CRAIG HOLLAND’S late try secured a well-fought 59-54 win against RGC 1404 at the Rock.
Both sides scored a total of 16 tries in a pulsating game, with 30-degree heat hitting the turf.
The visitors struck first after two minutes, Rhys Tudor intercepting a loose Park try to run from half-way.
But the home side put three tries past RGC in 10 minutes, Holland, Henry Robinson and Greg Lound getting round the defence.
And new centre Nick Scott got his first score at the Rock on 17 minutes for a dominant lead.
Jack Barnard’s sin-bin on 21 minutes made life difficult, though, and the Welsh Premier League side struck back with a penalty try.
The momentum did not last long, though, with Munro’s brace and Benji Marfo’s sprint extending the lead again.
Park were not allowed to rest on their laurels as Tom Buchanan and Oscar Lennon scored two minutes before half-time.
Beau William’s powerful drive gave RGC a leg-up immediately from the restart.
And substitute Josh Leach finished off a blistering counter-attack to cut the gate to four points.
But Karl Gibson’s leap to the line and Holland’s second try secured victory.
Lennon and Sam Williams scored late but it was too little, too late for the visitors.
Park captain Gregor Gillanders said: “We got the result we wanted.
“It wasn’t ideal shipping 52 points but it’s given us plenty to work on.
“It’s little things we can fix to prevent that from happening, which we’ll do this week.”
Stats
Rosslyn Park
Tries: Holland 7, 71 Robinson 12, Lound 15, Scott 17, Munro 25, 33, Marfo 36, Gibson 68
Conversions: Lound 8, 18, 26, 34, 37, 69, 72
Penalties:
Team (15-9/1-8): Henry Robinson; Benji Marfo, Nick Scott, Joe Munro, Craig Holland; Greg Lound, Dave Lewis; Kyle Traynor, Owen Hughes, Nick Lovell; Sam Twomey, Gregor Gillanders; Henry Spencer, Jack Barnard, Dan Laventure
Replacements: Ali Wade, Karl Gibson, Paul Doran-Jones, Jonathan Mills, Jack Gash, Neville Edwards
RGC 1404
Tries: Tudor 2, penalty 21, Buchanan 38, Lennon 40, 75 B Williams 41, Leach 64, S Williams 77
Conversions: McBryde 3, 39, 40, 42, 76, 78
Peanlties:
Team (15-9/1-8): Afon Bagshaw; Sam Earl Jones, Matt Buchanan, Delwyn Jones, Harri Evans; Billie McBryde, Oscar Lennon; Will Sanderson, George Roberts, Jordan Scott; Bryn Jones, Beau Williams; Sam Williams, Will Bryan, Jordan Jones
Replacements; Liam Leung, Garin Williams, Joe Simpson, Eifion Roberts, Oscar Crowe, Josh Leach, Sam Rogers, Rhys Tudor, Jessie Williams
Attendance:
Referee: Sam Phillips
HT: 45 - 28
Star Man: Henry Robinson – Rosslyn Park
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