Civil Service were their own worst enemies in this eminently winnable game due to their indiscipline giving away 20 penalties to 7 of Basingstoke. All minor infringements of the referee’s interpretation of the laws but the conclusion is that Civil Service as a team are slow to learn what is required to stay on the right side. Overall the performance is very close to winning ways with the forwards working well and the backline steadily improving.
Civil Service started brightly but were soon under pressure from Basingstoke giving away the now customary early penalty after 6 mins 0-3. Following the restart Civil Service fell to a good move by Basingstoke swinging the ball wide for the 11 to score out wide 0 -8. Civil Service restarted strongly putting Basingstoke under pressure and were rewarded with a penalty after 12 mins converted by Adrian Dench 3 -8. Basingstoke restarted, following the ball well and causing Civil Service to infringe and allowing Basingstoke 5 to take another kick in an untidy but effective style and seemed unable to miss, 14 mins 3 -11. Difficult to tell for exactly what happened but Civil Service infringed again and the doubty boot of 5 took the points, 21 mins 3 -14. Civil Service were playing well but were on the wrong end of the points at this juncture. On 30 mins and with some sustained momentum the Civil Service forwards put together a passage of play that led to a good try finished by 7 Steven Ebbett and converted by Adrian Dench 10 -14. Feeling there was something in the game Civil Service pressed on and with their best period of play on 39 mins the backline swept in 14 Tom Sumner finishing the try on 39 mins to finish the half at 15 -14. The second half began with a gift of a penalty to Basingstoke 15 -17 undoing the good work at the end of the first half. Undaunted Civil Service pushed on and the pressure produced a try on 60 mins by the forwards finished by 3 Jonny Brazier 20 -17. Basingstoke picked up their game and with some good work by the forwards worked up towards the try line and perhaps with a bit of good fortune slipped in by the posts in the scramble on 64 mins 20 -24 a good repost. Civil Service continued to give penalties away as they played pressure rugby and this was to be their undoing in the end following a penalty a breakthrough by the Basingstoke 12, on 80 mins 20 -29. The game was gone another lesson to learn understand what the referee wants and do first time and save a lot of heartache.
PT