Bishop’s Stortford 30 – 61 Rosslyn Park
12/09/26
A blistering first half from Rosslyn Park secured an emphatic 30-61 victory away at Bishop’s Stortford, with winger Luke Mehson picking up a hat-trick in the process.
Stortford were the first to score, as a penalty from 40 metres out allowed Dan Cole to use his boot to make it 3-0 four minutes in. However, straight from the restart, Park piled on the phases before Ewan Fenley darted over to score, with Luc Smith converting.
Stortford then applied more pressure, allowing Cole to use his boot once again to cut the deficit to one. However, that margin was short-lived when Mehson scored his first of the afternoon, showing some dazzling feet to cross the line.
Two minutes later, he made it two tries after pressuring the defence. Smith hacked a loose ball forward, which Mehson collected before racing over to score and make it 21-6 after 20 minutes.
Park’s defence came to the fore once again minutes later, when the hosts were on our line. Another loose ball, this time hacked forward by Charlie Coe, allowed Fred Davies to dive over from close range.
Park would then score two more before heading to the sheds. First, Luc Smith had one of his own after a neat offload from James Cordy-Redden put him through. Before Freddie Vaughan collected a crossfield kick from Smith to claim a score. Park took a 42-6 lead into the second half.
Bishop’s Stortford found some rhythm in the second 40, however. Park looked to be attacking before Tom Hitchcock intercepted to run in and score on 46 minutes. Two minutes later, winger Tom Mills strode in to score on the edge.
The hosts looked to take a grip of the game when Tom Mills got another on 60 minutes after a floaty ball over the top, making it 23-42.
Things got worse for Park when penalties put Stortford back on the Park line, and Mills went over from close range, for his third of the afternoon putting them within two scores of the visitors.
But eventually, Park found their stride again. First, Luke Mehson completed his hat-trick after some neat hands on the edge, before Connor Kennison-Cook claimed one from close range.
Finally, Archie Hosking barrelled over from close range after multiple penalties, with Luc Smith’s kick making sure the game finished 30-61.
Rosslyn Park
Tries: Fenley (6’), Mehson (16’, 18’, 67’), Davies (24’), Smith (31’), Vaughan (35’), Kennison-Cook (70’), Hosking (80’)
Conversions: Smith (7’, 17’, 19’, 25’, 32’, 36’, 71’, 80’)
Penalties: n/a
Yellow Cards: n/a
Team: Nwakor, Davies, Woodward, Huis, Cutmore, Cleet, Hosking, Elston, Fenley, L. Smith, Mehson, Vaughan, Cordy-Redden, Coe, Smith (c)
Replacements: Fraine, Orchard, Kennison-Cook, Redpath, Ekendahl
Bishop’s Stortford
Tries: Hitchcock (48’), Mills (52’, 60’, 63′)
Conversions: Hayes (49’, 64’)
Penalties: Cole (4’, 13’)
Yellow Cards: n/a
Team: Ducci, Bell, Smith, Ferguson, Kiff, Apperley, Rayment, Tebbatt, Trafford, Cole, Morris, Hitchcock, Gilham, Mills, Hayes
Replacements: Osborne, Coyne, Job, Parry, Naylor