National League 3 London & SE CS Rugby 1863 10 Bury St Edmunds 24 After the highs of last week’s fabulous performance that took Bury to the top of National League 3, it was perhaps inevitable that Bury came back down to earth with a bump!

The form book predicted a comfortable away win for the Suffolk side and early indications suggested as much. However Bury’s record at Duke’s Meadow has never been great and for much of the match they laboured to see off a committed Civil Service side.

The main pitch in Chiswick was deemed unplayable and so the game was transferred to a postage stamp sized pitch adjacent to the clubhouse. This certainly proved a benefit to CS as creating any worthwhile space to attack in was difficult to say the least.

The game itself started well enough for Bury, pouring forward from the whistle and laying siege to the Home side’s try line. Kivalu’s intercept and driving run took Bury to the line. That a try wasn’t scored was due to CS lock Callum Duffield deliberately knocking the ball down earning himself a yellow card and Bury a penalty 5 metres out.

Skipper Chris Snelling instructed his forwards to take the scrum. This they did and powered to the line. CS infringed.., do it again! The second time Bury did actually get the ball down but referee Jack Lewars brought Bury back to give them another penalty!

The third attempt inevitably went wrong but Bury would not be denied a minute later Loma Kivalu powered over from five metres.

Snelling was shown a yellow card moments later for tackling a man without the ball as CS fly-half Houston ghosted through a gap.

Kivalu appears to be getting back to his early season form and a storming 50 metre break engineered the next score for Bury.

The Green and Golds stayed patient going through phase after phase before earning an attacking scrum seven metres out.

This time Bury were not to be denied and Eddison gratefully touched down.

The second half started much where the first had left off, Bury doing most of the attacking but CS capitalising on any mistake to counter where possible.

As the mid point of the half approached the expectation of a bonus point win was beginning to look a little distant.

Rush was unlucky to be penalised for not releasing when not actually being tackled and Houston gleefully landed the penalty from the half way line to make 10-3 to the visitors.

Coach Gavin Hogg introduced Kieran Black into the fray and he seemed to inspire Bury into raising their tempo for the last 20 minutes of the match.

White, Kivalu and Black combined well to take Bury up to the CS line.

Houston was the third person to be shown a yellow for an offence at the break down. Bury elected to run the penalty, throwing the ball wide left where Sam Bixby had just enough space to squeeze over in the corner.

Another great piece of aggressive defence allowed Tim Mann to take Bury to within 15 metres of the line. Meyers then had the presence of mind and speed of foot to see the CS defence was drifting and glided through a gap for a score by the posts – the bonus point was secured.

With only seconds left on the clock CS were awarded a penalty try.

A well-constructed catch and drive made good ground initially but it appeared CS skipper Clarke had become detached from the back of the maul.

Kivalu thought so and came in to make a tackle, referee Lewars though otherwise and awarded the home side a try under the posts.

This week is a rest week before Bury entertain Guernsey the week after that.