Back in action following a Christmas break extended by the postponement of the visit to Blackheath on 19 December, Scottish took the lead inside three minutes when a pass out wide to the right found Broughton, who ran in from 40 metres to cross over in the corner, evading a desperate last-ditch effort as he dove for the line. James Brown, taking over kicking duties from the absent Frankie Neale, missed his conversion attempt, leaving Scottish with a 5-0 lead.

That score spurred the visitors into action, and following a spell of pressure, they appeared to have driven over under the posts, but the referee, right on the spot, instead awarded a penalty to Scottish, giving the hosts a welcome opportunity to clear their ranks. As Scottish sought to break into the Cambridge half, however, they conceded a penalty, inside centre Craig Evans electing to kick at posts, pulling back three points for the visitors.

Shortly after, Scottish missed a golden opportunity to score when Stuart Peel knocked on a pass at speed with the Cambridge defence stretched to breaking point as the hosts countered. Soon after, Evans had a chance to put Cambridge in the lead, but while his kick had the legs, it just missed to the right.

Scottish renewed their attack, and the visitors’ indiscipline gave four penalty opportunities to Brown during the first half, two of which he sent over to put the hosts 11-3 ahead at the interval.

Within two minutes of the restart, Scottish scored their second try of the afternoon, skipper Gary Trueman bursting through the Cambridge defence and passing to flanker Ben Lonergan just short of the line, who did well to pick up an awkward ball and evade the attentions of the defence to cross over. Brown’s conversion put Scottish 18-3 ahead.

The hosts continued to put the Cambridge defence under pressure, and the visitors’ lack of discipline cost them once more as they conceded a penalty 15 metres out in front of their posts, Brown taking the opportunity to put Scottish 18 points clear.

Then, on 55 minutes, a lightning-fast Scottish break down the left was checked at the expense of Cambridge losing No. 8 Dan Ledge for ten minutes in the sin bin, and Scottish immediately capitalised, Broughton burrowing over in the right-hand corner, and Brown sending his kick over from a tricky angle for a 28-3 lead.

Cambridge refused to buckle, however, and within seconds of coming back on, Ledge made a surging run at the Scottish defence, checked only yards from the line. That move began a period of sustained pressure by the visitors, and their reward came on 35 minutes when replacement Dave Archer drove over, Evans kicking the conversion to narrow the scoreline to 28-10.

From the restart, Scottish, who had spent the previous ten minutes encamped deep in their own 22, attacked with renewed vigour as they sought the try that would give them the bonus point, and when it came, it proved to be well worth the wait, replacement Rory Damant intercepting as Cambridge attempted to break out of defence and sending a beautifully weighted kick into the corner for Broughton to catch on the full to seal his hat-trick, greeted by a huge roar from the crowd.

With seconds left, Broughton almost claimed his fourth try of the afternoon as he chased down his own chip over the Cambridge defence, but the ball bounced out by the corner flag.