There had been little in the Stags’ somewhat disappointing pre-season performances to suggest that they were likely to run the bookies’ favourites for the league title close. Although they cruelly and undeservedly came away with nothing you would hardly have realised that that had been the outcome had you not seen the whole game, such was the difference between the two sides’ body language as they came off the pitch. The Stags could indeed hold their heads high : the home side looked far from chuffed.
The Stags had , certainly for considerable periods of the game, the better of territory and possession and got off to the best of starts when alert centre Paddy O’ Halloran, yes centre Paddy O’ Halloran, charged down a G-Force attempted clearance kick in front of their own posts with barely half a minute played : 7-0 to the Stags!
Possession and territory are not everything, however and some loose kicking and missed first tackles allowed the home side to show just how dangerous they could be on the counter with their pacey back three a constant threat. The Stags’ lead lasted just a few minutes and when on the half hour G-Force notched up their third try to lead 19-7 it looked as if they were likely to heap considerable indignity on CS and live up to their favourites’ billing. Going for posts ( and missing ) a little later when already three tries to the good seemed a very conservative option. 19-7 it remained at half-time.
Perhaps G-Force knew something that the rest of us did not as the Stags , although giving away considerable height and poundage up front, came back with a vengeance and tackling ferociously to shade the second period and indeed after Sam Emery had scored after some sustained Stags’ pressure with Strang again converting, the home side was only too pleased when a rather more difficult penalty chance came its way to go for the shot and extend its lead to 22-14.
And try hard and repeatedly as the Stags did to cross again that is how it remained with a last play of the game drop goal attempt failing as Strang at fly half slipped. No one from East Grinstead certainly would have begrudged them what would have been a thoroughly deserved losing bonus point. The Stags’ supporters in the large crowd for their part would have had to concede that for all their side’s great efforts it was the home side that was the more clinical and which always looked threatening as soon as a little space, which its players were very good at creating, appeared.

CS spectators’ MOM : Michael Adanyia