ABBIE Smith notched a hat-trick to secure a seventh league win of the season in Oxfordshire.

Smith broke through several tackles to open the scoring inside five minutes, and although the hosts soon bounced back within a couple of minutes, Smith ran in from the restart for 10-5.

The Cabettes then went further in front as No.8 Nicole Rowland crashed over following a fine offload from skipper Kim Upcott with flanker Caitlyn Hancock, who ended with five successful kicks from seven, doing the rest.

Bottom side Oxford reduced the lead right before half-time with a penalty, but by the hour it was game over.

Smith went over for her hat-trick when she ran in from 40 metres which was soon followed by hooker Jenna Arnold dotting down.

It didn’t take long for player/coach Alex Hutchings, playing at outside-centre instead of No.8 in the absence of the influential Meg Tucker, who crossed next as she broke through before proving too powerful for the full-back.

The visitors’ scoring was rounded off with 10 to play when Grace Tucker, standing in at scrum-half sniped down the left-wing to run in from 30 metres.

Oxford grabbed a couple of late tries, but it was Launceston’s day before they welcome runaway leaders Ivybridge on Sunday.

Elsewhere around the club over the weekend, seventh-placed Launceston Castles secured another win in Counties Two Cornwall as they beat St Just 24-12 thanks to tries from Callum Smith, Morgan Woods, Tom Stevens and Ollie Tomkies with man-of-the-match Woods adding two conversions.

The Castles visit Newquay Hornets on Saturday (2.30pm).

LAUNCESTON LADIES: Franks; Belsey, Hutchings, A Smith, G Tucker; Hicks, Warman; Cole, J Arnold, Upcott (capt); M Arnold, Thomas; Harrison, Hancock, Rowland. Replacements: Risdon, Cowling, Eddy, Ninnis, Matthews.

Players-of-the-match: Forward – Nicole Rowland; Back – Rachel Hicks.