Maidstone decisively overturned second in the table, CS Rugby, to record a sparkling 26-12 victory at the Mote on Saturday.

This game was won by the pack, with man-of-the-match, Matt Iles, in the van but the growing team work of the whole side shone from this game like a beacon.

CS Rugby came into this match having recorded six wins out of seven, with league leaders, Tunbridge Wells, their victims the previous week. By comparison, Maidstone’s stuttering start to the season prompted no more than hopes of a good display against a classy outfit. How wrong can one be in pre-match perceptions?

The only Maidstone change from the previous week was the return of Rory Beech at full back, after his hamstring tear, with Alex Clarke moving to the left wing and Seve Manu returning to the bench. With the pack unchanged, giving continuity for the first time this season, hopes of building a platform of solid ball for the backs to work with was anticipated.

They did not disappoint and, by the end of the game, the only criticism they could possibly face was to ask why they hadn’t bullied their opposing pack earlier in the eighty minutes. In summary, the hard work expended on the training field came to fruition with Ben Knight catching the eye at blind side.

With the weather set on fair, on a dry, well grassed pitch and the referee decked out in a luminous shade of pink, the teams kicked off before an expectant crowd. And they were not disappointed by the fare served before them.

As in previous weeks, Maidstone started at high tempo and generated a penalty opportunity with two minutes on the board. Ross Cooke’s attempt drifted just wide of the posts but Maidstone made amends on the quarter hour. A move to the left wing took play deep into the visitor’s 22, before the pack took over to finish the job, with Nathen Simpson getting the touch down. The conversion drifted wide raising concerns about the cumulative impact of missed kicks, which was justified immediately after the restart.

CS Rugby won back the ball and through slick handling released full back, Houston, to score in the right corner. With Hodgson adding the extras, the visitors got their noses in front and showed what a potent force their back line could be, if given space.

With the visitors increasingly dominating play, Maidstone went through a period when they had to show their defensive qualities, with their try line under attack for a ten minute spell. But having weathered this storm, Maidstone came back into the game and finished the half on a positive note.

Having passed up a simple penalty attempt in front of the posts, Maidstone opted for the scrum aiming for a higher goal and, while the first attempt to fashion a push over try was halted, their persistence eventually paid off, with Craig Webb crossing from short range. Brendan Trudgen added the simple conversion to post a 12-7 half time lead.

Both sides started the second half at high pace with CS Rugby showing the early attacking moves. But having held the visitors at bay for ten minutes, Maidstone began to reassert themselves once more.

A penalty was punted to touch, deep in the CS Rugby 22 to set up the catch and drive attempt on the line. When this was held, a series of individual drives eventually yielded its reward with replacement prop, Jack O’Connell, getting the touch down near the posts. This allowed a second routine conversion for Trudgen and a 19-7 scoreline.

Maidstone continued to grow in authority, generating field position through the boot of Trudgen or from increasingly effective interplay of the backs and forwards. And as the half progressed, so the visitors played ever more risky rugby, running from deep in their own half, trying to penetrate an increasingly secure, Maidstone defence.

Ultimately, they paid the price, with intercept expert, Matt Moore, picking up another try and Trudgen securing a further conversion to extend Maidstone’s lead to 26-7, just past the end of the quarter.

With the pack now in command of all the tight exchanges, CS Rugby had to resort to their back line to get back into the game with the limited ball at their disposal. They chose to play the ball wide, at speed, and, as fatigue set in, so execution levels dipped, leading to handling errors. Eventually a poor chip kick by Maidstone gave the visitors the opportunity to craft a try in the right corner. But this was too little, too late as the full forty minutes expired.

Maidstone played out the final five minutes of added time with a series of close forward plays, keeping the ball under their control and frustrating any ambitions of the visitors to make further marks on the game.

This fine win demonstrated the full potential of this Maidstone side. For the first time this season, both units played well and generated the cohesion that has been missing in previous game. If they can maintain this level of intensity and application, they have the ability to upset more sides currently above them in the table.

In addition, the brand of rugby served up was good on the eye and certainly had the crowd purring in the bar afterwards.

Maidstone Ben Williams; Josh Pankhurst; Nathan Simpson: Adam Knight: Ben Massey; Ben Knight; Lewis Stimson; Matt Iles: Lucian Morosan; Brendan Trudgen: Alex Clarke; Craig Webb; Ross Cooke; Matt Moore: Rory Beech

Replacements: Jack Lamb; Jack O’Connell; Seve Manu (All used)

Pictures supplied by Bob Hayton.