KCS Old Boys: 30

Sevenoaks: 23

STAND-in skipper Ed Alteirac says Sevenoaks Rugby Club's 30-23 defeat to KCS Old Boys was a real kick in the teeth for his team.

Oaks went into Saturday's encounter on the back of two straight wins, but complacency set in and the visitors threw away the chance to pick up another victory.

Alteirac hailed the displays of Jim Grant, who had a great game at flanker before he sustained a nasty head injury, and Al Barber, who caused no end of problems at full-back and had a perfectly good try disallowed. However, as a team, Oaks failed to perform.

"It was a game we should have won, especially after the cracking match we had against Reigatians last week," Alteirac said. "Then, we played well. We played like we know we can. But on Saturday we turned up just expecting to win. We showed KCS a lack of respect.

"We'd looked at the run of games before Christmas and knew the one at Hove would be the toughest one.

"We thought we could mount a challenge, so this defeat comes as a shock. We should have been looking to build on the run of wins, but this comes as a kick in the teeth."

The old Jekyll and Hyde nature of Sevenoaks rugby came back to haunt them on Saturday. Despite missing their first choice back row, as well as captain Tim Golds, the XV Oaks fielded should still have been strong enough to see off the challenge of KCS.

The hosts started strongly and scored the try their play merited – albeit aided by a lapse in the Oaks defence.

However, Oaks soon got their act together, started running well with the ball, and had lots of possession and territory.

Players from KCS were falling left, right and centre with injuries at this stage and it clearly disrupted Oaks' game.

The stop-start first half lasted all of an hour, following one serious injury to a KCS player. However, approaching half-time, Oaks did finally cross the try line through Matt Dodd to make it 13-5 to KCS.

Oaks performed marginally better after the break as an attacking force, but were still wide open defensively and turned over far too much ball.

Yet they rallied and, with 20 minutes to go, led.

Stu Coleman scored a lovely try after one particularly good flowing move through the backs, while Al Barber also crossed.

Matt Bates hit a penalty, conversion and a drop-goal and Oaks should really have put the game to bed.

However, a dubious try from KCS was given and that gave the hosts the confidence to go for the kill.

And, late on, they got their reward when one final lapse in concentration from Oaks allowed KCS to run in the winning try between the posts: 30-23.

Sevenoaks, in turn, were left to lick their wounds, knowing that they should never have lost this game.

This weekend they travel to London Cornish in the cup.

"This will be a good match for us, but if we're not ready we'll lose again," Alteirac warned. "Hopefully, with a good week of training, we can iron out the creases and get our winning mentality back."