Winning run over for sloppy OWs

The Counts were missing no less than six regular players – forwards Jonny Evans, Joe Henderson and Tom Housden and backs Ed Armitage, Dharshan Vadivelu and Harry Wrightson, as well as long-term injury absentee Ross Norton, were all unavailable. However, only centre Jake Ayres of the replacements had no previous 1st XV experience so there was no reason for concern about lack of experience.

Walcountians got off to a flying start when winger Nino Stylianou crossed for a try after only five minutes and, by the 25th minute, they were twelve points up after No 8 Ollie Dodwell crashed over for a try he converted himself after the Walcountians pack rolled a maul over the Chipstead line. However, it soon became apparent that the visitors were made of sterner stuff than some of the Old Boys’ recent opponents. The Chipstead pack was one of the few that managed to contain the powerful Walcountians eight in the set scrums and, in the loose, their aggressive rucking and competing for loose ball stopped and turned over several Walcountians forward surges. The Old Boys did themselves no favours by failing to back up the ball carrier in numbers and sloppy distribution behind the scrum was readily exploited by the visitors. The only members of the Old Boys who did themselves full justice were Ollie Dodwell and flanker Brendan Murphy.

Chipstead resuced the arrears with a penalty in the 34th minute and, as half-time beckoned, made further inroads into Walcountians’ lead when their inside-centre ran onto a clever chip from the fly-half and touched down.

The second half continued in the same vein as the latter part of the first half, with Walcountians creating several opportunities that they failed to take advantage of. They got a reality check in the 17th minute when Chipstead’s left-winger went over for a try in the left corner which put the visitors in the lead.

Walcountians appeared to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the 31st minute when the forwards won a ruck on the Chipstead 10-metre line and launched a sweeping threquarter move that gave Nino Stylianou the opportunity to race past the Chipstead cover defence and score his second try of the day. But the visitors had one remaining ace up their sleeve when their right-winger ran in the winning score in the 35th minute as he evaded two attempted tackles.

Walcountians mounted a desperate rally in the last five minutes in an attempt to salvage the match but they failed to break down a solid Chipstead defence.

Walcountians’ next match on 3 March will be the most difficult of the season when they take on League leaders Old Whitgiftians. Kick-off at Croham Road, Croydon is at 2:30pm.

Old Walcountians:- Fletcher-Rogers, Bellringer, Ayres, Kennedy, Stylianou, Chmielinski, McMullen (T), Abou-Zeid, Fleming, Claustres, Thornton, Bell, Wrightson, Murphy, Dodwell.

Subs:- Harris, McMullen (J), Shaw.