Clifton edge past Cambridge

This was very much a game which the aficionados would have enjoyed as it became a titanic contest between two well matched packs who battled their way to a stand style by the end of the game.

Defences had the upper hand and there was little running rugby and few try scoring opportunities created.

We started brightly when from the first scrum half George Thomas made a long blind side break but when stopped his clever in side pass did not go to hand.

It was an afternoon where both sides controlled their own line out and scrummage ball but struggled away from the set plays to make progress against strong defences.

We had the better of the earlier exchanges and fly half James Mackay landed two early penalties..

Our only try scoring opportunity came when No 8 Mike Barber burst through the defence before chipping into the in goal area but winger Will Pomphrey was unable to reach the ball before a defender.

Cambridge opened their account on the half hour when fly Gerard Boshoff half kicked a penalty.

Boshoff levelled the scores ten minutes into the second half but we were soon back in front with a Mackay drop goal. But the lead was short lived as Boshoff landed his ten minutes remaining.

We then produced some of the best forward play of the game as we set up siege on the visitors line. We were a man down with Pomphrey in the bin.

Although looking for a try under the orchestration of Thomas launched a series of drives working their way to the posts in order to set up the position for a drop goal.

When the position looked perfect Thomas passed to Mackay who calmly put the ball between the uprights for the winning drop goal.

In twelve outings Mackay has scored 118 points and has not missed the posts with his last 21 attempts

Ben Purcell deservedly won the Man of The Match award on only his third start of the season.

The only disappointment is we have not scored a try for a 180 minutes.