BAHRAIN Rugby Football Club’s (RFC) Select XV got their Gulf Conference campaign off to a storming start yesterday romping to an 80-10 win over the Saudi Select XV in Saar.
It was a belated start to the season for the home outfit, after their previous scheduled fixture away to Muscat had to be postponed last month amidst an injury crisis in the Bahrain ranks.
Yesterday, they started like a team who had been crying out for some action as they took the lead after just six minutes through skipper Arron Dalgarno.
Full-back Joel Lewis added the extras and he was coolly slotting his second attempt just five minutes later after Greg Heath latched on to a superb chip kick by fly-half Chris Coupland.
It was a good day off the tee for Lewis, who kicked ten from 12 attempts, with the next coming on the back of a well-taken try by second row Oli Johnson-Munday.
With the gulf of possession and territory, Bahrain had the bonus point secured inside the 25th minute as the indomitable Eric Aufdembrink crashed over for his competitive try.
Number eight Arthur West
did his best to butcher a couple of try-scoring opportunities before finding himself on the end of another flowing move, and Heath wrapped up the first-half scoring with his second of the afternoon.
There was little rest for the Saudi visitors in the second-half as first Bryan Barnard and then back-row mate Rhys Fitzgerald got in on the act.
Johnson-Monday and Barnard then both scored again, before Saudi touched down for a deserved try at the other end.
There was still time for further scores from Terence Tantoh and substitute Blake Henry, before Saudi closed out proceedings with a second try of their own.