Enfield Ignatians made a positive start to their pre-season campaign following a 25-5 win over visiting Harlow at Donkey Lane.

In a game played over four quarters of 20 minutes, the Blue and Golds were at the most productive in the first and fourth periods of the game when they fashioned four of their five tries.

Some strong driving play and excellent recycling by the forwards led to Luke Ellis going over for the first try, and they doubled that lead in the opening quarter when the back division, with both man-of-the-match Robert Rigby and Hadee Fayaz both prominent, sparked into life and laid on a score for the supporting Dave Gear.

Not that Harlow ever rolled over. The visitors came back strongly in the second quarter when they claimed an opportunistic score from turnover ball, and they restricted Ignatians to a solitary try in the third period when Ryan Browne did very well to beat three defenders on his way to the line.

However, Ignatians, using their full complement of 30 players, finished on a high in the fourth and final quarter.

A trademark catch and drive score from the tight eight, finished off by Liam Horn widened the gap, before the forwards and backs combined to lay on a team try for the irrepressible Rigby.

Coach Ali Cook said: “It was a game played in the right spirit and many thanks to the visiting coach Lee Harron, and the Harlow boys for coming over.

“Overall, it was a positive start, but here are still plenty of things to work in advance of the second pre-season friendly against Saffron Walden on Saturday, which promises to be a stiffer test.”