UCS Old Boys were unable to halt runaway leaders Kilburn as the Cosmos maintained their perfect league record – but they scored four tries against the pacesetters to earn a bonus point in their 31-22 defeat.
The Old Boys were scheduled to be at home but a waterlogged pitch meant they ended up playing away in Gladstone Park in Willesden Green, and they found themselves 24-5 down in the second half.
Kilburn went on to secure their 11th league win in as many games in Herts/Middlesex Division One, but Lucas Ruzzon, Richard Driver and Joe Woolley all touched down as UCS staged a fightback and narrowed the gap to nine points before the end.
The Old Boys started slowly and invited early pressure but they then began to make inroads and looked the favourites to get the first score. However, a knock-on in the Cosmos’ 22 resulted in a try at the other end of the pitch.
The hosts then won a penalty five metres out and UCS allowed their opponents to push their way over from the resulting scrum and go 12-0 up.
That was harsh on the visitors, who replied quickly as Will Jones burst through the No 10 channel and ran 40m to touch down – but Kilburn scored again before the break to take a 19-5 lead into the interval, and a turn-over then allowed them to counter-attack and cross the whitewash again.
UCS were now 19 points down but they rallied and battled back. Direct running from the pack and better work at the breakdown, preventing further turn-overs, helped to turn the tide and Ruzzon carried two Cosmos players over the line.
The Old Boys were soon marching their way back up the pitch, with fly-half Alex Lowe making good yards with the boot, and after going through the phases effectively Driver was able to exploit a gap and crash over.
The pressure continued as UCS searched for the fourth try which would give them a bonus point, and another kick from Lowe was combined with good pressure on Kilburn’s full-back, resulting in a scrum five meters out. Again, the Old Boys went through the phases, and Woolley found a route to the line and stretched to ground the ball.
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