The Winchester machine may have stuttered against Tottonians in the opening match of their league campaign, but it began to purr in the second. Away against Tadley, newcomers to the RFU’s London 3 South-East league, they chalked up a five-try bonus-point victory.

With everyone from hooker to full-back showing running and handling skills, as well as physical power in contact, there were passages of play in the second half when this team began to show what it can do when everything clicks. All-court rugby, and a joy to watch.

Tadley were visibly shaken as their outside backs found Winchester tight-five forwards running the ball at them, and as their own attacking runners found themselves facing Winchester backs – fly-half Greg Sullivan and outside centre and captain Jake Hiscock outstanding - who tackled like flankers.

“The players know without my having to tell them that there’s still a lot of things we need to improve”, said Winchester coach Andy Fields. “There were defensive lapses in the first half as bad as any we’ve seen in the past year, and we were lucky that Tadley didn’t take advantage of them. But, that said, there were several flashes of what we can do at our best.”

This Saturday, Winchester will be at home to London Cornish, third in the league last year, and one of only three teams to have won two out of two in this season’s competition. Winchester will start as underdogs, but knowing that playing consistently at their best they can beat any team in the league. It promises to be a humdinger.

The game started with no clear sign of dominance by either side, Winchester kicking – sometimes aimlessly – for position, and Tadley spoiling a good try-scoring chance with a knock-on after five minutes. At the first set scrum, Winchester pushed the Tadley forwards back, but were penalised for lifting the front row.

A kick to the left-hand corner gave Winchester their first scoring chance, but strong Tadley defence kept them out, but still camped in the Tadley 22. Three minutes later, second-phase ball came smartly out to Adam Dye at inside-centre, and a well-angled run took him to a touch-down to the left of the posts. Connor Breen uncharacteristically hooked the conversion kick wide.

Less than five minutes and a penalty to Tadley later, Winchester’s all-court skills led to the game’s turning-point. The ball squirted out on the blind side of a just-formed ruck, 6’6” second-row Jerry Alfandari snatched the ball from the ground on the run, slipped a pass to the diminutive winger Tom Forster, who popped through a gap in the home defence like a cork from a champagne bottle and ran round to touch down on almost the same spot where Dye had just scored.

“It’s the Tom and Jerry show!” opined a wag in Winchester’s travelling support.

This time, Breen made no mistake with the conversion. 22 minutes gone, and Winchester leading 3-12.

The only other score of the first half was a second three-pointer to Tadley’s full-back Chris Dennison, when referee Russell Clark penalised Winchester for holding onto the ball in the ruck. This was the last score of the first half, but when Winchester returned from the changing-rooms with the advantage of the slope, and Tadley beginning to tire, there could be little doubt of the outcome.

The Winchester back-row led the way, No 7 Zak Kinnaird stealing opposition ball almost at will as the Tadley heads went down. A captain’s try from Hiscock saw him break from 40 metres out, emerge from what looked like a good Tadley tackle with the ball still in hand, and run in under the posts. Breen kicked the conversion, and five minutes later a penalty.

Then it was the forwards’ turn. From a ruck close to the Tadley line, baby-faced flanker Chris Keegan touched down for his second try in two games.

The try of the match was yet to come. A rehearsed move saw No 8 Rob Rees tap down from a lineout on the right and fingertip passing from Breen to Sullivan standing wide, Sullivan’s cut-out pass reaching Hiscock at full speed, who touched down untroubled by the Tadley defence in the left-had corner for his second.

A further try to Sullivan was ruled out by the referee, who though he had tripped and was flat on the ground at the time ruled that the Tadley defence had held the ball up. To make matters even more bizarre, he adorned the last five minutes with yellow cards to two Winchester players: Kinnaird for killing the ball, and the Pickwickian full-back Matt Woods for reasons unclear - for being Pickwickian, probably. But even with only 13 players, Winchester were still the better team.

“That’s all, folks”, said the wag on the touchline.

Winchester team: Woods, Burt, Dye, Hiscock, Forster; Sullivan, Breen; Lee, Tomlinson, Beaven, Ettinger, Alfandari, Keegan, Kinnaird, Rees. Substitutes: Self, Williams, West

Other Winchester results: Sandown and Shanklin 2nds 10, Winchester 2nds 81; Winchester 3rds 29, Millbrook 29; Winchester 4ths v Ventnor: Ventnor scratched.