This was the Stags’ first ever visit to Goresbrook and hats off to the London & South East Competitions Committee for arranging things so that CS were the visitors on this particular day, Barking’s last home game of what has turned out for them to be a winless campaign : with 120 guests for lunch it was certainly a most convivial if poignant wake with the small contingent of visiting alickadoos thoroughly well fed, watered and entertained, both before and after the game.

In April 2011 Barking had been just one minute and an 80 metre interception try by London Scottish away from promotion to the Championship (Level 2). Three successive relegations have followed and next season they will be playing outside the National Leagues for the first time since 1994.

An out of date poster advertising the return of psychic medium, Diane White for a special evening of clairvovance was still being advertised in Barking's club house : maybe she saw it all coming!

Last Saturday’s was in truth a pretty awful game of rugby : Barking were spirited and never gave up and in contrast to the Stags had a competent and functioning line-out but with that one has pretty well exhausted the entire list of complimentary things that could be said about their rugby. The Stags controlled things reasonably well – the line-out apart and what a recurring theme that has been this season - but they appeared for much of the game like a side whose players had just been introduced to one another, who had had several heavy nights on the sherbet and for whom this game was a minor inconvenience before one final bender.
The line-up, particularly in the backs, did show a few changes from previous weeks’ selections but nothing that could quite explain such regular failings in alignment and timing and indeed on occasion just in the basic skill of giving and taking a pass : it seems fair to assume that nothing like an old school touring team's night before the game’s alcohol consumption could possibly have been involved here!

The game stuttered along with CS periodically doing something right and tries did arrive at regular intervals, three of them going to wing John Webber who had far too much speed and poise for his opposite number and who just just needed to be given a little bit of space to exploit. He hoisted his season’s tally to 18, but CS will find things more challenging next week against Tring , whose 17 year old wing, Zak Michalski, is a real speed merchant with 20 tries to his name.

Ben Lloyd, playing full-back, converted all seven CS tries and a long range penalty miss was his only failure. Here then was another positive to be found and honourable mention ought also to be made of the Donger flick out the back which made one of the scores possible! Just don't try it too often Donger!

Tring are going well currently and with the Stags unbeaten in their last four league matches both teams will want to finish on a high. A high this most certainly was not, however, save for Barking’s never say die spirit. To lose twenty five league games in a row, as they have done so far this season, and to keep stepping up to the plate, is not easy. They have a passionate president, a dedicated committee and on Saturday’s showing some great support. I have a hunch they will be back.

CS Rugby 1863 scorers:

Tries:

Webber (3)
Hadden (2)
Penalty
Bugge

Cons:

Lloyd (7)