We did manage  to beat the Grand National traffic  -  arriving at Waterloo only half an hour late -  but despite an all action and hardworking peformance we lost the game  thanks to the boot of former rugby league player Liam McGovern.

He kicked five penalties  although we won the try battle by three to two.

 Once again we had to dig deep into their reserves with third team skipper Martin Todd returning to the first team squad after a  five year  absence.

The home side took an early lead thanks to the boot of the home fly half. He put his side 6-0 up in the first twenty minutes but it was West who scored the first try.

The West pack mauled and scrummaged well all afternoon  so it was no surprise when pressure on the home line had the Waterloo pack going backward. Skipper Danny Boatman seized his chance to break off the driving maul on the blindside and go over. Stu Waites' conversion attempt hit the post.

McGovern slotted two more first half penalties before No. 8 Jack Weare went over to set up an easy conversion for McGovern

From the  restart we went charging back into the Waterloo half with replacement Chris Atkins diving over in the last move of the half. Waites’s conversion made it 19-12 at the break.

With full back Luke Mallinson having his best game since coming in to the first team, we stepped up a gear in the second half, but once again this season they couldn’t turn pressure into points.

When Waterloo did come back it was replacement  Njike Tchakoute who made us pay using his considerable size and strength to charge over from a scrum  on 64 minutes  with McGovern once again successful with the kick.

A minute later we were down to 14 men with Andrew Cheslin yellow carded for a deliberate knock on as he went to break up an attack.

While he was missing we continued to attack gettingour reward when Greg Edwards burst through evading several tackles before being hauled own close to the home line. The West forwards were in support and it was  Andrew Rollins who picked up to score.

Waites made it 26-19 which put West in bonus point territory, but sadly the impeccable McGovern stepped up on 75 minutes to finish the scoring and deny us a point we would have thoroughly deserved.

Waterloo: Sean Colbourne, Adam Anderson, Alex Eastley, Freeman Payne, Jacob Allen, Liam McGovern, George Patrick, Sean Gibney, Alix Croft, Anthony Harvey, Daniel Frost, Alex Read, Oliver Nevin, Carl Nolan Jack Weare.

Replacements: Mark Murray, James Harper, Njike Tchakoute.

Tries: Weare, Tchakoute.

Cons: McGovern [2]

Pens: McGovern [5]

West: Luke Mallinson, Craig Swales, Andrew Cheslin, Greg Edwards, Tom Armstrong, Stu Waites, Colin Cheslin, Anth Carr, Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates, Michael Hogan, Andy Robson, Alex Barker, Dan Boatman, Jon Boatman.

Reps: Martin Todd, Chris Atkins, Andrew Dixon.

Tries: Dan Boatman, Atkins, Rollins.

Cons: Waites [2]

Yellow: Andrew Cheslin