There was a 17- try extravaganza and 109 points scored but questions will be asked of Havant's defence despite them running out 73-36 winners at Staines to lift them up into second place in London Division One.

While records were broken and the crowd stood fully entertained by the feast of open rugby on show, Havant player-coach Owen Cobbe, playing his first match of the season, would have given his side a tasty broadside at full-time.

They scored seven tries in the first half alone, which sandwiched two from their hosts, to open up a commanding 47-10 interval advantage with Zimbabwean winger Wes Robertson sprinting home for four of the haul.

Two more tries within eight minutes of the restart from Paddy Conlon, extended the lead but Havant took their foot off the pedal, relaxing on their near 50-point lead and the home side began to sniff a hint of hope.

However, another brace in the closing quarter sealed the win but the second period ended level 26-26. It was a far cry from the last time these two sides met when the slugged out a tryless 6-3 mudlark in mid-February.

Havant Chairman of Rugby Adam King was too exhausted to comment at the end, having run the touchline for the duration, but he will be looking more closely at the six tries conceded rather than the eleven scored in his post-match thoughts.

From a Hampshire point of view, the bottom end of London Division Two South makes depressing reading as, spare winless Cobham at the bottom, Winchester, Andover and Gosport & Fareham hold the remaining places in the lowly quartet.

Only Portsmouth are holding up well at present but their 26-13 win over Tunbridge Wells came at some cost with five serious injuries to add to an already bulging list.

Centre Tim Jackson, locks Paul Gandy and Chris Evans, prop John Garrett and probably most crucial of all, utility back Matt Gronow were all left queuing for the treatment table by final whistle while skipper Neil Styles, Tim Snowden, Ollie Buckland, Chris Goldsmith and new recruit winger Oge Ofuasia were already in front of them.

It has left coach Ian Chandler with a serious conundrum on his hands ahead of the trip to Andover next week but he was delighted with the measure of the victory, considering they played with just 14 men for the final 20 minutes and held a narrow six-point lead throughout.

Only when the limping Gronow walked over in the corner in the ninth minute of injury time was the match sown up. "Our defence was outstanding," he beamed,"this was a great win for guts and spirit."

Fly-half Pete Wylie helped his side to victory with a 16-point haul with two conversions, two penalties and two drop-goals.

A 43-22 reverse to Wimbledon leaves Winchester second bottom of the table but coach Mike Marchant still believes his side can bounce back, despite their perilous position at present.

With six first choice players unavailable before the game, three sent to the sin bin in quick succession and three more being sidelined through injury during the defeat, the visitors were left with too much to do.

They won the first ten minutes and the last ten, according to the coach, but it was the middle section where the trouble arose, especially around half time when they were reduced to twelve men.

Troubled Andover are fairing little better, going down 41-0 at mid-table Sidcup.