Somerset outclassed Staffordshire to win Bill Beaumont's County Championship Division Two with a 36-20 victory in the final at Twickenham this afternoon (Saturday).

Henry Harper's opening score and tries from Carter and Jamie Collier, in-between Ash Groves' penalty, put Hornets 19-6 up at half-time but penalties from Jamie Dutton and Benny Elliot kept Staffordshire in it.

Carter got his second of the contest after the break before Rico Bentley grabbed one back but late tries from Somerset's Brett Harvey's and Staffordshire's Harry Titley sealed the win for Somerset.

The victory was Somerset's first success in the County Championships since 1923, after a 8-6 win against Leicestershire at Bridgwater Albion Ground.

Hornets’ Kieran Ward, Danny Bailey, Rob Dempsey, Ozzy James Charlie Carter, Callum Lane, Alec Chase, Hayden Tuttiet and Josh Lloyd and Weston’s Huw Morgan were all named in the Somerset squad looking to make history while Dan Lomax was on the touchline as coach.

On a lovely warm summer's day at the home of England rugby it was Somerset who soaked the early pressure to score twice within the first 10 minutes.

Clifton's Ricky Cano picked up a loose ball and found Harper to power over after three minutes before Carter grabbed Somerset's second six minutes later in a move straight off Hornets' training ground.

Rob Dempsey showed great strength to push forward before playing the ball into the path of Carter to go over before Groves added the extras to put Somerset 12-0 up after 10 minutes.

Jamie Dutton scored a superb long-range penalty to cut the scores down to nine before Jamie Collier increased Somerset's lead even further with a fantastic individual try as Groves added the extras.

Elliot netted Staffordshire's second penalty of the encounter on 31 minutes after captain Jack Neale won the ball back to leave Elliot with a simple task from 30-yards-out as Somerset went into half-time with a commanding 13-point lead.

Within four minutes of the restart Carter, who scored 431 points for Hornets last season, picked the ball up in his own half, played a one-two with team-mate Bailey, before he received the ball back and ran forward to go over for his second try of the match.

But Bentley had other ideas as straight from kick-off. Confusion from the Somerset side saw the ball bounce up and end up in the hands of the substitute who powered over in the corner before Elliot added the extras.

Hayden Tuttiet looked to have increased Somerset's lead even further but his effort was disallowed for a forward pass before Groves long-range kick from around 40 yards out made it 29-13.

Weston's Morgan came on for the final 30 minutes to add more pace into the Somerset attack.

Bailey, who had a fine game, did well to keep Somerset 16 points ahead when he superbly brought down Titley after 62 minutes just before the try-line.

However, Dempsey was sent to the bin three minutes later after he prevented the ball from being played as Jamie Murray was held up near the line.

Despite being down to 14-men Somerset showed great character and resistance to hold off Staffordshire for 10 minutes. And once they were back at full strength they added their fifth try of the encounter two minutes from time.

Carter found Tuttiet who played it into Harvey and the co-captain showed great strength to go over, with Groves once again adding the extras to put Somerset within touching reach of victory.

But it was Staffordshire who had the final word. Elliot showed great pace to move forward and with Titley in space on his left Elliot found him to go over in the corner. Fresh from his assist Elliot slotted over the conversion with the last kick of a breathless final as Somerset secured a place in Division One.