Rotherham Titans were the victims of a six-try mauling at Old Deer Park as London Welsh comprehensively won the battle of fourth against fifth.

Tries from Errie Claassens and Hudson Tonga’uiha inside the opening five minutes set the tone for the Exiles, and by half-time further scores from Josh Drauniniu and Michael Hills had the bonus-point wrapped up.

Drauniniu claimed his second in style with a scintillating 90-metre break, and although Louis McGowan forced his way over late on, Liam Gibson added try number six for Welsh in the final minute.

Welsh made an electric start when Epi Taione collected a hanging clearance in the first minute and glided his way into the Rotherham 22. The Tongan international popped up again as Welsh recycled quickly before Gordon Ross saw his drop goal attempt charged down.

The rebound favoured Welsh, though, and Ross fed Ben Russell who showed his basketball skills to release Errie Claassens. The Welsh full back had Liam Gibson in support, but didn’t need him as he touched down against his former club.

Ross, captaining in the absence of Jon Mills, saw his conversion rebound off the post, but he would soon be lining up another attempt at the uprights as Rotherham’s kick off failed to go ten and a rampant Welsh attacked.

Gibson slipped the tackle of Juan Socino and scrambled his way to within touching distance of the Rotherham line. When Welsh spread the play across the field, Tonga’uiha ghosted between two Titans jerseys to add try number two. This time Ross saw his conversion charged down by Pete Swatkins.

It had been a devastating opening five minute spell from the home side, who were clearly intent on playing the game at pace and moving Rotherham’s sizeable pack around the pitch.

Tonga’uiha was creating havoc with the Titans unable to contain his power and pace, while Ross, a veritable livewire, was pulling the strings.

The Titans threatened to grind their way back into the game, but a Ross penalty took Welsh back into the Rotherham 22 and after Hills had taken the crash ball, Tong’uiha’s superb offload out of a thumping tackle from Paul, sent Drauniniu over for try number three.

This time Ross would not be denied and he extended the home side’s lead to 17-0. Rotherham’s answer was to throw the ball to their forwards and ask them to claw their side back into a game in which they’d been outclassed in the opening 20 minutes.

It was a tactic that brought limited reward. Socino stroked over a penalty earned by his pack, but Welsh’s discipline held firm thereafter despite Rotherham’s best efforts to tempt further indiscretions from the home side by keeping it tight and inching their way up field.

Welsh simply soaked it all up and Ross cancelled out Socino’s strike when Sam Dickinson dived over the top in front of his own posts.

And the half only got worse for Rotherham when the Exiles wrapped up the bonus-point just before the break with a superb team try that typified their attacking intent in the first half.

Paul’s knock on on half way gave Welsh the platform with Taione breaking forward and getting the Exiles on the front foot. The Tonga international found Ben Stevenson in support before the pace men took over and Claassens and Drauniniu combined only for the latter to be hauled down just short of the line.

Flanker Michael Hills was on hand, however, to ensure all that good work didn’t go to waste as he picked up and drove over to see the Exiles take a 25-3 lead into the break.

The early second half pressure would come from the visitors but after camping themselves in the Welsh 22, the explosive power in the Exiles’ backs was again demonstrated with a try that had the Old Deer Park faithful on their feet.

Facing a scrum just metres from their own line, the ball squirted loose and Ben Russell scooped it up and Welsh countered. Taione shipped the ball out to Drauniniu and the England Sevens man showed his finishing ability as he carved the Titans apart from 90 metres. Ross added the extras.

It was a try that ushered in a frantic period of replacements by both sides with the result beyond doubt.

Michael Holford’s yellow should have given Rotherham the chance to put some points on the board, but just as at Plymouth the previous weekend, the Exiles’ defence stood firm, and by the time Welsh were back up to their full complement there had been no change in the score.

As the second half petered out, Adam Kettle saw yellow for a stamp but the Titans would gain some small consolation when their pack bullied its way up to the Welsh line and replacement Louis McGowan drove over. Socino converted, but if it was consolation it was slim consolation at best.

Fittingly the last word would go to London Welsh birthday boy Liam Gibson who darted over in the final minute to mark his 25th Birthday with his third try of the campaign.

All in all, the perfect warm up for London Welsh for next Friday night’s derby against Esher.

POST MATCH REACTION TO FOLLOW London Welsh head coach Phil Greening: “It was a fantastic 40 minutes; the second half we were a little bit sloppy, but the work ethic the boys put in was good and we saw some good tries, but they came at the end of everyone else’s endeavour.

“We went away from that a little in the second half, but we’ll take that win against a very good Rotherham team.

“The start we got was key, but we’ve got to develop a ruthlessness and a killer instinct, but small mistakes prevented us from having that in the second half.

“It was all about us hitting our standards and then hopefully Rotherham would have to adapt to us – that’s our mindset, worrying about what we’ve got to do.

“We scored some good tries, but the backs can’t do anything unless the forwards deliver. It’s not about the guy who scores it, it’s about the boys who did all the work before that. For Josh’s second try today, the pack, who’ve been under pressure against a bigger pack, turned the ball over and Josh went the length of the pitch.

“Esher will be another huge challenge we’ve got to face, but once again it’s all about us.”

London Welsh scorers: Tries: Claassens, Tonga’uiha, Drauniniu (2), Hills, Gibson; Cons: Ross (2), Pen: Ross.

Rotherham Titans scorers: Try: McGowan; Con: Socino; Pen: Socino.

London Welsh: Errie Claassens, Liam Gibson, Hudson Tonga’uiha, Simon Whatling, Josh Drauniniu, Gordon Ross, Ben Stevenson, Michael Holford, Saul Nelson, Shawn Pittman, Martin Purdy, Matt Corker, Ben Russell, Michael Hills, Epi Taione.

Replacements: Marc Breeze for Nelson (16min), Lorne Ward for Ben Russell (54min - sinbin sub), Paul Sampson for Drauniniu (57min), Nick Runciman for Stevenson (63min), Dominic Shabbo for Tonga’uiha (63min), Russell for Holford (64min – sinbin reverse), Mike Powell for Corker (65min), Lee Beach for Taione (66min).

Yellow card: Michael Holford (54min).

Rotherham Titans: Clifford Hodgson, Pete Swatkins, Brad Hunt, Juan Socino, William Du Randt, Henry Paul, Joe Bedford, Nico Steenkamp, Alex Loney, Colin Quigley, Ben Harris, Sam Dickinson, Ryan Burrows, Dan Baines, Adam Kettle.

Replacements: James Sandford for Harris (19min), Tyle Stimpson for Paul (47min), David McGregor for Loney (49min), Jonny West for Hodgson (60min), Anton O’Donnell for Nico Steenkemp (61min), Jamie Kilbane for Quigley (61min), Louis McGowan for Burrows (66min).

Yellow card: Adam Kettle (68min).

Officials: Ref – Greg Garner; TJ’s Nigel Higginson & Paul Kimber Half-time: 25-2 Attendance: 1,140