In front of a bumper crowd of 1,175,it was the visitors who started brightly in the Berkshire sun, only for the Rams’ pack to get to work as Tom Vooght worked his way over from a powerful maul on 12 minutes.

Luke Bouchier trimmed the deficit with a penalty, but Lions were struggling to deal with the hosts’ set-piece and Max Hayman grabbed his seventh of the season before the excellent Ryan Lomas rode over a particularly dominant drive from 15 metres out.

Fraser Honey slotted two conversions for 19-3, and Rams had plenty of opportunities to move further ahead before they suffered a setback shortly before half-time, Ollie Cole yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on during a rare Leicester foray into the hosts’ 22.

The home team wrapped up their bonus-point, however, just a minute into the second period, Nile Dacres becoming the second maiden try-scorer from close range.

Honey’s boot was again reliable, but the Midlanders refused to yield and brought the contest right back to life with two cracking tries in three minutes – centre Aaron Pope the first to cross before George Pearson also went over.

With Bouchier having converted the first it was 26-15, and the visitors came close to further cutting the deficit before Rams responded with two long-range scores.

Firstly a vital turnover five metres from their own line saw Zach Clow burst down the left, his inside ball sending Tomek Pozniak racing away from 60 metres out.

And almost immediately and with Lions chasing the game, Axel Kalling-Smith picked off an interception to race in from well inside his own half.

Two more Honey kicks made it 40-15, but Lions were next to cross as Pope doubled his tally, Threlfall with the extras.

Any danger of a comeback was swiftly ended with a Clow cracker, though, the full back shimmying and dummying his way past several defenders for a terrific score in clubhouse corner.

A second for the full-back followed five minutes from time, Honey converting both, and while Isaac Thompson grabbed a bonus-point for Lions at the death, it was merely a consolation.

Rams travel to Bishop’s Stortford next Saturday (3pm).

Final Score: Rams 54-29 Leicester Lions (HT: 19-3)

Scorers

Rams

Tries: Vooght 12, Hayman 24, Lomas 33, Dacres 41, Pozniak 53, Kalling-Smith 56, Clow 69, 75

Conversions: Honey 25, 34, 42, 54, 57, 70, 76

Leicester Lions

Tries: Pope 44, 67, Pearson 47

Conversions: Bouchier 45, Threlfall 68

Penalty: Bouchier 17

Star Man: Ryan Lomas (Rams)

Referee: Ben Wood