Heavy defeat, partly self-inflicted ...

The spectators were treated to a very good display of three-quarter play by Civil Service. Their backs broke through and touched down four tries in the first half. The forwards of each team exhibited contrasting skills. Barnes' pack had a strong advantage all game in the scrums and their use of the driving maul got them tries, 2 in the first half (1 from their scrumhalf) and 2 in the second. Service used continued individual pick-and-go's to get field position to create better opportunities for their backs and in the second half their forwards worked their way over the try-line twice. Service consolidated their first half 12 point lead with 3 penalties in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The rest of the game’s points came from the forwards, as mentioned previously. Twice after Barnes had scored a try, Civil Service regained at the restart and scored a try of their own within 3 minutes. At another restart after a try, Barnes did not secure possession and Service again got a try within 3 minutes. These 3 tries gained the visitors 17 points. The game finished after the home team’s 4th try.

Service kicked off and created immediate pressure but conceded the first penalty. Barnes then put together an impressive string of phases against good defence to get another penalty 8 metres from the opposition line. This was put into touch for a closer line-out and their pack set for a drive which went down. The ball was recycled twice for flanker Smyth to go over wide out after 6 minutes. The conversion was wide. Service regained their high restart and released wide to get into the 22. They recycled wide then after one more recycle Hadden chipped ahead almost laterally for wing Webber to run onto and collect and go over less than 2 minutes after the restart. The conversion missed. Service secured the restart and soon had the opposition back in their own half. Barnes got back to halfway then they ran a penalty awarded at their line-out. Service defended well and got a free-kick at their next scrum. They kicked for touch well into the other half. Barnes kept ball tight to get into the other half before letting the ball go loose. Service were quickly onto it and recycled 3 times then Hadden slipped an inside pass to fullback Houstoun coming in close to the forwards and he went clean through to the line wide-out at 19 minutes. The conversion was wide.

The visitors secured the restart and kept ball close with some very good recycling through 9 phases getting into the opposition 22 before the defence forced an error. Barnes kept the ball tight then scrumhalf Reeves launched an up-and-under that the opposition didn't claim, giving possession back to the home team. After a couple of recycles Service conceded a penalty just outside their 22. This kicked for a line-out 8 metres out. The defence disrupted the drive then after 2 recycles another penalty was awarded. This time Barnes chose a scrum and got a free-kick at that and again asked for a scrum. From this one Reeves crossed not far from the posts before the half hour and McIntyre added. Service restarted with a high and short kick and regained the ball. After their advance Hadden made a half-break then recycled wide, close then wide again to centre Peel who set off on a parabolic run and persuaded two defenders that the other one was going to tackle him and glided between them to go over near the corner. This was less than 2 minutes after the restart; Hadden's conversion hit the far post and bounced over.

After the restart the visitors kicked out on the full giving Barnes an attacking line-out. From that they varied their play and advanced before being turned over. The visitors kicked long and Barnes had to clear to touch in their own half. After the line-out Service advanced at centre then got the ball wide to wing Taylor who went over wide-out at the far corner at 36 minutes. This score from the line-out was seemingly accomplished with ease but being far away could not be judged to have been very skilful rather than poor defence. Hadden converted. In the last minutes of the half the visitors took the ball at a Barnes' scrum.

Service secured the second half restart; four kicks were exchanged resulting in a line-out for the visitors not far into the opposition half. From this Service first kept ball close then advanced wider then after a couple of recycles scrumhalf Turner made a break into the 22. After 2 more recycles the Ref. went back to award a penalty which the visitors ran; they chipped through the line then the Ref. went back to give another penalty 8 metres out in the first 3 minutes of the half and Hadden kicked the points. The visitors secured the restart then kicked for territory. Barnes dropped a pass giving their opponents a scrum just outside the 22. Barnes' pack exerted great pressure at the put-in but were surprisingly penalised. Hadden added less than 3 minutes after the restart. An offence at the catch gave Service another penalty; this was kicked for a line-out after which their three-quarters broke through at centre to the opposition 22. Varying their options they recycled well to get another penalty just in the 22 for Hadden to kick his third, again less than 3 minutes since the restart.

Service again secured the restart and this time tried an up-and-under. Barnes dealt with this and recycled 6 times before kicking; Service kicked back and Barnes kept ball in hand before being forced into touch near halfway. The visitors kept ball tight after the line-out through several phases before being penalised for not releasing, then lost 10 metres for chat. Barnes kicked for a line-out and advanced to get another penalty just inside the 22. This got them a line-out 9 metres out; Service got the drive down then the ball was recycled 3 times to get another penalty 5 metres out from which no.8 Sharpe took the ball over, wide-out, after 16 minutes. The conversion missed. As had happened twice before, the visitors scored soon after the restart. The restart kick was high and not secured by Barnes. Service got the ball, advanced and chipped ahead; chaos ensued with the ball being hacked on, resulting in lock Endersby touching down about halfway in from touch, hardly more than a minute after the restart. Hadden surprisingly missed. After the restart and a return kick by Service, Barnes gave away a penalty when the ball was dropped then picked up by a man offside. The visitors kicked for a line-out 18 metres from their opponents' line but had that stolen. Barnes cleared to touch but not far, still well inside their half. From their line-out Service's forwards advanced, recycled twice tight then once wide to get close to the line then were awarded a scrum 5 metres out. They varied their recycling through 5 phases before prop Glasson got over at 25 minutes. Hadden added.

Barnes regained their restart but were quickly forced into touch. The line-out was followed by a put-in for Service then a penalty at that. They kicked for a line-out into the other half then were turned over after releasing to centre; Barnes kicked to touch back into the other half. Service advanced from their line-out until an error gave Barnes a scrum; the ball was kept in to get a penalty which they ran and then recycled well through a dozen phases to get a penalty 27 metres out. They kicked for a line-out 14 metres out but threw it not-straight. The visitors opted for another line-out at which an error gave Barnes the put-in. Service were penalised at that and Barnes chose to have another put-in. They kept the ball in at first then a back row pick-up led to another penalty against the visitors 6 metres out. Before the penalty could be taken action continued without the ball and all of the visiting forwards decided to pile in. The Ref. sent one each off. Barnes chose to have another scrum at which they failed to control the ball. Service got it but straight away knocked-on. At the last scrum the Ref. awarded a penalty try and Fouracre converted. The Ref. probably blew a bit early to finish after the conversion.

Dry and overcast at the start, later clearing and some wind getting up.