STARTING debutant Steffan James admitted his heart was racing as he landed the match-winning conversion to help Rams snatch their first-ever success 21-19 at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday.

The Old Bath Road side made it six victories from seven National One games at Silver Leys, with Steffan adding the extras to Robbie Stapley’s try on 73 minutes, the visitors then just holding out as Dan Cole’s last-play penalty attempt drifted just left of the uprights for Stortford.

A pulsating start had seen the lead change hands three times in the first half as Bishop’s scored in the second minute through Chris Smith, only for Jak Rossiter’s interception try converted by James to make it 7-5.

Yet Stortford then went back in front after just seven minutes as James Thacker powered over, Cole converting, before a penalty try gave Rams the lead before the break as Thacker was yellow carded for illegally bringing down a rolling maul.

An end-to-end try finished by Sam Bryan had Stortford in front midway through the second half, but Rams’ rallied and enjoyed a little bit of luck with Cole’s missed kick to end victorious.

Speaking about his decisive kick, Leeds Beckett University graduate Steffan admitted: “I wasn’t really thinking too much to be honest, albeit the ticker was going a little bit – I’m just glad we managed to get the win.

“I’ve been working really hard on my kicking for the last few weeks, so I just trusted my processes and thankfully it snuck in.

“We didn’t start particularly well and we spoke about it in the changing rooms afterwards – you can’t give a good team like Stortford that much territory on their own patch and especially in the first five or 10 minutes because it only helps them grow.

“We weren’t happy, but having said that, to come here and take four points, we’ll take that any day.”

The victory helped Rams stay in second place in the ultra-competitive third tier of English rugby ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Darlington Mowden Park, and he concluded: “It was one of those games where we didn’t play particularly well, but it’s testimony to us and where we’re at that we can come somewhere like this, not be at 100 per cent and still scrape a win, so we can take a lot from that.

“It was a bit tense at the end, but it shows the courage and character of the side to hold our nerve and get the victory.”