With a healthy 25-3 lead at half-time courtesy of tries from winger Jon Webber and centres Tom Mitchell and Ben Turner as well as two penalties and two conversions for out-half Ben Lloyd and with the normal Chiswick westerly still to be exploited, the Stags - who had performed strongly in the second half in both their recent losing games away - were surely going to run out handsome winners.

Barking - winless at the bottom of the table - had other ideas and a fiercely competitive second half saw the Stags' composure slipping. Perhaps they had turned their minds prematurely to the evening's pre-Christmas celebrations.

Barking hit back with two tries and much of the second half was played in unexpected parts of the ground ( Whatever happened to kicking to the tennis courts' corner on such a day ?! ) and whilst there was never any great danger of an upset to be sure it was very much a case of soaking up brave Barking pressure and seeing what might materialise on the counter.

Sure enough this Mikawberish approach more or less worked as the last two tries of the game went the Stags' way : a second for Jon Webber and flanker Joe Clarke also deservedly getting on the score sheet.

CS scorers :

Tries

Webber (2)
Mitchell
Turner
Clarke

Pens:

Lloyd (2)

Cons:

Lloyd (4)