Our visitors had made an impressive start to the season, but we went ahead when Tim B launched an incisive attack down the left and Dee went over for his eighth try of the season after three minutes. Mat converted.

US Portsmouth hit back straightaway with a try following a twisting run by their left wing. Mat then kicked a penalty to give us a lead 10-5 with the game barely seven minutes old.

In the next 20 minutes both sides battled to establish their supremacy. We finally established a platform for victory and before half-time Dan extended the lead to 22-5 by scoring two tries the first of which Mat converted.

US Portsmouth threatened a come back with a try just after the interval but, playing some good rugby, we ran in three more tries in the last 20 minutes – another from Dee - which meant a bonus point - and two for Tim D. Mat landed two of the three conversions.

There are no league games this weekend, with the next match on Saturday week away to Farnborough.