DIRECTOR of rugby Seb Reynolds reiterated the strength of the league after Rams’ latest nail-biting National One victory in a 21-19 triumph at Bishop’s Stortford.
A breath-taking start saw the hosts take a second-minute lead through Chris Smith before Jak Rossiter’s interception try was converted by Steffan James, only for James Thacker to cross for a score Dan Cole added the extras to as Stortford went 12-7 up inside seven minutes.
A penalty try helped Rams move 14-12 in front before half-time, but a flowing end-to-end move finished by Sam Bryan, again converted by Cole, pushed the home side back in front midway through the third quarter.
Yet Rams’ forward dominance fashioned a pushover Robbie Stapley try, converted by starting debutant James on 73 minutes, and with Cole missing a last-play penalty, the away side just clung on to victory.
Reynolds said: “It’s a great league. Fair play to Bishop’s Stortford, they came out with really good intentions to play some rugby and chuck the ball around.
“They caught us out early on when we were maybe still halfway in last week’s game for the first 10 minutes, but we managed to come back into the game and it was just a good match – they had a kick to win it, so there was nice drama for the crowd.
He continued: “They had some really good tactics – they took their time between the whistles and then really played with some nice tempo when the ball was in play, and they caught us out there.
“They’re a good side – they should have won two weeks ago at Rosslyn Park and they haven’t had many home games, so you could tell they were really up for it and they had good energy, so for us to hold on was really good.”
It was Rams’ first-ever success at Silver Leys and only the second in seven attempts against Stortford, and Reynolds said: “It shows how tough a place this is to come and win – we’d never won here as a club and I’ve also been here with Berkshire Under 20s when we were hammered by Hertfordshire, so it’s a really, really good victory.
“There was maybe a route there which could have made things more comfortable, but teams never lie down and these tight games are what makes this league fantastic.”
“We laid a good platform in the scrum and the maul – James Baker, Jack Steadman and Ollie Moffitt were outstanding and then Max Hayman and Sean McDonnell-Roberts when they came on continued that and it helped us back into the game.”
Reynolds saved his final word for young Welsh stand-off James, though, the Leeds Beckett alumni holding his nerve to land the winning conversion.
He said: “It speaks to Steff’s mentality that he can come into a side which has been going well and winning rugby matches, get thrust in at 10 and then his kick won the game.
“Those kicks from the 15-metre mark are very, very tough because everyone expects you to get them – the ones from the touchline you’re a hero if you get them, but no-ones too fussed if you miss them.
“He was expected to get that and he did, so mentally it was a great effort.”
