Bees ease to friendly success

By Elliott Josypenko
August 10 2004

Pertemps Bees eased to a 36-14 [i'm certain it was 36-10 myself but...] win over Stourbridge at Stourton Park in their opening pre-season friendly.

Pertemps Bees eased to a 36-14 win over Stourbridge at Stourton Park in their opening pre-season friendly on Saturday August 7. Phil Maynard, the Pertemps Bees' director of rugby, took a 40-man squad to his former club and gave everyone a run-out in the match that was played in 20 minute quarters. Although a number of frontline players including Nick Baxter, Aaron Takarangi and Terry Sigley- who has been loaned to Premiership giants Gloucester - were rested and Alex Davidson, Ed Orgee and Mark Woodrow were injured, the club's eight close season signings all played part of the game. The new centre pairing of former Wales Under-21 international Scott Williams, a recent recruit from Newport, and Simon Martin, who arrived from Coventry in May, stood out in an encouraging performance. "It was a useful work-out which allowed us to give most of the squad a game and to crape away some of the rust from the summer," Maynard said. "We had a look at our new signings in a match situation for the first time, we also ran the rule over some of the youngsters who have been trialling with us over the summer and, although it's too early to make any firm judgements, I was very pleased with the way that both Simon Martin and Scott Williams performed." The Pertemps Bees try-scorers included centre Mike Davies and teenage winger Luke Smith, a product of the club's youth system. Pertemps Bees continue their pre-season preparations with a local derby against Moseley at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday August 14 (3pm).