What a difference a week makes.
After a rare victory just eight days ago Alnwick reverted to form to be comprehensively beaten by a team they could have done far better against.
From the second minute when the Seasiders touched down for their first try, to the last minute when they scored their ninth, the boys in blue were second best.
With three regulars - Apthorpe, Davies and Gaines - all missing, Coach Leadbitter threw caution to the wind with an experimental line up.
Drew Thompson was switched from prop forward to number eight, Josh Lowes finding himself in unfamiliar territory after being moved to centre.
Still short on numbers Alnwick had to rely on two home players to field a full side.
But with Rockcliff faster to every breakdown, more eager to support their team-mates and tougher in the tackle on many occasions it was one way traffic from start to finish.
One of the few highlights of the first half was a fly past by the Red Arrows.
On the pitch though there was little to cheer. So grim was it that Ali Gaines’ decision to spend his day on a 12 kilometre torture dash through mud pits in the Total Idiot challenge up in Edinburgh suddenly seemed like a better option than being in Whitley Bay.
Rockcliff just wanted to win this one more than we did. The forwards were repeatedly out-muscled in the rucks and mauls. While the lads in red and orange all over the pitch were faster to back up their team-mates at each breakdown.
Things were even going wrong on the touchline with coach Neil Osborne being sent to the naughty step by the match referee for his enthusiastic encouragement of our boys.
Osborne then fooled nobody with his claim that the referee had actually been complaining about all the other Alnwick parents.
By half-time we were 31-0 down, with brave Ben Leadbitter off injured with a sore back after being well and truly flattened as he was hurled into touch.
Ben is now unlikely to be in the side next weekend.
And worse was to follow.
The experiment of having mighty Drew in the back row was abandoned for the second half, but the home side still kept popping over the Alnwick try line.
Daniel Osborne then took an almighty hit from one of the bigger Rockcliff players that left him flat on his back.
After being physically sick from the pain he was enduring he was taken to Cramlington hospital where an X-ray revealed the worst - a broken collar bone that will rule him out of the team for many weeks.
The game ended with Rockcliff once again under the Alnwick posts for try number nine.
Coach Leadbitter said: “Let’s talk about the positives, there weren’t many, but there were periods of this game when we were dominant. If only we could extend those periods for longer every time we play.
“I am also concerned about the fitness level of some of the team. They need to get out more, running, cycling, anything and everything to improve their stamina. There were quite a few puffing and wheezing by the final whistle.
“Ben Leadbitter took a big hit and is doubtful for next weekend, Daniel Osborne suffered a horrible injury, anyone who has had a broken collar bone knows how much that hurts. All the coaches and the entire squad wish him a very speedy recovery.”