To the casual follower a glance at the scoreline would be more or less what they would expect but it doesn't come close to how the game was played out.

Combe's discipline and patience were put to a severe test. It was helped by being eight points to the good after just five minutes but it took some shrewd changes and the final 15 minutes before it was finally unravelled.

Barking had 65 per cent of possession overall and probably as much territory. In the first half a good deal more and about midway through were only nine points adrift despite two Combe tries, and if Combe's discipline and patience not been in such evidence may well have been closer.

The referee's whistle still hung in the air when a great take from the kick-off led to a break down the left wing and Hamish Barton finished off in the corner in the second minute and Iain Gordan added a penalty two minutes later. At this stage it seemed on the cards that Combe may achieve what the English batsmen in Australia cannot do, reach three figures!

But once Barking got into their stride they had phase after phase, time and again. It took all the strength of a sound Combe defence to keep them at bay. To the extent that after a break was brought to a halt Barking rarely got beyond the gain-line.

The sides swapped penalties after fifteen minutes in short order, first Barking with Ollie Forrest and then Iain Gordan for Combe.

When Combe did get the ball they looked very dangerous and when a number of the backs made some purposeful runs last in line was Trent Nattrass, again in the corner. The right this time and closed a bit on the posts to make Iain Gordan's kick just a little easier.

Barking at their best were camped a few yards each side of Combe's 22 and had three penalties over a fifteen minute period and Ollie Forrest slotted two of them.

The score-line of 9—18 actually took us into a couple of minutes of the second-half, but Combe had made some shrewd changes at half-time mainly positional in the pack and were soon enjoying more possession and territory.

For everyone in the Combe camp nothing short of the bonus was what was wanted but for an age it seemed, though not beyond them, increasingly unlikely.

When a try did come it was a penalty but having been on the line for some minutes, crossing it two or three times, seen two yellows issued to the opposition, umpteen attacking 5-metre scrums and probably getting the touch-down in any case it was little more than another successful kick for Iain Gordan.

What it did do was probably break the resolve of Barking and in the last few minutes Combe completed the task of three tries in the last fifteen minutes.

Prop Matt Poole benefited from more good work by the forwards and secured the bonus with Iain Gordan converting and then Alex Smith finishing some good fielding and work down the right wing for the fifth try.

The final score was not flattering to Combe even though it took a storming fifteen minutes at the end to achieve it and at a cost. One forward left the pitch, with possible concussion, looking more like he was wondering what to get his girlfriend or partner for Christmas than having been involved in a fierce encounter on the pitch and Dylan Flashman left limping painfully.

But it must have been a very happy crew that made their way the short distance back to Goddington Dene replete in the knowledge that they had come through a game, a potential banana skin, with flying colours.

Combe's Squad: Alex Smith; Bryan Young, Ben Hough, Iain Gordan, Trent Nattrass; Johnny O'Hehir, Ben Faurie; Tim Kavangh, Reece Conlon, Matt Poole; Dylan Flashman, Dave Watkins; Graham Purdy, Hamish Barton, Thibauld Calohard. Jon Wright, Tom Clarke, Omar Dixon.

Match Reporter: Mike Attewell