Oh dear, the pattern of the previous week was repeated : another very convivial away lunch and another game of two halfs and one fatal blemish ! At half-time the Stags were lucky to be only 13-3 down : at no side they could count themselves pretty unlucky to be the 18-13 losers.

They had almost entirely dominated that second half but their momentum had been arrested when centre and captain on the day Stuart Peel was knocked cold half way through that period leading to a ten minute stoppage - he was mercifully fine when checked out in hospital later – and then one sustained rolling maul on one of Hertford's by now very infrequent visits to the CS half in the end turned out to be the decisive score.

It had started badly for the Stags as they conceded a try from a heel taken against the head with hardly five minutes played and they were very much on the back foot for most of that first half with set scrum problems and very little possession. Ben Lloyd playing at stand-off with Scott Hadden injured landed a long range penalty to make it 3-5 but at this stage of the game it was all Hertford whose kicker, however, missed a sitter after quarter of an hour.

The Stags with open side Joe Clarke very prominent were having to do an awful lot of tackling and Hertford were now wisely playing to their strengths. Instead of taking the simple penalty shot that was next on offer they went for the scrum five yards out and a simple pick up with further support delivered a try which they had certainly more than earned but which their kicker could not improve upon.

Five minutes from the end of the half another Stags’ infringement slightly further out was punished by a yellow card to Joe Clarke although the referee could probably have nominated any one of three off side CS players. This kick the Hertford kicker landed at last for their 13-3 interval lead which could have been so much greater. There were, however , now at least some rather more encouraging signs emerging that with more broken play the Stags could be dangerous.

And so it proved with a try from Jon Webber , the conversion and another penalty by Lloyd bringing them right back into it and the pendulum apparently swinging in their favour. The Stags' backs were now much more prominent with plenty of ball of their own as well as a fair bit that was kicked to them.

At the time of Peel's unfortunate injury it was looking as if the Stags just had to score and even thereafter they spent long periods camped in the home side's twenty-two.

Just as the Stags had tackled their hearts out, so now did Hertford but for all the Stags' dominance this half – the scrum now appearing much steadier, line-outs pretty even and - the Hertford try apart - the go-forward largely with the Stags - the Stags just could not get over the line again and so it was that Hertford managed to cling on for their narrow win, much to the relief of the Hoe Lane faithful.

CS Rugby 1863 Scorers:

Try : Webber

Con : Lloyd

Pens : Lloyd (2)