Losing to "such inferior opponents" becomes a habit for Old Johnians

The pre-kick off news that Johnians were without a full front-row, due to alcohol-related tardiness, meant they would start with 14 and scrums would go uncontested - a disappointing update for all involved. After a brief, but disciplined warm-up, the Walcountians side were raring to go, keen to make it a double victory over Johnians this season.

Attacking down the hill with the wind at their backs, Johnians started strongly, foraging deep into the Walcountians 22 with their first attacking phases. The strong left boot of their fly-half was ensuring good territory and it was from a touch-finding penalty, that the first try was scored - Johnians sending the ball through their backs to their overlapping winger, who touched down under the posts. The fly half adding the extras from straight in front.

The Counts really had to dig in to avoid conceding again and allowing Johnians to build any sort of advantage. The back line stood firm and a shuddering high-and-low hit by centres Stu Jenkins and Charlie Brown emphatically closed the door on another attack. Full-back George Shaw and winger Mike Eglon helped handle the pressure of the fly-half's rangy boot, successfully clearing their lines on several occasions when danger loomed. The elusive Ben McDaniel replaced the flagging Shaw before half-time with suspicion that Shaw's mission to inebriate the Johnians prop had proved slightly too successful!

These were to be the last meaningful attacks of the first half, as the Walcountians pack re-grouped. Settling into the pre-match game plan, the Counts forwards began to keep things close and were making telling carries into the opposition half. Tough weather conditions made quick ball hard to come by in the backs , but the Walcountians forwards knuckled down. Number eight Tom Baker made it his personal mission to run round, through, or mainly over his opposite man, one particular burst taking him deep into the Johnians half.

The resurgent Walcountians spirit was epitomised when hooker Mark Back charged after their fly-half, forcing him to retreat into his own 22 and then kick-out on the full. From the ensuing line-out, James Deakin - a thoroughly deserved Man of the Match - secured ball and Johnians had no answer to the rolling maul, flanker Robbie Martin eventually burrowing over for a well-deserved score. Eglon narrowly missing the conversion. The half ended 5-7 to Johnians but it appeared the momentum had very much swung in the Walcountians favour.

It was clear from the re-start that the Old Wals forwards could smell blood. Combative back row forwards Dave Rees and Steve Bayles were stealing ball left, right and centre, with props Matt Ratana and Ben Anderson punching holes in the lightweight Johnians pack. It was beginning to seem that the whole front-row might have been stuck in North London on the sauce! From another strong line-out position, Anderson carried up to the five-metre line and there was no stopping Baker from close-range who powered through the last defender. Andy Gill nudging over the conversion.

From a position of ascendancy, the Counts players took their eye off the ball. A few fruitful pick-and-drive moves from the Johnians pack created an opening wide on the right and their winger once again ducked through - the fly-half for once off target with the conversion. The scores were all square at 12-12 with 20 to play.

This gave the Old Wals boys the rocket they needed. Returning fly-half Mark Turner had a strong game at ten, and it was his break that took the Counts surging back into the Johnians 22, ably supported on an excellent support line by replacement winger Dean Grehan.

As the ball slowed up, the Johnians pack simply couldn't cope with the heavyweight contest they'd got themselves into up front and it wasn't long before the human wrecking ball Ben Anderson found his target. Scrum half Gill popped the ball up to him from the ruck and, head down, he powered through three desperate challenges to touch down just left of the posts. Gill again adding the extras - slightly aided by the wind!

It was now a case of seeing the game out with some gutsy defence and Josh Swarbrick entered the fray to add some extra energy to the ruck sites, Mark Back making way after completing a personal mission to re-write the wrongs of a certain one-sided match report. Gill also came off, with the ever-versatile Spencer Moorhead moving to scrum half. And it was following a series of pick-and-drive phases marshalled by Moorhead, that Bayles spotted his opening. He plucked the ball from the bottom of the ruck and leapt over the tackler, streaking down the blindside to slide over for the full five points - a just reward for his accurate line-out throwing in tricky conditions. The last play of the game saw McDaniel fall just short with his attempted drop-conversion from way out on the left touchline. Final score 24-12.

This performance again underlined the strength in the current Walcountians 2s squad, but more importantly the improved mind set that has proved the real difference - converting narrow defeats to convincing victories this season. Old Johnians were the latest victims of the confident Counts pack and this victory closes the book on any fatuous claims made after the reverse fixture in October.

Team: Shaw, Moorhead, Brown, Jenkins, Eglon, Turner, Gill, Anderson, Back, Ratana, Deakin, Rees, Martin, Bayles, Baker. Subs: Grehan, Swarbrick, McDaniel, Pemberton
Tries: Martin, Baker, Anderson, Bayles.
Conv: Gill 2