UCS Old Boys were given a lesson in expansive backs play on Saturday as Verulamians justified their place at the top of the league and maintained their winning start to the season with a 50-7 victory in Herts/Middlesex Division One.

While the hosts had parity when it came to both possession and territory, they conceded two converted tries in the first 15 minutes and, although Lloyd Hughes nearly responded for UCS when he broke through in the centre, they were 31-0 down at the break after the visitors’ fifth score.

The Old Boys were playing some good attacking rugby though and they deservedly got over the line themselves after the interval, when pressure on the Verulamians fly-half resulted in a dropped pass, which was pounced upon by Matt Jacobs, who sped away under the posts.

UCS created further chances and only a succession of penalty offences by the visitors, and some impressive scramble defence, prevented the home side from reducing the deficit further. Ahmed Ghanem crashed over on the left wing but the score was ruled out for forward pass.

However, Verulamians were the stronger team in the final 20 minutes, and they ran in three more tries against a tiring defence.

UCS captain Tom Arnold said: “We worked hard but need to get up off the ground faster and get our defensive line organised much quicker from multi-phase ball.

“We played some great cohesive rugby at times, and we will continue with that attacking philosophy. Against teams in this league with a less well-organised defence, that will start to bear fruit.”

UCS Old Boys: Duke, Boyles, Hughes, Jacobs, Doble (Breakwell 60), Arnold, Coates, Oulton, Filip, Harper, Bean, Pope, Abrahams-Altass (Nze 60), Sewell (Nardone 60), Ghanem.