Colchester arrived at an extremely boggy Bishop Stortford on Saturday hoping for retribution after the Ravens loss at home to the league’s top side earlier in the season.

The Ravens once again had been asked to shift a few players around due to absentees but were buoyed but the support of some members of the clubs first team who travelled on the team coach having had their game against Bracknell called off.

The pace of the game in the early stages was unbefitting of the conditions with waves of Bishop Stortfords flowing attacks being forcefully repelled by Colchester’s black wall. However after fashioning quick ball via an aggressive ruck clear out, the ball was whipped to the BS fly half who put a deft cross field kick into Colchester’s dead ball area upon which the jet shoed left wing was able to flop giving the home side first blood. After a penalty shortly after the score was 8-0 to Bishop Stortford and this scoreline kept until half time due to heroic performances in defence from the likes of Number 8 Andrew Goodbourne, and Flanker Heathy and supported by Jake Harvey and Alfie Walsh. The half was cut short by an unfortunate accident, a clash of heads which gave cause for an ambulance and a break in play of 40 minutes. Colchester Raven Trippy injured in the incident and we wish him well.

Upon the resumption of the game and the start of the second half there was some reshuffling in the Colchester ranks but no let-up in the flow of the match. Colchester spent much of the half defending, a task which was made even tougher after the hard hitting and tireless James Parker and Patrick Murphy were forced from the field with injuries. Down to 12 men with 20 minutes remaining, the inevitable happened and Bishop Stortford used their attacking skill to take advantage of the numerical difference and run in four late tries. The Ravens had the last word as they often do given their conditioning and managed to finish off a first phase move which saw fly half Liam Surgett take the ball to the line and slip a deft inside ball to Captain Paul Summerson who scorched through the midfield and off loaded to the impressive Matt Smith who rounded three defenders on his way to the try line. A nice finish to a well-tempered game against an excellent side.

Colchester now sit fifth in the league with a home game against league rivals Chinnor next Saturday.