Camberley brushed past Alton to consolidate second spot in London 3.

Teddington may be devouring all before them at the top of London 3 but second-placed Camberley offered their own title credentials with a masterful display at Anstey Park.

The visitors outscored Alton by seven tries to three, with diminutive wing Zac Crabb scoring four and adding three conversions to end the day with 26 points.

All the talk coming into Saturday's showdown was about whether Alton could contain a formidable Camberley pack that has been steamrollering its way through London this season.

To their immense credit, Alton's forwards matched their opponents but in the wide-open spaces it was a wholly different story as Camberley put them to the sword, playing some thrilling running rugby in the process.

Alton weren't terrible, by any means. They were as brave as lions, worked tirelessly and their late rally was proof of their indomitable spirit, but they were out-muscled and out-smarted by a better side.  

For sure, Alton did not help themselves with some brittle first-up tackling but a lack of defensive shape allowed Camberley repeatedly to shred them on the counter-attack. It was no accident that the build-up to every Camberley try began inside their own half.

The visitors were bigger, stronger and more mobile, especially in the backs, where their ability to stand up in the tackle and make the off-load allowed them to keep the ball alive and maintain their attacking momentum. Furthermore, they always had support runners available and just seemed to have so much more time on the ball.

In all, it was a sobering afternoon for the home side and their spectators.

Alton began brightly and created the first scoring opportunity when a lovely break-out from their own 22 took them to within ten metres of the Camberley line. But Steve Ott's subsequent penalty attempt drifted wide and the next 15 minutes belonged to the busy, elusive Crabb, who notched a quickfire hat-trick.

First, the wing broke from a blindside move, gathered his own kick ahead and showed searing pace to score in the corner. He added a second when he took full-back James Dunne's pass after a sustained passing move, and he completed his hat-trick in the 22nd minute when he plucked centre Tony Harbour's weighted cross-kick from the ether to score in the corner.

However, Camberley missed all three conversions and Ott's 26th-minute penalty kept Alton in touch at 15-3 as half time approached.

A yellow card to lock Matt Short two minutes before the interval offered Alton a chance to attack the visitors' line but a line-out catch-and-drive and series of pick-and-gos was rebutted by a dogged Camberley defence.

That was as good as it got for Alton as the visitors turned the screw early in the second half. They extended their lead when tall stand-off James Justice broke through the Alton midfield and put centre Ed Lea over.

Justice and number 8 Ben Glossop then conjured a try for skipper Harbour, and it was Justice's break, immediately from the restart, that allowed Crabb to score his fourth.

Alton rallied briefly and skipper James Gay touched down after he broke from the back of a ruck but the visitors saved their best until last. Alton drove hard for the line but Camberley won turnover ball and ran it from under their posts - 90 metres and six pairs of hands later, Justice completed a simply wonderful try.

Beaten but undaunted, Alton saved their best until last and notched two more consolation tries in the dying minutes.

Will Ford capped a bullish performance when he bludgeoned his way over from ten metres following a tap-penalty; a minute later full-back Tim Salmon showed a spark of magic when he broke from his own 22, gathered his own chip ahead and flicked an inside pass to replacement wing Adam Gill.

A minor consolation maybe, but it was a stirring end to a somewhat sobering afternoon.

* Alton take a break from league action this weekend but travel to Ellingham and Ringwood the following Saturday. Alton 2s take on their Southampton counterparts at Anstey Park (2.30pm kick-off) in Hampshire Merit One.


Alton: Salmon; O'Connor, Richards, Ott, Hemmens; Mountfield (Gill, 63), Crowther; Ovens, Parratt, Gay (c); Ford, Oliphant; Watts, Sorby (Osbourne, 6), Baker (Gerlach, 57)

Tries: Gay (64), Ford (77), Gill (79);
Penalty: Ott (26).

Camberley: Dunne (Eccles, 66); Riley, Harbour (c), Lea,  Crabb; Justice, Taylor; Pengelley, Rise, Mullan (McFarlane, 63); Plant, Short; Milne, Angell, Glossop.

Tries: Crabb (8, 11, 22, 61), Lea (43), Harbour (59), Justice (70);
Conversions: Crabb (3);
Yellow card: Short (37).

Referee: Ian Davies (Hampshire Society).