An under-strength Old Walcountians stumbled at the first hurdle of the Counties Community Plate when they were demolished by a rampant Old Blues XV.
The Counts were missing ten regular 1st XV players and the imbalance soon showed as the visitors ran in two tries in the opening five minutes. The first came as Blues powerful No 8 Rainer Pessenbacher broke from the base of a scrum and powered his way past two attempted tackles. The second came as play broke down in the middle of the park and the Blues threequarter line won the race to a speculative kick forward.

Walcountians started to get back into the game as their industrious pack steadily edged forward through outstanding performances from skipper Callum Tilleray and No 8 Dylan Camakamma, with scrum-half James Bacon an ever-present threat with his sniping breaks. But wayward distribution to often handed possession and opportunity to Blues whose pace on the break exposed the Counts weak defensive tackling. There was an air of inevitability about Blues third try in the 16th minute when No 8 Pessenbacher scored his second try of the day in identical circumstances to his first.

Hopes that Walcountians would turn the corner were raised in the 29th minute when lock Dom Bell crossed for a try to finish a move set up by driving play by their pack. But they were brought back to earth two minutes later when Blues No 8 Pessenbacher ran in his third try of the day following a breakdown in play, and Blues struck again just before half-time when lock Cameron Macpherson got on the scoresheet after taking an offload from a ruck near the Counts line.

Walcountians’ hopes of a turnround were raised as they had the slope and wind to their advantage in the second half, and it was just four minutes old when Callum Tilleray powered his way past two attempted tackles to touch down for a try converted by James Bacon. But this proved to be a false dawn as Blues continued to pile on the agony. A counter-attack engineered by Blues fly-half Dan Fryer put Pessenbacher clear for his fourth try after six minutes and, three minutes later, winger Dave Asanji rounded the Counts defence to finish a threequarter move.

To their credit, Walcountians did not give up and their impressive No 8 Dylan Camakamma was denied a try after being held up on the Blues line. But it was Blues who had the final word with two more tries. The first saw Pessenbacher run in his fifth try in the 21st minute after winning the race to a speculative hack forward following the breakdown of play and, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, scrum-half Alex Satterfield weaved his way through the Counts defence for Blues eighth try of the day.

Next Saturday, Walcountians return to League action when they take on newly-promoted Worth Old Boys at their Whiteley Village ground. Kick-off is at 3pm.