Despite playing the last quarter reduced to 14 men the hosts succeeded in finding gaps in Stour’s defences and shutting down their attacking game plan, hitting hard in defence to stop the visitors’ ball carriers getting over the gain line. Though within 2 points of the hosts when flanker Drew Rudkin was red carded, poor Stour defending leaked 3 late tries to the Lions’ wingers as the game slipped away.

With steady rain making for a soft, greasy surface the Stour pack made an early a mess of the Lions’ scrum, loosehead Tom Harrison’s drive forcing a penalty award from referee Neil Chivers. From the lineout Stour moved the ball across the width of the pitch probing for gaps but the hosts held them out and eventually a pass was fumbled. The clearance kick was run back down the hill and a chip under the posts from outside half Luke White only just defused by the cover as centre James Otutaha closed in. An early Lions direct run at the Stour defences found a gap, but a chip chase to the Stour in-goal was also defused by the cover defenders. The 22 was hoofed long but Lions ran it back, centre Jamel Hamilton profiting from confusion to slice clean through the defensive line and give colleague Ian Smith the simplest of scoring passes. 6min 5-0.

A speculative Stour chip ahead from halfway was spilt, winger Joe Bridger collected it and the visitors were awarded a penalty when Smith failed to release properly in the tackle. The 30m shot looked well within White’s range but he shanked it left. Stour continued to probe the Lions defences and were awarded a longer-range penalty for offside that was kicked to the corner, but the lineout throw was picked off and the hosts cleared, winger Dev Constant’s chase securing possession to send Stour back to their 22. A game of cat & mouse ensued, neither side able to mount an attack of significance as the defences prevailed and the conditions resulted in frequent handling errors. Though picking up penalty awards in the scrum Stour were unable to profit, burning one opportunity by overcooking a kick to the corner. The stalemate was broken just before the half when a break down the left by Constant drew the Stour defences offside, Boden landing the simplest of knock-overs. Halftime 8-0.

Playing up the hill 2nd half Stour again probed the hosts’ defences early but lacked depth & shape in attack and had to settle for a White penalty. 44min 8-3. The hosts looked to run a clearance kick back down the right flank and the defenders blushes were only spared when after a rash of missed tackles Hamilton dropped a scoring pass with a free run-in. Stour’s clearance kick failed to find touch, the error compounded when a tackle on Constant was missed and the ball was worked from Hamilton to scrumhalf Kris McFedries who crossed unmolested. 48min 15-3.

Stour pressed in attack, finally finding some go-forward with sets of short-range drives. An offside gave White another kick at goal that he slotted. 52min 15-6 but he was then to push another attempt wide after a late tackle. Stour continued to make inroads with their short game, driving into the hosts’ 22 down the right side where flanker Drew Rudkin was penalised for a dimensionally challenging high tackle on replacement Robbie Hurrell. His protests of innocence drew the dislike of the usually-serene Mr Chivers and he was given his marching orders. Stour kicked to the corner and launched a set of drives against the depleted defence, Harrison eventually crashing over from short range. 64min 15-13 and game seemingly on.

But the hosts were having none of it, they secured possession near halfway and ran at a Stour threequarter line rearranged after the loss of debutant winger Corey Venus. Hamilton again sliced through a gap and fed a bonus-point scoring pass to winger Sam Benjamin. 67min 22-13.

Stour shipped a penalty at a scrum and Boden added another 3 points. The hosts ran the restart from deep, Constant latching onto a chip through near halfway to brush off some ineffective tackling and score. 73min 32-13. With Stour now looking ragged he bagged another in the corner when the ball was moved from a lineout near halfway, Benjamin’s entry into the line finding yet another gap and the ball worked down the line. Fulltime 37-13, a bad day at the office for Stour but credit to the hosts who were full value for their victory.