Marland Yarde claimed five tries as Whitgift booked their place in the semi-finals of the Daily Mail U18 Schools Cup with a 59-8 win over Bishop's Stortford last week.

Stortford proved unable to match Whitgift’s rampant backs and even when England U18 international Yarde did leave the field, Jack Munnery proved a more than adequate replacement claiming the final try of the game.

Yarde’s England team-mate Elliot Daly also had a day to remember, the centre scoring 21 points with the boot, plus a superb try of his own before the referee put the visitors out of their misery 10 minutes before the scheduled close.

It was Daly who set the scoreboard ticking over on three minutes with a well struck penalty 10 metres inside the Stortford half and then added the extra points after Yarde, who was a doubt for the game following a leg injury sustained in training, opened his account with a fine try following a good break down the right by Rob White.

White and Yarde again combined for Whitgift’s second try although the visitors felt aggrieved as the decisive pass was slightly forward.

Leading 17-0 with less than 10 minutes on the clock the crowd of around 1,000 may well have expected another romp reminiscent of so many Whitgift wins this season.

It came a shock to find Stortford back in the game with a try of their own following an uncharacteristic fumble by Yarde.

Always dangerous at close quarters, the visiting pack often looked to have the measure of their rivals, but once the ball was spread wide, Whitgift seemed able to score at will.

For once giant wing Lawrence Okoye had a quiet day on the left, leaving the opposite flank to carry the attack to Stortford and it was an overlap down the right that enabled Chris Crane to speed through to score Whitgift’s third try.

Although the visitors hit back with a well-struck drop-goal, normal service was resumed when Yarde ran through the heart of the visiting defence to complete his hat-trick.

The assured boot of Daly again added the extra points and the referee immediately blew his whistle to signal half-time with Whitgift leading 31-8.

Kicking down the slope in the second period certainly suited the home side and Daly proved there is more to his game than just kicking with a electrifying turn of speed that took him through the centre of the Stortford ranks for a try.

The visitors could only stand and stare as Whitgift ran dummies here there and everywhere allowing Yarde to add two more tries in the space of nine minutes before he was finally replaced by Munnery, who rounded things off with the final try of the afternoon.