Millwall Rugby Club suffered a comprehensive defeat against league leaders Campion on Saturday after conceding more than 50 points

Millwall 7 Campion 52

Millwall Rugby Club suffered a comprehensive defeat against league leaders Campion on Saturday, conceding more than 50 points.

Starved of possession, the Isle of Dogs side were unable to get a foothold in the match and spent almost the entire 80 minutes of the Essex Division One fixture on the back foot.

Millwall centre Tan Parsons said afterwards: "We're extremely disappointed with the result. Campion played well but we only have ourselves to blame for the margin of victory. Lots of the first up tackling was simply not good enough.

"We looked bright with the ball in hand and broke Campion's line a few times which is the main positive. But without the ball you cannot win and Campion starved our pack of possession.

"We'll be working hard on tackling, set pieces and winning the ball in this week's training."

Millwall were dealt another blow following the final whistle with the news that number eight Steve Fleming had suffered a fractured eye socket in a sickening collision just five minutes into the game.

Slack tackling in broken play at the start of the match allowed the well-drilled Campion forwards to run riot and open up their tally with three unanswered tries within the first 20 minutes.

Next the home side countered with a good attacking move that pulled in the Campion backs but floundered on the Campion 22 yard line.

A sublime chip by fly half Dom Sutherland on the half way line foiled the Campion defenders with the ball gathered by the advancing Millwall backs and fed to winger Carl Burnett for the home side's only score of the day.

For the 20 minutes either side of half time neither side could score, with Millwall holding the attacking players at bay. Although in the final quarter of an hour, with the Millwall defence tiring, the visitors picked a series of holes in the line and closed the game out with a flurry of easy tries.