Cooper Avon Tyres RFC 43 Malmesbury RFC 22

MALMESBURY were down on numbers, due to Easter commitments and an unfortunate car accident for one of the front row.

A discussion between Cooper's captain, the referee and Malmesbury captain, Mark Goodway, ascertained the match could go ahead.

This meant Malmesbury started with 13 players, with Richard Cass and Graham Wells respectively coming out of semi-retirement and retirement.

Cass and Wells started in the front and second row respectively. Other players were shuffled, creating a new-look but aging Malmesbury pack.

Blue Ratalailai started as prop in a seven-man pack. Malmesbury had early possession but soon found themselves under pressure from Cooper's forwards.

After two forward drives, the ball was turned over and Cooper's backs stretched Malmesbury's defence to open the scoring. The conversion was missed.

Malmesbury were soon back in the game. Quick ball from Wells, in the forwards, was moved to Willam John at flyhalf and he cut straight through Cooper's backs to score.

The conversion was missed. With their numerically superior pack giving their backs plenty of possession, Cooper started using the centres and wings.

Good defence from Edwards, Richardson and Wells, in the backs, staved off some attacks but could not prevent further scores from Cooper's backs who made the score 22-5.

In the remaining minutes before the interval, a break from Wishney allowed the backs to run the ball through many pairs of hands and Michael Edwards scored his first try for Malmesbury, making the half-time score 22-10.

Malmesbury looked to battle on, the lineout being effective with Wishney jumping at two.

However, Cooper's scrum pressure began to tell, although Cass, Mcmanus, Ratalailai, Neal and Wells withstood this well into the second half.

With two substitutes on, Cooper were soon testing Malmesbury's defence in the second half. This led to Cooper scoring tries through the backs, after the forwards had a series of drives.

With news filtering through that two front-row forwards were on the way, Malmesbury threw caution to the wind and attacked again, resulting in John breaking Cooper's defence for his second try.

Malmesbury's two replacements duly arrived and were straight onto the pitch, releasing Ratlailai and Cass to the backs.

With Richardson, Conway and John having treatment for various bumps, the forwards took the battle to Cooper.

The scrum was soon back in Malmesbury's favour and after Cooper transgressed, Goodway took a quick tap and Ratalailai breezed through the gap to score. Conway converted.

Malmesbury rallied again, with Richardson caught just short of the line, Wishney making yards and Wells and Conway attacking.

A long kick out of defence was returned by Cooper's fullback, who took the ball on the bounce to score under the posts and convert.

Wells was Man of the Match.