READING Blue Coat moved into the second round of the National Plate following a 27-15 win against Marlborough College.

Will Griffiths, Louis Brown, Josh Harris and Keiran Burgess all crossed the whitewash for the hosts, while man-of-the-match Sam Jolly added two conversions and a penalty.

It was the first time this Blue Coat age group had beaten their rivals, having previously lost to the Wiltshire side in the Under 15s Natwest Cup.

It was a deserved victory for Blue Coat, whose sheer determination and belief showed how much they wanted the win and ensured they pulled away in the second half with the two sides having entered the break locked at 15-15.

The defence held strong with players throwing their bodies on the line to defend the try line, despite numerous attacks from Marlborough, and Blue Coat will now play Pangbourne College in the next round.