MONMOUTH 7PTS, MALVERN 44pts

Almost 40 years had passed since these two clubs last met, the advent of league rugby having put paid to many of the friendly fixtures which were once a feature of the rugby calendar.

Malvern took the opportunity to give a run out to some developing players, Adam Dixon coming in at stand-off and skipper Ryan Watkins moving out to centre. Ted Lang took over at full back, with James Kirkpatrick on the wing, whilst Mark Chivers made his first start at prop, having previously come off the bench.

Monmouth, playing in Welsh National Four East, gave the unfamiliar Malvern line-up a few testing moments in the first half, but it was the visitors who took the first blood, with James Hynes showing his athleticism to crash through for the opening score in the fifth minute. Nick Hinliffe added a further try on the quarter-hour mark and as Malvern started to knit together, Monmouth struggled to contain them, despite a home converted try.

In the 28th minute skipper Watkins dummied through to set up Dixon's conversion and the sides turned round at 7-17.

The second half opened with Malvern getting deep into Monmouth territory and employing the catch and drive from a line-out, the inevitable score from Shaun Lancett resulting. It was now all Malvern as Hynes gave way to new signing Owen Jones and Phil Rawle came on for the dynamic Christian Edwards, who had sustained bruising to the ribs.

Within five minutes of taking the field Jones made his presence felt as he scored his debut try for Malvern. The visitors were controlling play all over the park, winning rucks and mauls, taking six against the head in the scrums and Chris Smith dominant in the line-out.

Hinliffe added a second try as the lead was stretched further, then Rawle, back to his best after injury with an excellent display, scored a try that Richard Fleming converted. The party ended when Jones robbed the Monmouth inside centre of the ball on his own 22 metre line to run in under the posts for Fleming to convert.