For the second time in four days the Berkshire men lost a fly-half in the warm-up, Rowan Grundy replaced by Mike Cooke, and they then fell behind to an early Chris Bolton penalty.
The two sides felt each other out for the remainder of an otherwise scoreless opening quarter, but it was Stortford who grabbed the opening try.
It came in somewhat fortuitous circumstances, a clearance kick deflected meaning when Zach Clow booted the ball out from inside his own 22, the resultant line-out was only 15 metres out.
And the visitors made the most of their territory, hammering away at the line before Hamish Ferguson barrelled over.
Nip and tuck before the break
Bolton added the extras, but Rams replied immediately, Willo Bicknell cutting a glorious line for his side’s opener before Cooke reduced the deficit back to three points.
In a key swing, the hosts then missed a five-metre lineout before their opponents moved downfield, Frazier Kiff blasting over.
Yet as the game burst into life, there was still time for Rams to close the gap before the break, Axel Kalling-Smith over on the right.
The third quarter followed a similar vein to the first with not much going on, albeit Stortford enjoyed the better of possession and territory.
And the Hertfordshire side eventually gained their reward, Tom Mills finishing before Bolton slotted the kick.
Rams again responded swiftly, however, some strong carries finished by Ryan Lomas before Cooke landed again.
Stortford strike before Rams gain consolation brace
But the game took its decisive turn as Bishop’s bagged two tries in three minutes.
The first came following another series of close-range blasts, replacement prop Tristan Smith the scorer.
And soon after Bolton picked up a bouncing ball following a deflected to saunter under the uprights.
With the scrum-half twice more on target it was 36-19 to the visitors.
Rams, though, once again finished strongly, a sumptuous score finished by Harry Stone following a lovely Lomas off-load.
Substitute Andrew Lamb added the extras, and the hosts snatched a losing bonus-point as captain Max Hayman rode a maul over in Clubhouse Corner.
Rams have a week off before travelling to second-placed Plymouth Albion on Saturday, March 14.
The next home game is against Leicester Lions a week later.
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Final Score: Rams 31-36 Bishop’s Stortford (Half-time: 12-15)
Scorers
Rams
Tries: Bicknell 26, Kalling-Smith 39, Lomas 63, Stone 75, Hayman 79
Conversions: Cooke 27, 64 Lamb 76
Bishop’s Stortford
Tries: Ferguson 24, Kiff 34, Mills 58, Smith 68, Bolton 71
Conversions: Bolton 25, 59, 69, 72
Penalty: Bolton 4
Star Man: Chris Bolton (Bishop’s Stortford)
Referee: Jack Sargentina
Attendance: 956
Rams
(15-9, 1-8) Clow, Kalling-Smith, Jones, MacRae, Rhoads, Cooke, Hodgson; Harris, Hayman ©, Baker, Stapley, Stone, Elston, Tull, Bicknell
Replacements: Marris, Lomas, Jackson, Vasu, Lamb
Bishop’s Stortford
(15-9, 1-8) Morris, Mills, Biard, Hitchcock, Keva, Hayes, Bolton; Ducci, Bell, Hill, Ferguson, Kiff, Jones ©, Rayment, Langworthy
Replacements: Smith, Ashton, Apperley, Pope, Johal
