Barnes 26 CS Rugby 1863 18
Nick Alway reports.

The Stags put together their best 40 minutes of the season so far to be leading league leaders Barnes 7-10 at half time on an interesting surface. It could well have been more. Eventually the home side did find their stride but this was the hardest that they had been pressed so far this season.

A much changed CS side - twelve players who had already represented the team at least once in the first three league games were for whatever reason unavailable for selection - put Barnes under considerable pressure in the first period, penning them in their own half for long periods. Although there was the odd set scrum wobble, line-outs were going well and one driven line-out early on went ten metres before Barnes arrested it less than five metres out, but also gaining a relieving penalty in the process. A little later, a smartly taken CS tap penalty and kick ahead could have brought big dividends if the bounce had been a little kinder. Still the Stags kept plugging away and on 15 minutes spurned a kickable penalty to go for another line-out drive. Although this was halted, the ball was moved quickly and with the Barnes midfield sucked in, Stuart Peel was able to enter the line from full back and score a try which he converted.

CS continued to look threatening with Rhys Lapidus settling in well in the - for him - more unusual fly half slot and picking up the ball seemingly effortlessly from his ankles when the occasion demanded. CS deservedly extended their lead not long afterwards with a Peel penalty. They failed to secure the kick off, however, and for pretty much the first time in the match Barnes found themselves on the attack deep in CS territory. They knocked on but managed to turn the resulting scrum through 180 to win the put-in and although their centre was held up over the line, they eventually managed to force their fly half over at the posts following the ensuing scrum.

The rest of the half's play was all in Barnes territory with a last minute golden oppportunity sadly spurned : to make an extra man out wide count the ball needs to go through the hands rather than be fired straight at him! It had still been a very encouraging forty minutes and the neutral spectator would have been hard pressed indeed to identify which team might have gone into the game as hot favourites.

Barnes did show rather more of their pedigree in the second half - they have lost only one player from their National League 2 side of last season - and started the half brightly with a good break by their fullback , the move however finally being halted just 5 metres out when Barnes were penalised and then marched back a further 10 metres for dissent. If this at least appeared to be a good omen more worrying was that Barnes' share of possession was steadily increasing. Ten minutes into the half they scored a try through their winger after quick line-out ball and quick hands, converted from wide out, to take the lead 14-10 and - just as importantly no doubt - calm their frayed nerves. The fact that the psychological boot might now be on the other foot was apparent soon afterwards when it was CS's turn to be marched back an additional ten for dissent after they were penalised when unable to get the ball away at the breakdown after what had appeared to be a very promising break.

It was still very much nip and tuck at this stage and with both teams seeing a yellow play was now opening up more. Barnes were the more clinical however and wheras a CS line-out drive from close in failed, when the home side's opportunity came from a similar distance, they made no mistake, moving the score on to 19-10.

This was the cue for a mini-resurgence by the Stags' rag-tag but undeniably brave outfit : first they again secured a good position for a line-out drive, this time illegally prevented only for the resulting penalty from 15 metres in to be missed ; then, moments later, a longer but straighter penalty effort also from Peel was successful and at 19-13 it was game on again. But it was Barnes who secured the next critical score. A strong line-out drive was stopped with difficulty but CS were on the back foot and after a few more thrusts Barnes ' scrum half waltzed through the hole to touch down for a seven pointer and at 26-13 that was effectively that.

Not that that was the final act, however, as the Stags were still determined to get something out of the game if they could - which indeed they almost did with a last minute try by Gareth Price in the corner. Sadly Peel could not land the difficult conversion attempt and it was cruel that at the death the Stags should have been denied the consolation of even a losing bonus point. Their plucky display had deserved at least that and they could legitimately feel that they had not perhaps had the rub of the green - except that at Barn Elms so close to the London Wetlands Centre the green - as they will have ruefully reflected - had been tinged with a good bit bit of the white and grey !

CS Rugby 1863 scorers:

Tries:

Peel
Price

Con : Peel

Pens : Peel (2).