A match-rusty Old Walcountians began their 2009-10 season with a below-par performance as they went down 15-8 at home to Surrey League One rivals Battersea Ironsides in a friendly warm-up match.

From the start, Ironsides took control in both the set scrums and the loose, while the Old Boys were unable to retain the ball in the contact area, conceding a succession of penalties.

The backs squandered too much possession with several fumbles and misdirected passes. Although stand-in skipper Tim Chauncey gave inspired leadership to his troops, it was clear that the presence of regular skipper Alex Sutherland, props Kemlo Longstaff and Ed Stevenson and midfield backs Chris Mockford and Callum Stone were missed.

Irons took the lead after 27 minutes when they overturned possession at a scrum in the Walcountians 22, from which their No 8 broke to find support from the Irons blind-side flanker, who put the scrum-half in for a try.

Walcountians began to claw their way back into the game as half-time approached and reduced the arrears with a penalty from full-back Ollie Beales just before they changed sides. Four minutes into the new half, Walcountians looked like they had at last turned the corner when they scored a try which reminded spectators of their sparkling form from the previous season. No 8 Gavin Welsh used his size and strength to puncture a hole in the Irons midfield defence and found winger Chris Walsh who opened his account for the new season by handing off the Irons left-winger and outpacing the full-back for a try which gave the Old Boys the lead.

Walcountians were unable to hold onto their lead as the visitors resumed their dominance of possession and drove play into the Old Boys 22. A penalty in the 7th minute of the second half levelled the score and the Irons sealed victory when their blind-side flanker peeled off a scrum and drove over for a converted try.

The Old Boys used the game to try out several new players. Four South Africans, scrum-halves Wally Fourie and Jurie Fick, winger Neil Hart and front-row forward Llewellyn Wooldridge all showed promise, as did second row Leon McKenzie.

Old Walcountians play another friendly next weekend against yet to be named opponents before they open their Surrey League 1 campaign against Croydon on September 26.

Old Walcountians:- Beales, Walsh, Crompton, Naylor, Drinkwater, Chauncey (capt), Fourie, O’Hara, Houghton, Anderson, Yeo, Fowler, South (J), Cook, Welsh.

Subs used:- McDowell, McKenzie, Wooldridge, Hart, Chapman, Fick, Grehan (D), Grehan (R), Jemson, Cisneros, Back, Faerber, South (F).