UCS Old Boys were beaten 34-17 by relegation battlers Bank of England to stay marooned in mid-table in Herts/Middlesex One.

The Old Boys began on the front foot, threatening with high-tempo play and hard running lines, and were rewarded when Chris Bean charged down a pass and showed superb athleticism to score the first try. Alex Lowe converted from a difficult angle to give UCS a 7-0 lead.

However, Bank of England hit back with two tries of their own, the second coming from a lucky bounce that eluded the grasp of the covering Joe Wooley.

It was a frustrating first half for UCS, despite fine offloading from Dan Chapmans and strong running from Bean. Lowe, at No10, was a constant threat. They were rewarded when Rich Driver nipped in under the posts for a try.

But UCS were punished again early in the second half, as Bank of England added two more tries.

UCS struggled to get through the phases often enough due to some careless errors, with Driver’s knock-on particularly costly.

The front row were, however, punching holes in attack, with wingers Ben Buckland and Jermaine Barnes making decent yards in tight spaces, and UCS were rewarded with their third try when Bean went over in the corner after a determined drive from 10 yards out.

But UCS could not quite manage a fourth try and a bonus point.