Hertfordshire’s U23s swept to a convincing 52-0 victory over their Middlesex counterparts at Saracens’ Allianz Park on Friday.

This was the first outing for the U23s, made up mainly of Old Albanian players, this season and it took time for the side to settle. The first half was a bit disjointed and with better team work Herts should have scored more than the three tries that gave them their 17-0 lead at the break.

The second half was rather different as the team gelled and the Middlesex resistance collapsed. The backs linked together well to produce some excellent tries. Second-half scrum-half Ben Creasey completed a hat-trick of tries with a spectacular kick and chase from the halfway line. Lock forward Lewis Dempsey converted all the second-half tries, including a couple from the touchline, to add to his first-half conversion, making the final score 52-0.

The next game for the U23s is against Sussex on May 2, followed by a game against Oxfordshire on May 6. Both games are at Allianz Park.

Hertfordshire

Victor Stairmand (Old Albanian); Will Hague-Blundy (Old Albanian), Matthew Deane (Old Albanian), Stephen Cobb (Old Albanian), James Maher (Univ of Herts / Old Albanian); Myles Toon (Old Albanian), Ross Chamberlain (St Mary’s University / Cheshunt); Nick Gudgin (Datchworth), Jack Flanagan (Old Albanian), Ben Harrison (Bishop Stortford), Jordan Cox (Univ of Herts), Lewis Dempsey (Old Albanian), Tom Webb (Univ of Herts), James Sonner (Ealing), Kennett O’Neill (unattached)

Replacements (all used): Josh Hewitt (Old Albanian), Drew Horne (Fullerians), Dominic Toon (Plymouth Univ / Saltash), Sam Tanton (Old Albanian), Richard Cobb (Northampton Univ), Ben Creasey (Hertford), Kellan MacDougall (Univ of Herts / Hertford), Connor Reynolds (Univ of Herts)

Scorers

Tries - Myles Toon, Kennett O’Neill, Will Hague-Blundy, James Sonner, Connor Reynolds, Ben Creasey (3)

Conversions - Lewis Dempsey (6)