Malone were at Hatrick Park on Saturday for a friendly which was much more entertaining than the Harlequins affair the previous week. On a beautiful afternoon, both sides served up some good rugby, with a 19-7 scoreline greatly flattering the Gibson Park men. Rainey probably had the better of it territorially, but just could not convert possession into points.
A few more new faces were included as Rainey held their own in the opening exchanges, but Malone struck first after 15 minutes when they moved it wide from a lineout for a fine score. Rainey impressed with some good offloading and very solid scrummaging during a good spell in which they won several penalties in the Malone 22' and deservedly drew level when wing Bratton sneaked in at the corner. Full-back McLean converted with a towering kick.
The third quarter belonged to Rainey as the pack continued to set up some controlled ball, but Malone defended well. As Rainey began to concede a few silly penalties and give the ball away, Malone made the most of their luck to pick up two late tries. There were a few little flare ups in the closing stages, leading to a player from each side seeing yellow.
It was great to see Brad Roberts back at Hatrick Park again. The pandemic interfered with his plans and his return is a huge boost. Even better news is that a friend of his, Teigan Erasmus, was here and will return to play in the near future. By all accounts, he is a quality player, having starred at Natal Sharks, and will be a welcome addition.