Match Report: Bishop’s Stortford vs Plymouth Albion
Saturday 20 September – Silver Leys, 3:00pm KO
Plymouth Albion hit the road for what was expected to be their toughest test so far this season. Bishop’s Stortford were the opponents, a solid National One side who had strengthened considerably over the summer with a host of new signings.
Albion came into the game aiming to keep their unbeaten record alive, having already swept aside both Leeds Tykes and Clifton RFC in dominant wins, scoring seventeen tries across the two fixtures. Bishop’s, meanwhile, had won their opener against Birmingham Moseley before narrowly losing to Blackheath.
The weather was overcast but clear, the pitch in good condition, and the stage set for a strong contest.
First Half
Albion struck first after six minutes. From a lineout deep in the Bishop’s twenty-two, Harry Wilkinson drove close before Jake Clemson crashed his way over for the opening try. Frankie Dart added the extras for a 7–0 lead.
Bishop’s responded by forcing the game into Albion’s twenty-two and piling on the pressure for nearly ten minutes. The visitors’ defence held firm before Dart relieved the pressure with a pinpoint kick into the corner.
Albion capitalised soon after. From multiple penalties and a maul under the posts, scrum-half Jack Oulton showed great vision to find Bobby Wigginton on the wing, who touched down for Albion’s second try. Dart clipped the post with his conversion attempt, leaving the score 12–0.
Bishop’s answered back almost immediately, spreading the play to the left wing where Jake Morris finished well. The conversion was missed, narrowing Albion’s lead to 12–5.
For the remainder of the half, Albion regained control, camping in the Bishop’s twenty-two and dominating territory, but the score stayed unchanged going into the break.
Second Half
Bishop’s came out firing and quickly reduced the deficit with a Christopher Bolton penalty, making it 12–8.
Albion responded with pressure of their own, and when Bishop’s Tristan Smith was shown a yellow card for tackling without the ball, the visitors struck. From the resulting scrum, Jenson Boughton powered over for Albion’s third try, with Dart converting for a 19–8 lead.
Bishop’s again pressed hard, but Albion’s defence proved resilient. After Dart kicked Albion into position, a set play from a lineout saw skipper Dan Pullinger burst through to score. Dart’s conversion made it 26–8 with under fifteen minutes to play.
The game began to ebb and flow before Albion pulled away once more. From a scrum in Bishop’s twenty-two, Oulton spread the ball wide to Wigginton, who showed incredible control to juggle a low pass off his boot before sprinting over in the corner. Dart’s wide conversion attempt missed, Albion leading 31–8.
Bishop’s managed a late consolation try, converted by Finn Keylock, but the match belonged to Albion, who sealed an impressive 31–15 victory.
Reaction
Head Coach Ryan Lamb was delighted with the performance:
“Really good eighty-minute performance from the guys. We had a dominant set piece which set a great platform to score some good tries. Three from three with maximum points is a fantastic start.”
Looking Ahead
Albion will look to continue their excellent form when they return to Brickfields next weekend to take on Leicester Lions. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.
After the final whistle, head straight to the MEC Supporters Marquee for the very first Third Half – a brand-new Albion tradition.
Here’s what’s waiting for you:
🎶 Live music (before & after presentations)
🤝 Meet Albion and visiting players from 1800
🏆 Player’s Player of the Match presentations live in the marquee
🍺 All pints £5 throughout the event
Women’s Rugby World Cup Final – Live at Brickfields
On Saturday 27 September, you can also watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final live on the big screens inside the Clubhouse Bar.
The biggest day in women’s rugby, shown right here at Brickfields.
