HAMPSHIRE 33, Staffordshire 11. Hampshire weathered a strong Staffordshire storm to lift the County Championship Shield in style, running in five tries on their first senior visit to Twickenham in 54 years.

They had to resist a powerful Staffordshire outfit in the first half and turned round 12-0 to the good, very much against the run of play.

The Midlanders came out all guns blazing and pinned Hampshire in their own 22 for much of the opening quarter, but missed three kickable penalties.

Hampshire continued to soak up everything thrown at them and, incredibly, with the scoreline still blank, took the lead on 22 minutes. Tottonians’ fly-half Pierre-Alex Clark intercepted a pass and sprinted the length of the pitch to score a spectacular opening try.

And it was a similar story for Hampshire’s second try. With Staffordshire again on the attack, Hants skipper Wes Dugan gained possession and sent a long pass to his brother and Gosport & Fareham team-mate, Wayne Dugan, who powered his way to the line.

Alex Sutherland (Bournemouth) added the extras to give Hampshire a decent lead at half-time.

Staffordshire finally got their scoring game together and pegged the lead back to a single point following a well-worked try for Dan Clarke and a penalty apiece for Charlie Maskry and Grant Hallam who found the range after their first-half misses.

Again, though, Hampshire were having none of it and scrum-half Wes Dugan ensured his brother wasn’t the only family member on the Twickenham scoresheet, scoring under the posts to leave Sutherland a simple conversion.

Soon afterwards, the game was all over as Clark set up Havant’s Joel Knight for Hampshire’s fourth try and, in injury time, another Havant man, Gavin Hart, drove over for the fifth.

It was Hampshire’s first senior silverware since lifting the Championship Plate at Aldershot in 2008, but the first time they had a trophy to hold in front of the famous Royal Box.

It completed a notable double for Hampshire who lifted the County U20 Championship Shield last month at Moseley, defeating Durham 25-22 in a thriller.

What spectacular leaving presents for Alton man Ian Kerr, president of the Hampshire RFU, who steps down next month after his three-year term of office.