POOR DAY AT THE OFFICE
Sometimes it is just not your day after the game against Bury St Edmunds perhaps there was a hangover of disappointment in the team. Whatever the reason Civil Service just did not fire well in this game until the last 10 minutes when they suddenly realised they were in a battle and came within a score of stealing the game. Frustratingly all that showed was how capable they are as a team when they pick it up, This will of course sound like sour grapes but the referee allowed the Woodford scrum half to live in the Civil Service back row not being penalised once during the game. That however is not an excuse it just means Civil Service did not play the referee as well as Woodford did throughout the game. Woodford started well pressing hard and with a miss tackle between the Civil Service 10 and 12 cut through the defence to score an easy try 0-7 after 4 minutes. Civil Service pressed back but the game was littered with errors and a lot of hard work was wasted by poor passes and not looking. The game drifted through the half hour with Civil Service being unrewarded for their effort to be stung by 2 tries scored out wide after defensive errors one on right from close range and a good race on the left just on half time to end the first half at 0-17 Woodford supporters were as surprised as Civil Service were disappointed. What to do perhaps a roasting at half time some inspiration from the players, it took another 20 minutes for Civil Service to finally get a try 5-17. Although doing most of the attacking, Woodford defended well and undid the pressure with some useful kicking. With Civil Service still stuttering Woodford punished Civil Service with a kick and chase to score again 5-21after 72 minutes. The sideline resigned itself to a big home defeat and it was not a happy place, suddenly as if struck by lightening Civil Service burst into life and in a flurry of positive rugby scored 2 tries and conversions in the last seven minutes but it was too late the whistle blew with little added injury time to end with a glimmer 19-22.
Paul Tiller