Skipper’s return not enough
MAIDSTONE CS RUGBY
Captain Ben Williams returned after six months out but Maidstone lost again.
Williams, who took time out on medical advice following a series of head injuries, was back in the starting XV for Saturday’s London 1 South game at The Mote.
The hosts made a poor start, though, and were 27- 0 down at half-time to an athletic and well-drilled CS Rugby side.
What possession Maidstone did get was turned over all too often and the many unforced errors made the task that much easier for CS.
The first score came after five minutes when the scrum-half went through the gap at a ruck to run in unopposed.
A penalty infringement for hands in the ruck gave CS the platform for the second try.
A catch-and-drive from the lineout was held up but recycled ball was fed along the back line for the CS winger who scored in the corner, followed by the conversion.
CS Rugby’s outside-centre skipped through several tackles as another converted try extended the lead.
They added a penalty and another try, this one the result of individual skill by the fly-half, to take a big advantage into the break.
Maidstone found it increasingly difficult to get out of their own 22 at the start of the second half.
Another infringement allowed CS to extend their score with a converted catch-and-drive score from a lineout.
To Maidstone’s credit, they showed plenty of effort and endeavour but couldn’t break the defence, even when they tried to move the ball wide.
They had some success through the middle – only for a mistake to hand back the advantage to the visitors who added their final score from a counter-attack after collecting turnover ball.
Maidstone had their best passage of play towards the end, putting pressure on the defence through a series of catch-and-drives.
They put points on the board in the final moments, Josh Pankhurst cutting one of his trademark lines to score a converted try under the posts.
Third-bottom Maidstone go mid-table Cobham on Saturday. Maidstone: Williams, Pankhurst, Mount, A Knight, Iles, B Knight, Stimpson, Brill, Leech, Caborn, Moore, Perry, Copp, Antoniou, Beech. Replacements: Gilligan, Field, Morosan. to