills go under the posts for a try converted by Powell.

An impressive-looking Dings flew back onto the attack and only an extended spell of ferocious defending from Stortford allowed them to go into the break all square – a scoreline which did not really reflect the clear edge the home side had enjoyed for most of the half.

Stortford restarted the game sloppily, having an early attempted clearance from the base of a ruck charged down and, a few phases later, a long pass to Dings’ left wing left him enough room to squirm over for an unconverted try in the corner.

The visitors fired straight back to draw level. Following a lineout some 15 metres from the home line, Alex Gilham was stopped inches short of the line before quick ball from the resultant ruck found Will Rogers on the charge and he got the try.

But, following yet another charged down kick from the base of a defensive ruck, Stortford conceded a penalty in scrambling back and a quick tap saw Tarling in for his second try as they went seven points ahead again.

The gap was widened to 10 points five minutes later when the visitors were penalised at their own scrum and Dings’ fly-half Jamie Elswood slotted a good goal.

Stortford were back in contention with an hour gone when Gilham showed tremendous strength to break a tackle and then drive through two more defenders for a great individual try, converted by Powell.

A penalty for a high tackle against Stortford brought a lineout on their 22 and powerful driving from the home forwards saw them sweep over for a converted try as they restored their 10-point lead.

An unconverted try by Mills with six minutes to go, following a tremendous, mazy run out of defence by Charlie Reynolds-West, briefly brought the visitors within range of a second bonus point.

But a loose Stortford pass just outside their own 22 put them under severe pressure and a penalty was conceded under the posts, with the kick stretching the gap to eight points.

Stortford: Hayes, Mills, Biard, Pope, Gilham, Powell, Bolton; Hill, Rayment, Peck, Ferguson, Jones, Langworthy, Johnson, Rogers. Replacements: Isaacs, Reynolds, Charter, Murphy, Reynolds-West.