Hartpury stumbled to their sixth successive Championship Cup defeat at the Gillman’s Ground recently against Bedford, losing 8-17.

The rain was persistent and, for much of the game, torrential. A strong, blustery wind also made life difficult for both sets of players.

Bedford were the first to exert pressure, but they found themselves faced by a well-organised and determined Hartpury defence. Once their early efforts came to nothing, it was the home team who enjoyed the better of the half.

Hartpury were looking solid in the set-piece and enjoying a good deal of possession, despite playing the first half into the elements.

Unsurprisingly, it was a line out drive that created Hartpury’s opening try in the 24th minute.

With a half-time advantage and the wind at their backs to come, there was a genuine hope among the home crowd that Hartpury could go on and pick up their first win in the competition. However, Bedford had other ideas. Winger, Dean Adamson, scored his team’s first try in the 45th minute, after the visitors had benefited from some ineffectual Hartpury tackling.

The final Bedford try, in the last minute of the match, was a comedy of errors by Hartpury, who twice failed to gather the wet ball, allowing Adamson to gather a rather fortunate second.