If you throw an intercepted pass in a tight game when attacking in your oponents' 22 when just two points up with ten minutes to go, thereby setting up the speedster who you have kept shackled all afternoon, then there may not be any way back and so it proved.

Not only did the 13-8 lead for the Chiswick based home side thus become 13-15 but morale was dented, discipline slipped and, sure enough, salt was then rubbed into the wound when needless penalties were conceded and with the last kick of the game the visitors to Duke's Meadows in this National Division 3 game even edged themselves outside of losing bonus point range with a 42 metre kick, made easier than anything that might have been attempted from a comparable spot earlier in the afternoon by the late easing of the hitherto bitter and gusting east wind.

"Combe" had had first use of the elements and with arrears of only two points at half time ( 6-8 from two Scott Hadden penalties set against an unconverted try and a penalty for the visitors ) the Stags were just about in the driving seat, provided their line-out continued to function and Jamie Evans at hooker had up to that point been near to faultless.

Despite the odd line-out hiccup in the second half play proceeded more or less to plan after the Stags took a comforting lead early on when a slick back move saw Stuart Peel in close to the posts .

The Stags seemed to have got a firm grasp back on things, including most importantly the ball, and to be controlling proceedings.The visitors had barely got out of their half in the second period and minutes 60-70 had all been played deep in their teritory. But the chance of long range penalty shot, albeit that it would have been with the wind, the only possibly kickable one that came the Stags' way in that entire period, was not opted for - although it looked as if it might well have been within debutant, Ben Lloyd's possibly greater kicking range - and Combe's defence meanwhile remained resolute although more than once facing a fierce assault right on their line.

And that is where we came in : with the Stags playing deep in the visitor's terrritory with ten minutes to go and looking more likely than not to run out narrow winners. Except that they chased the score too hard and disaster struck with the interception! Two penalty goals that there would have been no real prospect of kicking earlier in the afternoon were then knocked over clinically and the Stags who had played well for much of the game were left with nothing at all for all their efforts. It had though been another pulsating and - if only one were neutral - hugely entertaining game.

CS scorers:

Try : Peel

Conversion : Hadden

Pens : Hadden (2)