The Stags took the short trip up the M5, and over a bit, with what some would say a weaker starting match day team due to many injuries within the squad, sustained over recent weeks, but think again as the story unfolds.

A welcome return to the club and team sheet was Henry Bigwood, who thought he’d be on the bench but due to a late change in the centres, found himself starting alongside Tim Piper at inside centre. David Harris also returned and slotted in at second row with Captain Kecks.

The Stags started up the slope and it wasn’t long before second placed N&B, who also hadn’t lost a home game so far this season, put the first points on the scoreboard with a try in the far corner. 5-0.

It didn’t take long for The Stags to reply and with some pressure from the forwards in open play allowed Sam Lewis from the back of a driving maul managed to stretch his silky arm over the line for a try which Piper converted. 5-7.

N&B started to use the slope and wind to there advantage and pin The Stags in our half for next 20 mins and managed to score two quick tries and take a 17-7 lead.

Bigwood & Eoghan Westhoff were The Stags eighth centre partnership of the season and were causing problems all over the park, probably because they are actually both Backrow players, with great line speed and solid defence which put N&B under pressure and the forced errors.

The Stag were playing some superb rugby with ball in hand and from a phase of play just in the N&B half the ball worked its way along the line and found itself in the hands of No 8 Ash Cutter who ran wide around the oncoming winger to score with 5 mins to go before half time.17-12.

The home side appeared to be a little shaken by this and there own poor discipline gave The Stags another 3 points by Piper just before half time.

HT 17-15.

Now playing down the slope The Stags could sense the disarray in the home team and piled on the pressure pushing N&B deep in there own half.

Now unfortunately there was a passage of play that I missed due to nature calling and as I returned I saw us celebrating our third try scored by Cutter for his second of the match. Piper added the 2 points to take the lead 17-22.

The Stags played many periods of this game as planned and were brutal in the loose against a larger set of players and matched N&B up front. The cracks began to appear for N&B and discipline let them down again which gave the visitors another 3 points to extend the lead 17-25 with 10 mins to go.

Now N&B are second in the table for a reason which showed in the last 10 mins of the game as they marched up the pitch with several phases of play to score a well worked converted try with only a few minutes left on the clock. 24-25.

As you can imagine they could see that victory could of been snatched off The Stags in the dying minutes of the game but our defensive line was just to quick and strong for N&B and forced some handling errors and seal a superb victory.

FT 24-25.

Travelling away with a depleted squad, riddled with injuries, many may have thought that Saturday’s result would of been a different one but this just proves how far we have come as a club, who have plenty of depth, quality, character and tenacity to win vital games.

Joint MOTM were Henry Bigwood & Dave Harris.

Next week we take on Hornet’s 2nd XV at The Pit. KO is at 2.30pm.

#stags #whatawin