Farnborough 32 Andover 60.

Oakwood sponsored Andover firmly banished the away day blues that dogged them so often last season, with a second superb performance on the road in a row.

The new centre pairing of Niko Rowe and Jack Stott simply blew Farnborough away in the first half to record a stunning victory for Andover who have lost this fixture on their last two visits.

Stott grabbed the headlines with a sparkling display in which he scored four tries despite also spending ten minutes in the sin bin, but it is Rowe, who also got on the score sheet, who is creating the space and time for others to profit.

Farnborough to their credit never gave up and showed in the later part of the game that their big forwards can do damage, but by then it was all over as a contest as Andover raced into a 40 point lead.

Despite the size of the Farnborough pack Andover again dominated the scrum and lineout and in the loose stuck to a game plan that kept Farnborough moving around the park.

Stand-in skipper Marc Wilding was in outstanding form and with Andy Franklin again impressing at scrum half, the supply was almost uninterrupted for the eager backs.

Farnborough could not cope with the pace of the Andover game and succumbed time and again and it looked like it would be a cricket score at one stage until the visitors finally took their foot off the pedal with 20 minutes left Simon Preece deputised on the open side for missing skipper Alex Morgan and capped a fine display with a try from 40 metres out.

Winger Dave Catt scored a brace of tries and put in a couple of crunching hits, however were surpassed by academy product Declan Gillan. On his first team debut the giant second row put in a couple of bone shuddering tackles that signalled his future promise.

Prop Nic Reed weighed in with the final score, a trade mark dash from the 22m line to put the seal on a display in which Stott ended with a personal tally of 35 points.

Afterwards coach Andy Waite was in positive mood: “We were very good for the most part today” he said.

“Our game plan worked perfectly and we were far more disciplined in our approach. “We scored some lovely tries and although we conceded two very late on which made the final score closer than the game really had been, we stood up to the physicality of Farnborough, emerged with no injuries and showed we are really maturing as a side.”

Tomorrow Andover are at home to hot favourites Fordingbridge in what promises to be a real mouth-watering encounter.