Counts test promotion-seeking Tiffinians to the limit

The Counts were once again below full strength and had to play two back row players, Tom Brown and Brendan Murphy out of position at lock and wing threequarter respectively. Despite this, both players did well in their respective positions. The Counts also welcomed back fly-half Seb Chmielinski after a year’s absence, and it was Chmielinski who was Walcountians’ most threatening player.

From the start, Walcountians were under pressure in the set scrums and the rucks, and conceded several penalties which gave the visitors an early territorial advantage. Strong defensive tackling by Walcountians kept Tiffinians at bay for 15 minutes, but they then opened up a 14-point lead with two quick tries. The first was a forwards try from a rolling maul, the second came from outside-centre Max Talman who took an inside pass from his left-winger Andy Day and crossed the Walcountians’ line to touch down.

Walcountians hit back in the 21st minute when scrum-half Tom Downes broke from a ruck and touched down for a try following a mazy run by Seb Chmielinski which opened up Tiffinians’ defence. Chmielinski added the first of four conversions to narrow the visitors’ lead.
Tiffinians however continued to dominate possession and tries from No8 Jaewon Jang and flanker Jake Fawssett in the 26th and 33rd minutes extended Tiffinians’ lead to 21 points. At this point, the visitors looked on course for a landslide win.

Just before the half-time break, Walcountians got a critical score. Prop Jonny Evans who, along with Tom Brown, Callum Tilleray and flankers Tom Housden and Joe Henderson were the Counts’ most effective ball carriers, took an offload and smashed his way through the Tiffinians’ defensive barrier to touch down for their second try of the day.

The possibility of a Walcountians win looked even less likely eight minutes into the second half when Andy Day drifted into an unmarked position and gratefully accepted a pass. But that proved to be the visitors’ high point of the day as a determined Walcountians started to turn the tables on the promotion favourites. Despite losing three forwards, Jonny Evans, James Ford and Callum Rees to injury and having to bring back Olly Sanders after he had suffered a knock in the first half, Walcountians started to hold the visitors in the set pieces and dominated the loose play with Calllum Tilleray and Tom Housden outstanding, while Seb Chmielinski repeatedly opened yawning gaps in the Tiffinians’ defence.
The fightback began in the 12th minute when Tom Brown drove over for a try from a ruck close to the Tiffinians’ line. Ten minutes later, the gap between the two sides had fallen to nine points when rangy full-back Eji Erhirhie was fed by centre Dom Barnaby and spectacularly rounded the Tiffinians’ defence to touch down under the posts.

Tiffinians’ sixth try in the 36th minute was slightly fortuitous and against the run of play, coming about through careless handling by Walcountians’ backs which gave Andy Day the opportunity to run in his second try of the day. But Walcountians kept up the pressure on Tiffinians and were close to pulling off an improbable victory. Although at least two try scoring opportunities were squandered through players taking wrong options or careless handling or passing, they finally got their deserved fifth try of the day when centre Dom Barnaby finished off a threequarter move.

Next Saturday, Walcountians aim to break their sequence of losses when they take on Kingston. Kick-off at Hook Road, Chessington is at 3pm.

Old Walcountians:- Erhirhie, Fletcher-Rogers, Barnaby, Bateman, Murphy, Chmielinski, Downes, Evans, Tilleray, Ford, Brown, Sanders, Housden, Henderson, Rees.

Subs:- Camakamma, French, Harris.