A light covering of snow greeted those awaking in South Berkshire on Saturday morning. Whist it made the early January morning picturesque the players knew that it would make the first team pitch at Lily Hill very heavy going.

The opposition for the afternoon was to be Witney 2XV, a side who the Stags had beaten Witney 10 - 41 earlier in the season. This time out Witney would prove to be a sterner test for the Stags.

The game opened with the Stags controlling the possession and territory which lead to a well worked try in the corner for Andy Slade within 15 mins. Ben Yates narrowly missing the conversion.

For the remainder of the half neither team was able to impose its will on the other, the heavy pitch meaning it was difficult to build up any patterns of play.

Half time score Stags 5 Witney 0.

The Stags upped their work rate and enjoyed most to the territory in the second half but struggled to break down a resolute Witney defence. The Stags being held up over the line on two occasions (Coach Hancock still claiming in the bar afterwards that they were perfectly good try’s!!!!)

The Stags were not helping themselves by turning down penalty kicks in front of the posts instead electing for scrums, when on the heavy pitch the three points may have been the sensible option.

The Stags second and final try of the game came 25 minutes into the second half. Vasa Bai in his return to the team crossing the whitewash following a fine move down the Stags back line. Ben Yates again narrowly missing the conversation.

Full time Stags 10 Witney 0.

While not the previous convincing win the Stags displayed good teamwork on a heavy pitch and against a stubborn opposition. Special mentions to Daniel ap Dafydd, proving there’s life in the ‘old dog’, the ever spikey Ricky Frost, and Vasa Bai whose strong runs and try were to prove conclusive in the result. The win leaves the Stags 10 points ahead of second placed Maidehead in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division 1.

Bracknell Stags: 1. Nick Ovens 2. Jasper Miranda 3. Gareth Staples 4. Ryan Noakes 5. David Abbott 6. Nathan Crow 7. Jamie Rudkin 8. Ricky Frost 9. Jack Conway 10. Daniel ap Dafydd 11. Richard Brember 12. Andy Slade 13. James Gant (C) 14. Simon Bayliss 15. Ben Yates Subs: 16. Stuart Laye 17. Vasa Bai 18. James Wright