Hertford edged a thrilling encounter to claim a 31-33 away victory over Northampton Old Scouts, surviving a late fightback from the hosts in a nail-biting finale.

After an opening-weekend home triumph against Sidcup, Hertford travelled to Northampton looking to make it two wins from two. Old Scouts, meanwhile, were searching for their first points of the season after a 27–40 defeat to fellow newly promoted side Eton Manor.

The referee was quick to clamp down on high tackles in the opening exchanges, handing Old Scouts an early three-point opportunity. Scrum-half William Brenan calmly slotted the penalty to put the hosts on the scoreboard.

Hertford settled into the game and started to probe, but squandered possession in promising positions. However, a penalty conceded by Old Scouts inside their own 22 presented the visitors with a big opportunity. Opting for a quick tap, Hertford surged towards the try line, and after a few pick and go attempts, Sonny Swift was on hand to crash over. Ben Lloyd made no mistake with the conversion to add the extras and put Hertford 3-7 ahead.

High tackles came back to haunt Hertford as Dom Merrett was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. Old Scouts opted against taking the points this time, instead looking to capitalise on the numerical advantage. Their efforts were thwarted by excellent work from Ciaran Galvin at the breakdown, winning a penalty to relieve pressure.

Hertford managed the game well despite being reduced to 14 men, extending their lead through debutant Fin Parker. The flying winger showcased his dancing feet to finish brilliantly after a pinpoint cross-field kick from temporary scrum-half Harry Holman. There was almost more joy when Charlie Galligan burst through a gap and raced towards the posts, only to be denied by an excellent covering tackle that halted him in his tracks.

Old Scouts enjoyed early second-half possession inside Hertford's 22, but a loose lineout allowed Steff Jones to kick the ball clear. It wasn’t long before the hosts were back within touching distance though, as they breached Hertford’s defence to send Ollie Brenan racing clear and over the try line. Fly half Tom Holliday added the conversion to bring the score to 10–14.

The pendulum quickly swung back in Hertford’s favour, with Steff Jones once again showcasing his football skills. This time, the kick fell perfectly into the path of Finn Parker, who had acres of space to cruise over for his second try of the afternoon.

Hertford began to turn the screw, shifting the ball quickly to work their way towards the try line once again. James Bovaird capped off the move, making an immediate impact after coming off the bench.Steff Jones then got in on the scoring action, adding a try to go alongside his earlier assist. With Hertford extending their advantage to 23 points, the result appeared beyond doubt

However, Old Scouts refused to go down without a fight, showing impressive resilience to mount a late comeback. The hosts piled on the pressure, crossing the try line three times in the space of just eight minutes to set up a grandstand finish, bringing the score to 31–33 and leaving a shaken Hertford clinging to their now slender lead.

Despite Old Scouts’ late resurgence, Hertford held on to secure a bonus-point victory, taking maximum points from their opening two fixtures. The team will look to continue this winning run on Saturday when they welcome Old Colfeians, who arrive in confident mood following an excellent away victory against Southend. It makes for an intriguing contest.