With the leaves changing colour on the tress around Lily Hill, the London Irish team also had to change their shirts inside out to avid the colour clash. Jonathan Dance confirming that under league regulations it’s now the away side that changes its strip in the event of a colour clash. Regulation 56d sub clause 34(b) iv – or something like that!

Apologies to any Irish supporters reading this report if we have any names wrong its because we could not read the numbers.

Bracknell had a chance to open the scoring within the first minute, following a break by Liam Hemming. The final pass just going to ground with the try line beckoning.

It was Irish that were to open the scoring, a penalty from Ben Kitching.

Bracknell responded a minute later with a try by Joe Price following some sublime inter passing play between back and forwards. Scrum half Tony Lawless converting.

Further penalties from Tony Lawless meant Bracknell had extended their lead to 13-3 with 20 minutes gone.

The remainder of the first half Bracknell were to find out why Irish where top of the league, (having only dropped one point all season) as they applied pressure on the Bracknell line through a successive series of breakdowns, recycling the ball each time. This pressure would eventually tell as winger Mat Killen scored. Conversation was missed by Ben Kitching but he would correct this with a penalty minutes later.

Moments before the half time break, Irish took advantage of a Bracknell turnover scoring another try. Bracknell also missing tackles to compound the error. Conversion was kicked. Half time score 13-18.

Bracknell were to open the scoring in the second half. Stealing the ball from an Irish line out back rower George Milligan linked up with his other back rowers, to allow Liam Hemming to go through and score a converted try under the posts.

Irish responded with a try of their own following a kick and chase from a number of Irish players that appeared to be in off side positions. Nevertheless the try was awarded; the conversion was missed rebounding off the post.

With the raining now teaming down number 8 Lachlan Valentine scored Bracknell’s third and final try following a drive from a line out. Tony Lawless converting. 27-23.

Into the final five minutes of the game, from an Irish scrum and seemingly all the Irish players covered they somehow managed to break through and score under the Bracknell posts. 27-30.

Bracknell responded heroically and were encamped in the Irish 22 for the final few moments of the game but could not break down the stubborn Irish defence.

Full time Bracknell 27 London Irish Wild Geese 30 (Points Bracknell 1 London Irish Wild Geese 5)

Bracknell’s next league game is an away trip to Chichester on Saturday 7th November.

Bracknell: 1:Jonny Mirza. (C) 2:Stuart Silvester 3:Rob Baragwanth 4:Leo Bailey 5.Kenny Barry 6:Jamie Rudkin 7:Tom Deveraux 8:Lachlan Valentine 9:Tony Lawless 10:Liam Hemming 11:Stu Mackay 12:Neil Higgins 13:Joe Price 14:Ian Burch 15:Ben Yates Subs: George Milligan Dan Faamatuainu Tom Williams

Pete’s Predictions
There’s a change at the top of the table but make sure you take everything into context. While London Irish will be celebrating the fact that they are top of the league they will also be aware that they rode their luck at Lily Hill Park. Having been behind for the majority of the first half they took their first lead just before half time. The lead then changed hands no less than 4 times in the second period so while the winners kept their winning ways and the losers seem to be making a habit of it this can only continue for so long. There was not much between the two sides and there’s a long way still to go in the season

Promotion candidates.
My prediction is that Irish will not stay at the top for the duration. Their early season fixtures have been very kind to them and they have not yet met a “promotion contender”. Let’s see what happens when they do. As far as promotion is concerned I still think that any side in the top 5 are in contention

Win of the week.
If Bracknell had held on for 5 minutes longer they would have been a shoe in but it wasn’t to be……..so let’s look elsewhere
3 sides won away – Irish, Gravesend and Colchester but to be honest we could have predicted that. Now there’s a thought……..
Only two sides beat opposition placed higher in the league – Wimbledon and Westcombe Park. Having already predicted that Wimbledon are likely to be too good to go straight back down again a home win against Chichester will be welcome but should not have been unexpected. Chichester may have picked up 3 wins so far this season but they were all home games against bottom end sides. Chichester still have something to prove. Let’s see what happens next week!
By a process of elimination therefore, “Win of the Week” goes to Westcombe Park as they knock Tonbridge Juddian off the top spot.

Relegation worries.
Having hosted several top end of the table sides at Southend–on–Sea, this week Westcliff had the opportunity to post their first win of the season with a home game against a side from the lower half of the table – but they fell just short by a single point. There are precious few better opportunities ahead in the fixture list so this should be a real concern.
On a week when the highest winning score in the league was the lowest it has been all season – just 30 points – Eton Manor at least share the dubious accolade with Bracknell and Chichester – but if you take points margin into consideration our friends from Nutter Lane are the stand out losers so I’m afraid their future at this level is looking bleak
Bracknell have lost the last 3 games by a combined deficit of 9 points and I still predict we will see better results from them as the season progresses. Their fixture list over the next few weeks offers those “opportunities” I keep referring to so I expect to see them gather a few points before Christmas. While anyone in the bottom half of the table still has to be careful it appears to be more of a matter of who joins Eton Manor and Westcliff at the end of the table where no-one wants to be.

Next fixtures
I don’t think that Bracknell have ever played Chichester in the league before. During the previous seasons that Bracknell were in National 3 London & SE (2009-12) Chichester were in the league below. The following may be a rash prediction but I think that Bracknell have a win in them sometime soon – hopefully an away win! The following predictions are based on the league fixture format – it would be unusual if there were quite as many away wins as I am suggesting but it’s the way I see it.
Away win
Away win
Away win
Away win
Away win
Home win
Home win

Go BRFC