Thorney travelled to Cottenham to face top of the league Renegades in what was a bruisingly physical encounter for both teams.


Playing in to a strong wind first half Thorney were forced on to the back foot for large periods as Renegades dominated the possession and territory, with the Thorney pack initially finding it difficult against what was the toughest opposition scrum they had come up against so far this season. However, some hard-hitting and disciplined work in defence meant that Cottenham struggled to get the score their play arguably deserved and the Navy and Gold gradually began to grow in to the game.


As the half-time whistle approached it was Thorney who were on the front foot, having managed to work their way up field to camp on the Renegades 22 through a combination of hard carrying and penalties. The Navy and Gold managed to engineer a couple of good scoring opportunities but couldn't quite make the final pass stick as the greasy, windy conditions made their prescence felt. Half-time 0-0.


The 2nd half continued in much the same vein, with both sides emptying their benches and the gruelling nature of the game began to take it's toll. Things looked to be heading towards that rarest of rugby results, a scoreless draw, until, with under 60 minutes on the clock, the fixture swung on one moment of madness.

The 2nd half continued in much the same vein, with both sides emptying their benches and the gruelling nature of the game began to take it's toll. Things looked to be heading towards that rarest of rugby results, a scoreless draw, until, with under 60 minutes on the clock, the fixture swung on one moment of madness.


With the Navy and Gold once again in full defensive mode on their own 5 metre line, an altercation at a ruck between Thorney back rower Stefan Almond and one of the Cottenham props escalated and ended with the Renegades player throwing a punch right under the nose of the referee and promptly being given his marching orders.


Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Cottenham stayed firmly in the game and some heroic defending and a steady trickle of penalties allowed them to maintain field position and keep the away side pinned in their own half.


The numbers advantage had to tell eventually though, and a couple of penalties to Thorney allowed them to finally get back in the Renegades half and when Cottenham knocked-on, a clever kick from replacement scrum-half Luke Cochrane and great chase from full-back Michael Croucher and winger Chris Powell saw the Cottenham trapped in the dreaded "coffin corner" and ultimately Thorney were able to bundle the retreating Renegades number 11 over his own line for a 5 metre attacking scrum.

From the scrum Stefan Almond to the route one approach, picking from the base to be stopped just short of the line with Renegades scrambling to defend their line. The pressure told however, and after setting up a couple of quick pick-and-go phases, Dino Perna managed to get under the Cottenham defender and get the ball down on the line with less that 3 minutes left on the clock. Owen Davies adding the extras.


The drama wasn't over yet though as there was still time for the restart, and the late score seemed to galvanise Cottenham as they pinned Thorney back in their own 22 and desperately looked for a turnover. The Navy and Gold maintained possession well however, and thought they had managed to clear their lines when Cochrane put in a thumping clearing kick up to near halfway, only for the wind to once again make it's presence felt and pick up and just the wrong moment to take the ball out on the full meaning Renegades would have and attacking line-out just outside the Thorney 22 with the final play of the game. Unfortunately for Renegades it was not to be however, as Almond came up with a huge steal at the line-out to allow Thorney to clear to touch and prompt the final whistle.