With the new season opening next week it was an opportunity for new coach Tom Saddington to see how hos squad were gelling. Many faces were missing due to holidays, but many new and returning players gave him a healthy amount to mix and match with.
A strange combination of a rock hard pitch giving the ball an erratic bounce, yet the steady rain made it a slippery ball to handle which made for some errors all round. Alcester too used the game as an opportunity to experiment which meant at no point did the two strongest 15's pay each other.
Rory Allen, standing in as scrumhalf, opened the scoring following up a forward drive. the home side respond with three tries before the break which gave a flattering score line. The attacking lines and defensive tackling from both sides played most of the match mid pitch.
Harry Irvine rounded off a fine backline attack for a try that was converted by Archie Beddard which closed the scores, though two later scores by A stretched their lead.
So Alcester retain the Fireman's cup, which hadn't been up for grabs for a few years and hopefully will be a fixture again in the calendar for future seasons.
The league programme starts in earnest this Saturday with a home game v Tenbury. A reorganisation of the leagues makes it all a lot more local than of late, and a few old adversaries are back on the fixture list.
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