On the way down to Frome, there was heavy rain and gusty winds affecting the coach on the motorway. Left your reporter thinking the game could be off called off. When we arrived down some very narrow roads for a coach, conditions improved, but the bottom right of the pitch from the clubhouse side was waterlogged, this was cleared before kick-off, but the pitch was very sticky and heavy and did have an effect on the match.

Kick-ff was at 2.30, Frome kicked-off in the wind, the kick barely went 10 metres along the ground. Frome were attacking and after several rucks, a run down the wing out of defence by May was illegally stopped, the penalty did not make touch due to the conditions. The wind affected much of the play for the opening minutes, swirling round the side of the clubhouse.

Much of the play had been in Bracknell’s half but after about 10 minutes, Bracknell hit a purple patch. The first score came after a Frome scrum was won but a kick ended in the hands of an offside player. The penalty and following line out on Frome’s 22, had a Crossfield kick from a maul to the backs, a maul then a Bracknell break through the Frome lines, ended with Bayliss scoring an unconverted try in the corner, 0-5 on 13 minutes.

Bracknell scored again a few minutes later, the restart gathered by Johnson, who passed to May who made a fine run to enable an off load to Milligan, scoring a converted try under the posts, 0-12.

On 21 minutes, a line out won, an impressive driving maul towards the Frome line, Liam Wood secured the ball to run in impressively through the home sides defence, with the try unconverted the score was now 0-17.

Bracknell took the try bonus point on 25 minutes. The restart from Frome did not go 10, so Bracknell had a scrum on halfway, the ball secured by the backs down to the right wing, the ball was retained in the centre of the pitch, with Johnson featuring again, Will Field made a run down the left wing, an offload had the backs get the ball to Burch who scored a wind assisted converted try, which looked like it was going under the posts, was swept up by the and went over, score 0-24.

This was Bracknell’s final score of the match, due mainly to the condition of the pitch, play for the rest of the half was confined to the centre area of the playing area. Bracknell tried to breakaway through the Frome lines during a period of scrums, rucks and mauls. During the last 5 minutes of the half Frome were camped in the Bracknell 22, but great defence by the away side kept Frome out, the half ended with a Frome knock-on but this was a sign of things to come in the second half.

HT 0-24

The second half was a turnaround from the first, with Frome dominating much of the play, George Milligan had to go off injured on about 20 minutes after a rare Bracknell attack in this half. The first Frome score came after good work by their backs, attacking their favoured end, the very muddy part of the pitch, they had a scrum on our 5-metre line, Frome were awarded a penalty try, unknown offence, score now 7-24.

Probably due to the pitch, there were many stoppages for injuries, the clock was running down quicker than the match was progressing due to this. On about 25-30 minutes Frome kicked a penalty to touch, with the line out on 22 Bracknell had a knock-on advantage, but Frome won another penalty, with the line out won, a maul, a ruck, a Frome back broke through the defensive line to score 12-24.

The final score of the game came from Frome, it was deserved from the amount of possession they had in the half. Penalty kicked to line out, after a ruck the backs retained the ball to score, with the conversion good the score was now 17-24.

With the travelling support starting to get nervous, an injury to Frome’s 56-year-old forward stopped play for a few minutes. When play resumed there was not much time left and was played out with Frome attacking, Bracknell’s defence held firm and much the same as the first half a Frome knock-on had the final whistle blown, to the relief of the Bracknell supporters.

As most will agree, any 5 point away win is a good win, given the heavy going and the way the home side used their knowledge of their home pitch, this was a very good win on the road.

Final score Frome 19 (1 point) Bracknell 24 (5 points)