The visitors dominated the first 10 minutes, and opened the scoring through Alex Ridgway, with Ross McKay adding the extras.

But a series of errors allowed Tonbridge to take control of the game, with Jack Walsh, Connor Lloyd and

Matt Engelbrecht all touching down.

Lloyd converted all three and repeated the trick after Walsh doubled up.

Pete Austin crossed for Rams before McKay halved the deficit with four minutes of the opening period remaining.

Another error, though, proved costly as Steffan James and Lloyd made it 35-14 at the break.

A disastrous start to the second period saw Ryan Cozens sin-binned before Jay Nay's seven-pointer for the hosts.

Rams bossed the next 20 minutes, but they failed to convert their pressure before ex-Berkshire boy Vinny Everitt extended the lead at the other end. Lloyd was again on target to make it 49-14.

And while Austin doubled his tally from another maul, it was too little, too late.

Reflecting on the loss, Director of Rugby Seb Reynolds said: “The tries either side of half-time killed us. It completely took the game away, and they could have been avoided from our end. It’s a sign of a side which needs to build its maturity and execution. It speaks of naïve moments.

“We’ve had good pressure, but then conceded two so quickly, it heaps it back on ourselves. It’s not ideal, but something we need to work on as a group.”

He continued: “The things we worked on in the week we managed to put into action – at least for the first 10 minutes! We had decent pressure, good discipline, field position and entries into the 22, but after the score we couldn’t do that.

“We let a dangerous side have territory, switched off in midfield and allowed them to get away."

* Rams Colts hammered a depleted Henley side 51-0 at Old Bath Road in their opening OBB Division One game of the season, with 20 points coming in the first half.

The Colts next host old rivals Chinnor in the last 64 of the National Cup on Sunday, November 15.