Ya, not finished yet, I will mix up and match some alcahol based dye and darken it down a bit. The fore stock from which the patch was taken was quite dark on the surface but fresh wood was quite light in colour.
I don't think that the repair will need anything else for strength as the shoulder is now clear of the reciever and I don't expect the rifle will have its buttplate pounded on the ground for years.
Yes, I tought of inserting some threaded brass rods, but usualy with a big flat patch like this the armourer would have used pegs. I might put in a couple of oak dowels just for show.