Verulamians may be struggling at the moment but there was no denying the bravery of the squad that suffered a tough 73-0 loss away to Thamesians.

The hosts boasted a full squad with plenty of talented youngsters sprinkled with a number of old heads, most notably Ollie Smith who may now be 37-year-old but still has the ability that brought him five England caps and a British Lions appearance.

The Cotlandswick-based rugby club on the other hand travelled to Twickenham with the bare minimum of 15 players and endured the second period a man short following the withdrawal of full-back Jake Lawrence at half-time with a head injury.

It was one-way traffic for the most part but Vees and their forwards were unlucky not to score on a number of occasions.

They will need to summon up yet more courage and fortitude on Saturday when high-flying neighbours St Albans are the visitors for the final league game of 2019.