CRAIG Burrows sought to buoy up his Colchester Rugby Club players after another disappointing National 2 East defeat, writes EDWARD MARRIAGE.

The Blacks head coach was quick to stay positive despite their 48-22 defeat at Oxford Harlequins leaving them still searching for their first win of the season.

He said: “I’ve told the boys to stay tight, it’s tough on them, it’s tough on everybody, but we’ve got to be strong.

“It was a game that should have been won but once again we let it slip.

“We showed in the first half we can score tries out of nothing; second half, we just fell apart a little bit.

(Image: MAGGIE WHITEMAN)

“We’re getting into good positions and then we’re just losing ball for some reason.

"Small errors are costing us games and in defence we’re giving teams easy outs.”

Colchester had the better of the first half, outscoring Quins by three tries to two.

But the hosts dominated after the break, running in five further tries as frustrating errors in attack and defence, as well as some less than accurate kicking, cost Colchester dear.

Paradoxically, on a perfect day for running rugby and on an artificial grass pitch, seven of the tries were scored from close range, the Quins hooker James Roberts bagging four from powerful rolling mauls.

(Image: MAGGIE WHITEMAN)

It was his opposite number Dan Brennan who drew first blood, getting the final touch to a line-out drive on 11 minutes.

But with the conversion missed, Quins then took the lead, a quick tap penalty catching Colchester’s defence on the hop.

Patient work from the forwards led to Dan Lewis quickly re-establishing Colchester’s lead, but a penalty kick soon had Quins level at 10-10 and after Roberts crossed for the first of his scores, the hosts would not relinquish their lead again.

Just after the half hour, Corey Button broke strongly from a scrum on half-way, surging into Quins territory.

He fed full-back Gabe Jones, whose impressive wheels took him over for his first try for Colchester.

(Image: MAGGIE WHITEMAN)

The Blacks had a chance to score again before the break, but a fumble on the Quins line meant they trailed 17-15 at half-time.

Colchester were reduced to 14 players early in the second half as Lewis Jeffery was shown yellow and in his absence Quins scored twice, effectively taking the game away from the visitors.

A characteristically muscular break by Connor O’Reilly down the right eventually lead to a penalty kicked to the corner and Brennan forced his way over for his second try, Colchester’s fourth, to secure a bonus point on the hour.

But three further Quins scores sealed their win, the margin of which was somewhat flattering to the hosts.

Injuries did not help. Dan Lewis had gone off in the first half with a rib injury, to be replaced by Cam Kerr, and Jonah Varela departed at half-time following a knock to the head, Ross Taylor coming on.

(Image: MAGGIE WHITEMAN)

The rest of the bench all saw action, but when Ashton Webb went off with a shoulder injury shortly after entering the fray, it summed up Colchester’s horrible day.

Things don’t get easier for Colchester, who host third-placed Dorking on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

There was no joy for the Ravens who lost 48-34 to third-placed Southwold in Counties 1.

Colchester thirds beat Halstead 29-22 while the fours won 29-24, at Ipswich YM.

Colchester: Jones, O’Reilly, Varela, Lloyd, Stanway, Button, Creighton; O’Neil, Brennan, L Jeffery, Lewis, Colcomb, Friend, O Pickett, Whiteman. Reps: C Jeffery, Kerr, Webb, Parry, Taylor.