Thankfully the earlier rain had passed, but it was a cold and misty evening at Upritchard Park as the teams took to the pitch. Bangor’s team list ranged from youth players who were just making the transition to senior rugby, to older guys (in their forties) who could share their wealth of experience, if not their mobility!

The opening half saw the lead change a number of times, with Civil Service starting with a successfully kicked penalty, then Bangor responding with a converted try through Curtis Skipp. Civil Service then regained the lead by 7-8 with a try of their own in the closing minutes of the half.

The match remained a fairly even contest throughout, but while Bangor added a further two tries through Seth Crawley and Jamie Mendez, Civil Service were unable to make their handling count when in good attacking situations, resulting in the final winning score for Bangor of 17-8.

It’s good to see the 3rds enjoying a bit of the limelight after their disrupted and disappointing previous season. The small but appreciative group of spectators was also well entertained, with both sides putting on a display of club rugby at its best. Hopefully, with the 3rds next home match scheduled for Saturday (in just 3 days’ time), the players will be able to rub themselves down and be ready to turn out again, this time against CIYMS.