Within the first three minutes of this game the Stags, 10 points clear of second placed Medway who however had a match in hand, had thrown a quite unpressurised and needless forward pass in midfield and conceded a penalty for holding on after taking the ball into contact, this second indiscretion costing them three points.
Their nerves seemed to have been settled only minutes later, however, when scrum half, Adam Nixon, took a quick tap and go; two forward drives followed, then outside half for the day,Tom Bugge, neatly stepped inside and fed James Houstoun for a seven pointer.
That all was still not quite as it should be though was apparent soon after when a utility front row forward and captain of Norway could be spotted on the wing calling – fortunately in vain – for a cross kick. It was a wholly preposterous suggestion which, had it fallen on receptive ears, had opposition score written all over it!
That certain outcome avoided, all seemed well when Will Scott added to CS’s lead with a powerful surge and James Houstoun converted, albeit this time with an in-off. But not long before half-time, there was effectively a 14 point turn-around when Tom Bugge’s attempted lofted pass to the man in acres of space was picked off and the Cobham man had a clear run to the line. On such moments matches have been known to turn.
Still CS had a further chance to make the half time score line a little more realistic but - when a penalty was struck into the corner - the line-out went awry and instead it was just 10-14 at oranges.
The coach would read the Riot Act and the error count reduce after the break surely?
Not at all: a try scoring chance was missed because of a failure to deliver a simple pass; a glaring missed tackle caused further needless pressure and soon there was another breakdown transgression and penalty when CS really should have been in comfortable control of the contact; a missed line of CS’s own then cost loads of territory and the home side snatched a try in the corner to take the unlikeliest of leads, 15-14.
How was this going to end? Well, fortunately! First wing, Chris East finished off the move that had created some space for him and then CS got their line out drive working at last for the bonus point score and were firmly in control – with no further alarms - in the closing stages.
Maybe your reporter was as edgy in his note taking as the players and one should not dwell on the negative. CS had shown themselves to be comfortably the better side and had come good when it mattered. President Lee did not consider it a bad performance at all against the fifth placed team in the league and a potential banana skin had been avoided. Just avoid three more and the title is the Stags’.
Next up on Saturday, 7 April is Gravesend at Duke’s Meadows, ko 1500, preceded by an ex-players’ lunch and an opportunity to remember absent friends.