Clifton v Cleve

So our long unbeaten run came to a heartbreaking halt in the final of the Bristol Combination Cup against Cleve at Old Reds’ ground.

We started the game well, spending much of the first half pressurising Cleve in and around their 22.

This paid off when Sam Read went round his opposite winger to score in the corner after we had handled the ball along the back line – a welcome sight, indeed, after many forwards tries this season. A tricky conversion was missed, so we led 5-0.

But ultimately we needed to score more points during this period of dominance.

Maybe a little more composure and precision in our attacking phases would have brought what could have been a crucial try or two.

Cleve were rattled and we forced them into a number of handling errors, which again we should have capitalised upon.

However, they were always a bit sharper onto the ball when it was on the ground and gave us no chance to cash in on their mistakes.

They began to have their own moments of pressure, and they put boot to ball on several occasions when we had good field position to put us on the back foot deep in our own territory.

Eventually they converted these situations into two tries – one through a driving maul and the other in the corner after passing along the backs - to lead 10-5 deep in the second half.

We had chances even seconds from the end, but again the odd mistake cost us our opportunity.

It was pleasing afterwards to hear neutrals say they enjoyed the game and we thank Old Reds for their hospitality, the Bristol Combination organisers for their work, and the ref for managing the game in great spirit and so efficiently.

Congratulations to Cleve for winning the cup. We need more games like that to improve as a team and should we beat Broad Plain in the quarter-final of the Gloucester Cup on Sunday maybe we will meet again.

Finally, well done to all our boys for giving us so much to be proud of during this cup run and for taking us to a final. There's been a lot of drama, from that amazing last minute try against MSN to the titanic battle against Chippenham. For all the could haves and should haves we could all come up with, our boys have never given less than 100 per cent throughout.

Hamish