The 1st XV won their third Counties 1 Essex game in a row with a 37-18 victory over Mavericks at the Memorial Ground, West Ham, on Saturday which included a hat-trick from left wing Rob Vassie.

Fly-half Jack Pritchard opened the scoring within 40 seconds. Second row Sean Gill gathered the ball from kick-off and set right wing Hamish Veitch off on a penetrating run. He passed to full back Alex Pearmain who set up Pritchard to score and convert his own try. (7-0).

Mavericks responded with an unconverted try and a penalty to take the lead (7-8) on ten minutes and they then added a converted try (7-15) before Vassie scored the first of his tries for the home side on 24 minutes. The ball found its way to him from a scrum on half-way and he slipped past two tacklers to run in under the posts. Pritchard converted (14-15).

Mavericks added a penalty (14-18) before Vassie scored his second try just before half-time following a flowing move involving forwards and backs. The conversion was missed but East London led at the break (19-18).

The home side extended the lead with an early Pritchard penalty (22-18) and on 55 minutes prop Chris Brown burrowed over after line-out ball on the five metres line. The conversion was missed (27-18).

Vassie scored his hat-trick when Pritchard caught a misplaced Mavericks crossfield kick and set off down the left wing. He unselfishly passed inside to Vassie to run in under the posts. Pritchard converted (34-18) and also scored a penalty to complete the victory (37-18).

East London 1st XV vs Mavericks: 1. Frazer Wilson; 2. Chris Brown; 3. Havea Pamaka; 4. Luke Staples-Preston; 5. Sean Gill; 6. Nick Parrott; 7. Simon Edscer; 8. Dan Bracken; 9. Will Brown; 10. Jack Pritchard; 11. Rob Vassie; 12. Ryan Billinghurst; 13. Walter Scott; 14. Hamish Veitch; 15. Alex Pearmain. Replacements: 16. Michael Beecher; 17. Eoin Kelly; 18. Josh O’Neill.

East London’s 3rd XV ran in eight tries in a comprehensive 50-21 victory over clubhouse rivals Kings Cross Steelers 3s at the Memorial Ground on Saturday.

Two tries each from front row Steven Deszo; flanker Rich Keough; left wing Chukz Chiagorum; and number eight Michael Greig; and five conversions from full back Frank Murphy, secured the win in the Group 1 Automotive Essex Merit Table Division 6 West fixture.

East London 3rd XV vs Kings Cross Steelers 3s: 1. John Salthouse; 2. Steven Deszo; 3. Kez Duxbury; 4. Mo Mohamed; 5. Bobby Newson; 6. Roberto Finelli; 7. Rich Keough; 8. Michael Greig; 9. Flavio Rossetti; 10. Thomas Rochette; 11. Chukz Chiagorum; 12. Nick Pocock; 13. Jordan Frederick; 14. Jamie Rice; 15. Frank Murphy. Replacements: 16. Luis Herrera; 17. Leo Hodges; 18. Andy Davenport; 19. James Pountney.

East London’s Vixens ladies’ team had to come from behind to make it four wins in a row with a deserved 24-29 away victory on Sunday over Bletchley Ladies.

Tries by outside centre Freya Challis, left wing Whitney Bennett, hooker Katie Gemal, full back Tansin Nooney, and backs replacement Jojo Eichler, plus two conversions from scrum-half Aoife Farrell, secured the Women’s National Challenge 1 East league victory. The win moved them to fifth in the table.

East London Vixens vs Bletchley Ladies: 1. Katie Walsh; 2. Katie Gemal; 3. Sorcha Caudery; 4. Lauren Hatch; 5. Louise Privett; 6. Rachael McMeekin; 7. Nicki Barlex; 8. Steph Smith; 9. Aoife Farrell; 10. Lucy Thomas; 11. Whitney Bennet; 12. Ally Bartholomew; 13. Freya Challis; 14. Maria Lamont; 15. Tamsin Nooney. Replacements: 16. Aoife Scully; 17. Megan Hogg; 18. Jojo Eichler; 19. Catherine Rolfe.