OWs stay top after another win

The Counts once again got off to a flying start after just four minutes when scrum-half Seb Chmielinski broke from the base of a scrum in the Freemen’s 22 and sprinted in for a try. Centre Ross Norton extended their lead to eight points in the 14th minute with a penalty.

The home side proved to be Walcountians’ most competent opponents yet and put the Counts under considerable pressure during the middle part of the first half. Their forwards proved to be highly capable in ball retention and recycling and it took determined tackling and defensive rucking by Walcountians to keep them at pay. In the 23rd minute, Freemen’s narrowed Walcountians’ lead to just a point when their scrum-half broke from the base of a ruck on the Walcountians line and dived over to score a converted try.

This proved the incentive for Walcountians to raise their game. Strong driving runs in which Rob Fleming, Joe Henderson and T J Akinjobi were prominent drove the Counts into strong attacking positions and, two minutes from half-time, Ross Norton extended Walcountians’ lead when he swerved past two attempted tackles to touch down for his sixth try of the season which he converted.

Freemen’s continued to be difficult oponents in the second half but the turning point came 12 minutes in when Walcountians threw on tough Aussie prop Anthony Abou-Zeid for his first match since recovering from injury. The Counts pack started to turn the screw on Freemen’s in the set scrum and were instrumental in their third try of the day three minutes later when they shunted Freemen’s ten metres back to their tryline and gave Seb Chmielinski an easy opportunity to score hi second try of the day.

Freemen’s were however far from finished and showed Walcountians that they still had to fight for a win when their open side flanker ran in for a try in the 26th minute after his fellow forwards had managed to breach the Walcountians’ defence.

Walcountians sealed victory with two more tries before full-time. The first came from a forward drive at a set scrum which gave T J Akinjobi the opportunity to score his first try for the Counts in the 31st minute by picking the ball up from the base of the scrum and driving over. The second came in the 36th minute when winger Andy Togbolah rounded the Freemen’s defence on the right flank and ran in for the touchdown.

To their credit, Freemen’s refused to give up and scored a well-deserved third try three minutes into stoppage time.

Next Saturday, Walcountians play their fourth League match of the season when they take on Trinity at Clock House, kicking off at 3pm.

Old Walcountians:- Bentley, Togbolah, Norton, Bateman, McMullen, Wrightson, Chmielinski, Ford, Fleming, Claustres, Thornton, Thomas, Evans, Henderson, Akinjobi.

Subs:- Abou-Zeid, Harris, Wehbe.