Bishop's Stortford RFC continuing to develop young talent as nine colts represent Blues and Mitres

Bishop's Stortford's conveyor belt of talent is certainly running smoothly as nine colts played senior rugby at the weekend.

Will Marriott, Ryan Cox and Fabian Ducci all featured for the Blues in a big 77-29 friendly victory over Sevenoaks.

And Aidan Murphy, Nathan Brandrith-Bossert, Benjy Furrer, Archie Racey, Aston Beaverstock and Harrison Compton were in the Mitres side that lost 41-26 at Fullerians II in Herts & Middlesex Merit 1.

The nine are enjoying hugely successful campaigns and look like the next generation of first XV players in the making.

Meanwhile, Austin Pope and Tom Lewis scored a try apiece as Bishop's Stortford Blues beat a Cambridge University side with former England international Toby Flood in their ranks last Monday (January 24).

The visitors triumphed 14-5 as the Light Blues kicked off the Lent term at Grange Road ahead of their Varsity Match showdown with old foes Oxford at Twickenham on April 2.

The university made the perfect start, with Zac Bischoff going over in the corner with the game only four minutes old.

Stortford took the lead when a cross-field kick bounced in front of the posts and Pope seized on the ball to touch down, with Tom Walker adding the conversion.

After the interval, the hosts had the cavalry, including fly-half Flood, who is studying for an MBA, and current Scotland under-20 international Archie Smeaton, ready to arrive, only for Stortford to pull further clear before they could enter the fray.

Good play saw Lewis take the ball in one of very few line breaks all game, and he galloped clear to score underneath the posts, with Walker again adding the extras.