The Counts went into the match with some trepidation. They had lost heavily to the Police in their previous League encounter in October and the forwards had been decimated by injury, with only hooker Dylan Camakamma and locks Joe Lawrence and Olly Sanders being normal starters. However, Walcountians wasted little time in taking the match to their opponents. Skipper Joe Lawrence magnificently marshalled his makeshift pack and, although coming off second best in the set scrums and the lineouts, gave the Police a hard time in the loose. Behind the scrum, the main midfield playmakers, James Bacon, George Charnock and Ben French were a perpetual menace all afternoon.

The Counts opened the scoring after just ten minutes when centre George Charnock made a spectacular break from his own half and set up winger Omarie Brown to run in to score a try converted by fly-half Ben French. Seven minutes later, Walcountians were fourteen points clear when Omarie Brown ran in his second try after weaving past three attempted tackles. Once again, Ben French was on target with the conversion.

The Police however rallied, using their forward power to drive play forward and cut Walcountians’ lead in the 23rd minute when No 8 Dylan Richards touched down for a try after Walcountians’ pack was driven backwards at a 5-metre scrum. However, Walcountians extended their lead by the break after, firstly, a penalty from Ben French and a try from George Charnock who cut through the Police defence after a thunderous break by Olly Sanders had set up a ruck in the Police 22.

The Police changed their tactics in the second half by using their forward dominance and the tactical kicking of scrum-half Joe Stirrup to advance as they had found no way through the rock-solid Walcountians defensive tackling. Five minutes into the half, they added to their score with a carbon-copy try from a set scrum which was converted. However, the Police remained vulnerable to breaks from the Walcountians backline and the Counts extended their lead with a converted try in the ninth minute when George Charnock opened up the Police defence and offloaded to fellow centre Juan Cabeza-Sisa who raced in to score under the posts.

The Police scored their third try in the same manner as their previous two in the 16th minute, but this did not stop Walcountians who scored their fifth try in the 23rd minute when scrum-half James Bacon offloaded to George Charnock and the rangy centre broke from the halfway line to hold off the Police defence and score his second try of the day. Four minutes later, they passed the forty-point mark when Olly Sanders shook off three attempted tackles to touch down, with Ben French firing over his fifth conversion.

The Police also earned a bonus point when, in the 34th minute, fly-half Kallum Rees picked up the ball from a ruck formed near the Walcountians line and darted over for a converted try.

Next Saturday, Walcountians take on Counties League 4 Surrey opponents London Media in the Surrey Knockout Plate in Battersea Park, kicking off at 2pm. Although two levels lower, London Media have had a standout season and are second in the League, which means they will be no pushover for the Counts.

Old Walcountians:- Fletcher-Rogers, Beaubrun, Cabeza-Sisa, Charnock, Brown, French (B), Bacon, Beeson, Camakamma, Smart, Lawrence, Sanders, Harding, French (A), Doherty.

Sub:- Stoner.