Make no mistake about it : this was - in line with rugby's rich traditions - a most enjoyable mini-tour. As is often the case with such expeditions, however, the enjoyment was to be found in far greater measure off the pitch than on it.

It was the club's first ever trip to this British Crown Dependency and outwith of course the European Union.

Mike Lee's impeccable travel plans ensured that despite a slight delay in our departure from Gatwick the team's supporters arrived in good spirits, taken all too literally in some cases, and in good time for their lunch at Guernsey's well-appointed municipal – or should it be bailiwicky - stadium that had been built for the 2003 Island Games, the world games that is, should it need it explaining, for smaller islands. So far as the journey time prior to that was concerned all that had been required had been to catch the 9.38 from Clapham Junction. Going to Norfolk was never that easy certainly.

On the pitch things were to be rather less jolly. The home side had a powerful scrummage and made good use of it although one suspects that Brian Moore might have had a few words to say about the legality of the engagement and certainly their powerful "hit" , particularly in the first half, made life for the Stags very difficult. Playing rugby on the back foot on a heavy surface is never easy but you do yourself no favours at all if your line-out is also malfunctioning catastrophically. And the scrum pressure meant that one sin bin followed another with props Jamie Evans and Craig Bellringer both serving time in the bin and what was difficult enough with eight did not of course get any easier with seven.

So with very short commons all round the writing was soon on the wall. Much of the first half hour was spent defending and not that successfully either as Guernsey opened up a 17-0 lead with a penalty and two converted tries. The half finished rather more brightly for the Stags though who launched a series of sustained attacks on the home side's line until finally the ball was lost and the chance had gone. It was not just the islanders' forwards who were a handful but their backs were no slouches either. In such unpromising conditions for running rugby ( not just wet underfoot but almost a haar, as our man from Elgin would have it ) both sets of backs had shown enterprise and good handling of the slippery ball but the home side had had far more opportunity to showcase their skills. The floodlights were certainly needed almost from the start ( ko 1515 ) to pierce the Stygian gloom.

The Stags needed to start the second half as they had left off the first but that was not to be and instead it was Guernsey who crossed again very early in the half for their third try and who were clearly anticipating at that point that they would have further success as a matter of course. To their credit the Stags did not go meekly to the slaughter. Scrummaging had if anything got a little easier and James Gillett , now playing No 8, did sterling work rescuing ball when necessary. The odd line-out was now also being won and the CS backs remained lively throughout. A third yellow card - this time to hooker-cum-on-the-day-prop Gino Corradi - and credit to him for taking that on - meant that three front row men in total served time in the bin, reducing the opportunity therefore to make further tactical rolling substitutions.

There was to be just the one further try in the game - an interception that fell to Stags’ full back Brendan Ward - and the Stags' plucky efforts in adversity had ensured there would after all be no bonus point for the home side whose front row wrecking crew had still contributed mightily to their victory.

The game over, pride swallowed , and the young management trio departed for a flight straight back to home and hearth, this left just the team and quiet guys like Paul Olima and Victor Alway together with some seasoned tourists, including Del Daves, Ginge Sarsfield, Adrian Houstoun and our trusty touch judge Graham Steeden as well as the usual suspects to enjoy the delights of St Peter Port. The Pig, aka the Rob Murphy memorial award - yes it still lives - had also chosen to actually go on its first tour since appearing in Amsterdam in the early 80s and had been in heavy early evening action! Guernsey's capital was not nearly as quiet on a Saturday evening in early January as one might have been lead to believe. Enough said!

CS scorer:

Try : Ward

PS I do not always find common ground with Brian Moore but I did coincidentally find myself nodding in agreement with him last Monday . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/9783925/Referees-must-police-elite-scrums-for-rugbys-sake.html