The home side led 47-5 on 74 minutes having totally dominated the second half, but the last-gasp charge by The Blacks resulted in a final score of 47-22, and real encouragement for a much-changed team.

“I’m just really pleased for the boys at the very end, staying in the fight and picking up the try bonus point,” said head coach Mike Haywood.

Explaining the wholesale team changes, Haywood said in a long season he wanted to give as many of his squad as possible a chance to play.

“I think the guys that came in did a fantastic job. I’m really pleased for them. It’s the first time some of them have played National 2 rugby and it’s going to make selection tough next week.”

Colchester headed to Hertfordshire with only seven of the starting XV from their last match in the run-on side, including a complete change of personnel at half-back and in the centres, while Conall Corcoran made his first appearance at loosehead.

Match report: Col battle to the end for a crucial point #Pitchero https://t.co/W64IiB5NmB https://t.co/c5akWGeRu8

— Colchester RFC (@ColchesterRFC) November 2, 2026

On top of that, back-row forward Bayley Eden was off the bench inside six minutes for his first team debut replacing Ashton Webb, whose badly broken finger required hospital treatment.

OAs were already seven points up by then and when the hosts had their second try to lead 14-0 on 13 minutes, Colchester looked set for a punishing afternoon.

OAs butchered a further good chance, while Ethan Cole’s tackle saved a third try.

But the visitors belatedly found some go-forward.

First Jack Lavin intercepted and kicked ahead, only to be penalised for his follow-up tackle.

Another promising attack also resulted in a turnover penalty, but their perseverance finally brought a try.

From a penalty kicked to the corner, Colchester got their line-out maul going and scrum-half Joe Collier spotted a gap to score.

With the hosts down to 14 players for a deliberate knock-on, Colchester pushed for a second try before the interval.

Good work by the backs put Cole in, but the referee disallowed the score for a forward pass.

Turning round 14-5 ahead, OAs proceeded to run riot with five tries over the next half hour, including a penalty try as Colchester’s increasingly stretched defence conceded multiple penalties.

https://t.co/PSr96jvCaY

— Colchester RFC (@ColchesterRFC) November 1, 2026

Colchester had scarcely entered opposition territory since the interval, but trailing 47-5 with six minutes to play, suddenly they broke free.

A multi-phase attack, first going left then switching right, saw the ball reach Max Clark, playing at fly-half, who crossed in the corner.

From the restart, Will Blakemore, back in the centres, trucked it up in typical physical style, Harry Bureau broke the line and found Cole who looped round for a converted score.

Could they get the fourth try? With their tails up, another patient build-up and looping miss-pass found Bureau on the left wing to score.

Rarely has a single bonus point provoked such celebration, but this was all about the team battling to the final whistle.

Debutant Bayley Eden, who had a hand in all three late tries and was effective around the park, was named player-of-the-match.

Colchester are now ninth in National 2 East, ahead of Saturday’s home match against fourth-placed Dorking (3pm).

A good day elsewhere saw The Ravens beat Ipswich 45-33 to go third in Counties 1 Eastern Counties.

The As top their league after a 55-0 win at Braintree, while the Cavaliers beat Clacton in a walkover.

Colchester: Lavin, Pattinson, Bureau, Blakemore, Cole, Clark, Collier; Corcoran, Harrison, Rossouw, Sykes, de Lucchi, Webb, Whiteman, Ellis. Reps: McCartney, O’Neil, Eden, Varela, Parry.