Fylde RFC see off Perthshire Eagles in opening warm-up match
Fylde RFC scored nine tries as they ran out 53-5 winners against a touring Perthshire Eagles squad at the Woodlands on Saturday.
The first meeting of these two historic clubs came in a pre-season runout which was played in a fine spirit, on a superb surface and with bright, sunny conditions.
A decent crowd enjoyed the open, attacking rugby played by both sides and, despite their defeat, the visitors’ heads never dropped and they competed bravely throughout.
The Fylde squad was almost made up entirely of players aged under 25 but they showed their true rugby credentials and adopted the club’s traditional running style of play.
They started the game by opening the scoring with a try in the left corner from Theo Butterworth, converted well from the touchline by fly-half Charlie Cadley.
This was soon extended by a neat grubber to the right corner, finished off by impressive flanker Freddie Deeks.
Some smart attacking by the Eagles led to powerful lock Willie Campbell driving over from 20 metres, following a quickly-taken penalty, to reduce the deficit to 12-5.
Further Fylde tries by livewire centre Mulenga Chilufya and Matt Worsnip extended their lead before a second-half masterclass in finishing from replacement wing Isaac Quarry saw him notch four tries down the right in an excellent debut.
Always influential centre George Brookes got his name on the scoresheet, as well as setting up numerous chances for colleagues.
Home prop Joe Osivwemu was a thorn in the side of the Scottish side with some superb ball carrying.
A fine bagpipe tribute finished off the afternoon at the final whistle as both squads mixed together with mutual respect.