The Counts were only able to raise a full 15 by including 55-year old President-elect Steve Simmonds 36 years after his 1st XV debut and hooker Jamie Blackmore who literally got off the plane at Gatwick Airport to play. The absence of a normal back row resulted in wingers Marvin Fletcher-Rogers and Andy Togbolah being dragooned to play as flankers.

Hove took advantage of the ramshackle make-up of the Walcountians XV by scoring four tries in the opening 20 minutes as the Counts defence was stretched one way, then the other in a torrid opening spell. It was to the credit of Walcountians that they managed to win a reasonable share of the ball and, with hooker Jamie Blackmore and No8 Tom Brown prominent in carrying the ball, forced Hove to defend their line. Scrum-half Tom Downes and centre Alex French also extended Hove’s defensive capacity and, in the 28th minute, Walcountians managed to get on the scoresheet when Alex French banged over a penalty.

Unfortunately, the bad luck that has dogged the Counts all season long struck again in the 25th minute when both centres Heath Bateman and Alex French had to leave the field following a collision. A less than fully fit Dom Barnaby came on as a replacement, leaving the Counts one player short for the rest of the match. Hove took advantage of this mishap by running in two more tries before the break, courtesy of full-back Guy Patton and fly-half Olly Lewis.

Walcountians were narrowly denied a score five minutes into the second half when Dom Barnaby cut through the Hove defence and was brought down just short of the tryline, with a desperate fly-hack from Hove preventing a Counts score. The Counts managed to put together several well-worked moves in the first 15 minutes of the second half and it looked like they might achieve some degree of respectability. However, the 14 remaining players began to tire in the closing stages of the match and Hove wrapped up the match with tries from lock Ian Saunders, centre Leo Robertson and No8 Jordan Sayers.

Next Saturday, Walcountians face another daunting challenge when they take on an in-form Twickenham side who ran up over 100 points in winning on Saturday. The kick-off at Clock House, Carshalton Road, Woodmansterne is at 3pm and will follow a lunch for former players organised by outgoing President Rocky Stone.

Old Walcountians:- Mogridge, Stoner, French, Bateman, Erhirhie, Kavanagh, Downes, Bell, Blackmore, Harris, Sanders, Simmonds, Fletcher-Rogers, Togbolah, Brown.

Sub:- Barnaby.