COLCHESTER Rugby Club fell to their second defeat of the season, losing 48-26 to Tonbridge Juddians, writes EDWARD MARRIAGE.

But this was a much-improved showing from The Blacks, who can take real confidence going into the rest of the season.

Big spending TJs have a significant sprinkling of former Premiership stars in their ranks and are amongst the favourites for promotion.

In the end, they proved too strong for the National League 2 new boys.

But Colchester ran their exalted opponents close in the middle part of the match, ultimately scoring four tries to secure a first bonus point in front of a sizeable crowd at Raven Park.

(Image: JACOB PLUMMER)

“There are loads of positives coming from that,” said head coach Craig Burrows, who acknowledged that this was a significant step up from the performance at Canterbury the previous week.

On a perfect autumn day, Colchester started quicker, the impressive full-back Jonah Varela breaking through the centre channel to score under the posts in the 15th minute.

Corey Button converted to rock the visitors who, according to their director of rugby, the former Harlequins stalwart Jordan Turner-Hall, were guilty of a touch of complacency.

But that try seemingly poked the bear, as the TJs took control with four unanswered tries from Charlie Self, George Merrick – a man with no fewer than 120 Premiership appearances – and two scores for Curtis Barnes.

By then Colchester had received a setback with Sam Easton suffering a shoulder injury to be replaced by Joe Brock.

(Image: JACOB PLUMMER)

But the home side then enjoyed their best period of the match.

Either side of half-time, Colchester scored two break-away tries. First wing Connor O’Reilly melted through non-existent Tonbridge tackles for a converted try.

Then good work at the line-out by Liam Pickett, making his first start for the first team for two seasons, set up centre Scott Lloyd for his first try for the club.

At 24-19, Colchester dared to dream. But this Tonbridge team is a powerful unit, and Barnes duly scored his third of the match to complete his second hat-trick in successive games.

Fin Creighton came on for Button and Easton returned in place of Brock.

But the most significant change saw Francois Rossouw on for his 50th cap for the tireless Dan Brennan and with his first touch Rossouw latched on to a forwards’ drive to secure the bonus point.

(Image: JACOB PLUMMER)

Cam Kerr replaced Oli Pickett on the hour and Leroy O’Neill later came on for Callum Jeffery.

The TJs wrapped things up with Sam Evans’s try, the flyhalf taking his points tally to 18 for the match, and a seventh for replacement Tom Kendrick.

“We stuck to our structures,” said Burrows. “The defence was much better this week. There was a hunger today.

"The boys know they need to step it up. We need to keep working and the win will come.”

Varela took the coaches’ player-of-the-match, sponsored by The Lexden Crown, while Jacob Bodkin was awarded the gong from match sponsors Whitehall.

Colchester are on the road this weekend as they travel to Barnes in south-west London, kick-off 3pm.

It wasn’t good day for The Ravens who lost 54-24 at Ipswich, but the fours romped to an 84-0 win at Bury 4s.

Colchester: Varela, Stanway, Bodkin, Lloyd, O’Reilly, Dorasamy, Button; C Jeffery, Brennan, L Jeffery, Easton, L Pickett, O Pickett, Whiteman ©, Tabuatamata. Reps: Rossouw, Brock, O’Neil, Kerr, Creighton.