Despite being away from home, leaders Rams were firm favourites to complete the double over the Lily Hill men this season and chalk up a 13th successive victory in National Three South West.

The visitors came into the game in outstanding form and had handed out a season’s best 64-7 drubbing to lowly Chard the week before.

But Rory Greenslade-Jones’ hosts were fired-up from start to finish and denied Rams even a losing point in the all-Berkshire derby.

It was a case of sweet revenge for Bracknell, who had lost the return fixture at Rams 27–3 earlier in the season.

However, there was to be no repeat for Rams this time as the hosts, inspired by Nico Maybury’s farewell appearance, claimed the bragging rights.

Disappointed Rams head coach Mike Tewkesbury confessed: “We lacked composure and our penalty count at the end was fourteen to seven and that’s always going to put us under pressure.

“We can’t afford to allow those mistakes in terms of ill-discipline and lack of skill-set to creep into our game. We’ve got to be better and so that when we are put under pressure we rise above it.”

Bracknell’s own promotion hopes had suffered a series of blows following narrow losses to Hornets and Old Patesians in recent weeks.

Gensians, though, looked to be running away with the title after building a commanding 11-point lead over second-placed Exmouth at the top of the table.

However, Bracknell’s win cut Rams’ cushion to six points and left Greenslade-Jones’ men a further 14 points behind in fourth, with one game in hand.

The first half on Saturday was a closely-fought affair with Bracknell, led by Leo Bailey, dominant in the lineout and Rams in the scrum.

Bracknell kicked off with the slope and, perhaps, there was a sign of what was to come when, despite not having sent the kick 10 metres and conceding a scrum, a great burst from No.8 Maybury sent former Rams wing George Owen sprinting for the line, only to be hauled up a yard short by a last-ditch tackle from Olly Poole.

Rams’ first-up tackling was excellent early on, but it was their power at the scrum that paved the way for their opening points when the home pack were penalised and scrum-half James Brooks banged over the kick.

The lead was short-lived as Rams flanker Azza Hopkins was caught going over the top at a ruck and Bracknell’s Owain Davies slotted the first of five successful penalties on the day.

But Rams went ahead soon after when skipper Andy Amor touched down out wide despite a strong hint of crossing in the build-up, though Brooks missed the conversion attempt.

Bracknell replied almost immediately when David Massey was penalised for querying the referee’s decision to award a penalty against them and was, promptly, marched back 10 metres and in range for Davies to slot over his second penalty.

With Brooks missing a 35-metre penalty attempt just before half-time, Bracknell trailed 8-6 at the break.

However, the visitors, who stayed out on the pitch during the interval, stretched their lead three minutes into the second half when Massey and Luke Flower combined to send wing Ollie Foxley over in the corner for an unconverted score and 13-6 lead.

But they were to be Rams’ last points of the day and Bracknell’s superiority in the lineout, led by Bailey and Ollie Taylor, began to pay off.

As Rams began to struggle, Davies kicked two more penalties to leave the hosts 13-12 behind.

And the home side’s scrum then stood up to some sustained pressure, turning a possible penalty try into a penalty of their own and the chance for Davies to clear their lines.

It proved a telling period in the match, as soon after Stuart Mackay burst through a gap in midfield to score a try under the post which Davies converted for a 19-13 lead with 20 minutes remaining.

Bracknell never looked like relinquishing the lead from there and Davies gave them some breathing space with his final penalty to put them 22-13 in front.

Rams’ frustrations were summed up in the closing stages when Massey was yellow carded for back-chatting, allowing Bracknell to coast home.

Bailey was named Bracknell’s man-of-the-match, while Davies finished with a 100% kicking record on the day and a 17-point haul.

The hosts became only the second side to beat Rams this season after Hornets, and frustrated Gensians captain Andy Amor said: “I’m very disappointed. We let ourselves down today more than anything else. We just didn’t deliver in enough areas of the game. The penalty count was too high against us and we certainly paid the penalty.

“But there’s a long way to go yet in the season. We are still top of the table and we really need to concentrate on the remaining games and finish it off.

And he admitted: “It was a wake up call. It was disappointing to lose that 12-match winning streak but you can’t go on forever and it’s a case now of what our character is all about to take us in to the next game.”

Redingensians do not have a game this coming Saturday, but will look to reaffirm their title credentials and gain revenge when Hornets visit Old Bath Road on Saturday, January 31.

Bracknell: Mirza, Silvester, Brambley, Bailey, Taylor, Austin, Milligan (C), Maybury, Dwyer, Price, Owen, Nowak, Mackay, Burch, Davies. Subs: Salustri, Barry, Brember.

Rams: Duffelen, Poole, Bryson, Massey, Foxley, Flower, Brooks, Steadman, Henderson, Baker, Hughes, Bryson, Amor (c), Hopkins, Guttridge. Subs: Weller, Davies, Dampies.