STANFORD Rugby Club started the new season with a bonus point win at Kings Cross Steelers, winning 22-10 in the London & South East Essex League 1A.

It took just three minutes for hooker Sam Herbert to sprint around the stretched Steelers defence to score for Stanford’s first points of the day.

Steelers scored a penalty as they closed the gap but, after the restart, it was all Stanford although they struggled to break-down a resilient defence.

Having held up Stanford, Steelers then had to defend a scrum on their own five metre line. With Stanford lined up left scrum half Dominic McDonald darted right and muscled his way through the covering defence to touch down.

But Steelers had the last word just before half-time with a strong forward play try and conversion to make it 10-10.

Early in the second-half Stanford's attacking tempo was fast and after a couple of quick attacks Liam Morley came flying in as Stanford re-took the lead, which was extended from the boot of Calum Reid with the following conversation.

Stanford's fourth try came from a break by Jared Gounden, who made 30 meters before off-loading to centre partner Morley who passed to Neil Cockrell on the wing and he touched down.

Stanford's man of the match was Gary Burke.