CS Rugby 1863 36 Bracknell 27

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us."

It's a topsy turvy world and rugby a topsy turvy game as Charles Dickens surely would have recognised even if he did not exactly have it in mind when penning the opening lines of "A Tale of Two Cities"!

CS rugby with its somewhat makeshift backline - courtesy of skiing trips, work team bonding events and similar - certainly started this game in the players' age of foolishness and the spectators' epoch of incredulity : 0-5 down after 5 minutes, 0-12 after 10, 0-19 after just 13 minutes : the winter of despair looked to have set in. And a bitterly cold winter's day it was with the home supporters - somewhat outnumbered by their visitors - very conscious of how rare a meteorological event to witness such a wind was - coming as it did from the direction of the tennis courts via Siberia.

But freak conditions do not excuse a shambles which at that time this undoubtedly was . The CS line was being breached at will, the forwards' contribution was negligible and it was not a question of if, but when, scores would result. The unusual wind - which Bracknell had the benefit of - was always going to be an influence on proceedings but not that great a one surely and a seemingly more disorganised rabble than CS at that juncture it would be difficult to imagine.

It was totally against the run of the play when - soon after the restart with that score standing at 0-19 - CS at last gained some more presentable ball and full back James Houstoun was put into space and the home side was at least on the score board : 5-19. It is fair to say that had that crucial score gone the other way - as well it might, the way the Stags were playing at that time - it would have been " Good Night Vienna".

As it was - although the CS ship had indeed steadied somewhat - it was Bracknell who extended their lead on the half hour with a simple penalty after they had been pressing and indeed might have had more but, fortunately, tackling had now replaced touch. Still at 5-22 you had to be something of an optimist to see a bonus point win for CS at the end of the tunnel. Those makeshift pairings - at half back of assistant coach Tom Sincock at 9 and regular 9 George Woolford at 10, and in the centre of back row Daniel Brown and wing Philip O'Leary - were starting to gel, however, and it was wing Ross Yiend who got the next, psychologically again extremely important, try shortly before half time - after an interchange with Houstoun had freed him up to run in from 50 metres, and with the conversion from Houstoun the score at the interval was now a much more encouraging 12-22.

And, after the break, the game soon took on a completely different complexion : the best of times indeed. With the CS forwards now dominating, spaces were starting to appear and some slick passing in the backs freed up Yiend for his second, unconverted, and the gap down to 17-22. Another excellent break out by Houstoun would have brought the equalising score but he just did not spot the support in time - the knack of actually consciously slowing down evidently not coming easily to him - but he was certainly putting in a live wire performance. The fourth try was not long in coming and indeed all this action had been packed into little more than five minutes after the break : this time some hard work in defence, particularly by the forwards, kept up the pressure; the turnover duly came and a good chase by Phil O' Leary was finished off with a little dribble by him over the line, this involving composure and no little skill. Captain and hooker Darryl Gore took on this more difficult kick and of course succeeded and CS were now leading 24-22!

That lead was then extended by a snipe from returnee and second half scrum half, Hayden Roche, again converted by Gore and at 31-22 the Stags appeared to be in cruise mode. Bracknell to their great credit still had other ideas and it must have been devastating for them to see a cup that had been so very nearly full dashed from their lips. They secured a try of their own which - as it was their fourth - at least was accompanied with the consolation of a bonus point and indeed they might, with more luck, which surely they had deserved, have had a second. With the score at 31-27 the Stags were again potentially vulnerable . However, replacement prop Craig Bellringer chalked up another try for the CS front row union to remove finally any possibility of defeat and an almost last minute 38 metre dead straight, but into the wind, well struck penalty attempt by Bracknell hit the bar and bounced back and there was to be no additional comfort for them. They will have been left wondering just how the game had turned against them : the Stags and their supporters on the other hand were exultant!

CS scorers

Tries:

Houston
Yiend (2)
O'Leary
Roche
Bellringer

Cons:

Houston
Gore(2)