Westcliff are the early leaders in London One North after seeing off Tabard 32-17.

The Hertfordshire visitors drew first blood after just six minutes.

A high tackle gave Ben McKeith the chance to reduce the arrears with a penalty and this was the signal for Westcliff to up their game and they were just held up on the Tabard line.

The ball was cleared but Westcliff attacked up the middle and swept the ball out to Paul Radley on the wing who sprinted past the cover for a try in the corner to make it 8-5.

Westcliff resumed the attack and got over the Tabard line without grounding the ball before it was cleared.

But it was collected safely, enabling back row man Sam Reynolds to break through and race 35 metres to score.

McKeith’s conversion made it 15-5 before Tabard fought back hard and pinned Westcliff back for a while. They could not find a way through though and Westcliff hit back with Radley charging 65 metres down the touchline to score.

McKeith slotted over the conversion but Tabard replied with a converted try.

After that, both sides dropped the ball when chances were there for the taking and it was after a chapter of these that Elliott Harvey picked up and ran home from 25m.

McKeith added the conversion for 29-12 but Tabard continued to press. However, another penalty from McKeith finally killed off the visitors. Club press officer Geoff Sawyer said: “Tabs have been up in the higher leagues and we had to watch them all the time but our boys buckled down.”