After three continuous days of rain there was limited rugby at the Club last weekend (4th/5th November). On Saturday the Club entertained for the first time in many years (if ever) Horsham who were promoted last season from Level 6 and who had reached the final of the Papa John’s Cup last year.

That the game took place at all showed the benefit of the considerable expenditure on the new drainage installed last Summer and the careful management of the pitch usage during September and October.

Horsham had had a difficult start to the season with only one win (against Maidenhead).

If Bracknell had expectations of a comfortable victory they were swiftly disillusioned when Horsham scored an early penalty. The Bracknell defence was effective and the score at half time was still 0-3. Bracknell had increasingly established territorial ascendency during an undistinguished scrappy and mistake ridden first half caused partly by the conditions. Both teams missed a kickable penalty

In the second half Bracknell took control and scored two tries created from forward pressure and two tries from the wings the second of which on full time was arguably the move of the match scored by the left wing.

The bonus point win 26-3 lifts Bracknell to fourth in the table but there will be tougher encounters in the coming weeks with Havant (top) and Tunbridge (3rd) to come.

The 2nd XV league match v Buckingham 1stXV was postponed and the 3rd XV teams friendly v Buckingham 2nds was called off because of the pitch conditions.

On Sunday the women’s fixture v Teddington was postponed and the Colts travelled to Cobham and suffered a five points loss in a tightly contested match