Stafford welcomed Bloxwich to the County Ground for a friendly fixture in the second game of the new year. The weather had soaked the ground providing a slippery surface, mud and difficult playing conditions for both sets of players.

Bloxwich started the game strongly playing the more consistent rugby and pinning Stafford into their own half. The home side defended hard and the game settled in a stalemate as both teams searched for the advantage. An injury to Cal Lennon forced changes to the Stafford XV and the game was further disrupted when two successive yellow cards reduced the visitors to thirteen on the pitch. With a numerical advantage, Stafford engineered a series of break outs, but every time the opposition try line came into sight, the referees whistle cancelled out the momentum and the visitors kicked their way clear. The Bloxwich tenacity was rewarded when their persistence saw the thirteen-man side take the first try of the afternoon for the lead. With fifteen back on the pitch the visitors looked to stretch their lead but a clumsy clash saw a red card for Bloxwich, reducing them to fourteen and Josh Arnold being helped off the pitch for Stafford. With a player short the visitors put the pressure on and earned a converted try to build a comfortable lead. Stafford finished the half with a flourish playing their best rugby of the afternoon with Gaz Phillips coming agonisingly close to scoring but couldn’t quite cross the line. Stafford went into half time trailing 0 – 12 against a composed Bloxwich performance.

Making a few half-time substitutions, Stafford came flying into the second half with a fast-paced team effort releasing Tom Windibank to score an early try, converted by Chris Newell. The difficult conditions started to play havoc with the visitors, consecutive injuries emptying the bench leading to Bloxwich only able to field twelve players. Ben Chatfield came off the Stafford bench pulling on the opposition colours to make the encounter competitive. A flying Chris Newell was the next to score, the try bringing the scores level and his boot kicking the home side into a narrow lead. A beleaguered Bloxwich continued to defend but Stafford were starting to find their rhythm, an excellent period of rugby punching through the understrength defence for Tom Windibank to take his second of the afternoon, converted by Chris Newell. Further injuries temporarily reduced Bloxwich down to twelve, Matt Cooper the next Stafford player to don opposition colours. Intensive work by the visitor’s medical team resurrected another player for a borrowed and patched up fourteen to finish the game. A tiring Bloxwich showed all their spirit, weaving through the Stafford defence to take their third try of the afternoon. Stafford responded by ramping up the pace, Sam Harbage kicking into space with a chasing Ben Richards and Will Turner securing the ball to release Tom Windibank for his third try of the afternoon, converted by Chris Newell. The final score of the afternoon came courtesy of Matt Manion who used all his pace to outstrip the opposition, Chris Newell closing the game with the conversion.