Watford made their promotion ambitions clear against Old Isleworthians on Saturday, scoring ten times in an emphatic 63-8 victory in Herts/Middlesex 3.

Despite the result, Old Isleworthians remain a place and one point above fourth-placed Watford, who are 11 points off the top albeit with a game in hand over the teams above them.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring early on with a well-struck penalty through the posts but Watford replied with three points of their own, kicked by Tom McGee.

It was one-way traffic thereafter as Andy Lee scored the first try which was quickly followed by a second score in the corner from prop Luke Bees.

Watford’s interplay between forwards and backs too hot for Old Isleworthians to handle and Martin Lee scored his first try from a trademark set-piece move before adding a second from close range.

Scrum-half Ollie Hopkins was rewarded for his tenacity with a score after he charged down a kick and Watford finished the half with a try from flanker Luke Hammill after good work by Ian Butcher.

Leading 41-3 at half-time, Watford came under pressue early in the second period but the hosts kept their line in tact despite the loss of Dave Kingsford to the sin-bin.

Eventually the tide began to turn again and man-of-the-match JR Greyling set-up another try when his run allowed Paul Dunlop to stroll over from close range.

The visitors managed to score a consolation try from the restart but three further tries from Paul Wilson, Hopkins and Lee, who completed his hat-trick, finished off the rout.

Watford host Royston in the cup on Saturday.