Sat 18 Dec 2021, 15:00
Cambridge headed to Hertfordshire for our derby encounter with Bishop Stortford. Derby days are not for the fainthearted, formbooks go out of the window, as players lift their games for local bragging rights. Derby days on foggy December days doubly so. This was a day for plan A.
Cambridge put plan A into action from the start. Good work at the breakdown won a penalty. We kicked to the corner. We won the line out they pulled it down. So we won another penalty and did it all again. Again they tried to bring the maul down, but we were able to drive over, only to be held up. But Sir had seen enough. He went under the posts and we led 0-7.
After the restart, play descended to a game of kicking tennis, which ended with Cambridge being forced to dott the ball down in goal. Under this season's laws, that meant a goal line drop out. Unfortunately, we were not clinical enough. Stortford charged down the kick and dropped on the ball for a try. All square 7-7.
Cambridge returned to plan A. We won another penalty, and Strotford were shown a yellow card. We kicked to the corner again. The line out worked and ben Brownlie gathered the ball at the back of the maul and dotted it down. Marc Koteczky's kick went wide, 7-12 after 20 minutes.
Stortford got the better of the next twnety minutes, our mistakes gave them territory and possession, but our defence made life difficult. However, we eventually cracked and they were able to score in the corner, so half time so the match all square 12-12.
Cambridge had a simple plan for the second half, do the same as in the first half, but do it better. Ziana Alexis came on for Billy Walker after fifty minutes, Stortford saw a second yellow. We had a another great possession and drove, and after a couple of phases Ziana drove over. Marc converted 12-19
Ten minutes later, we were back in the Stortford twenty-two and driving forward and Ziana drove over again. Again the conversion went wide, 12-24.
We had a couple of other chances to score, a penalty kick went wide and a great cover tackle stopped a try.
Now it was our turn to see yellow, Marc was penalized for a no-arms tackle. Stortford made life interesting with a really well worked backs move, closing the gap 19-24.
However, Cambridge were not to be denied, we closed the game down and that was the final score. Five points on the road and an undefeated December.
We are up to fifth in the table, although Caldy have got a game in hand. We have critical games against Sale, third and Cinderford, second coming up next month. Noth at home, so do come and cheer on the boys.
Final Score
Bishop Stortford 19 - 24 Cambridge
Scorers
Tries: Penalty, Brownlie, Alexis (2)
Conversion: Koteczky
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