RUGBY Welsh continued their impressive recent form securing a bonus point victory over rivals AEI at Alwyn Road, running out emphatic 57-0 winners.
Despite the cold, wet and windy conditions a good sized crowd saw AEI starting well with their hard running prop and N0.8 looking to attack the midfield Welsh channels.
However, the home defence was strong and Welsh took the lead when, from their first attacking opportunity, a series of forward drives enabled Loz Galleno to find space to crash over for the opening try.
Glenn Bond used the elements effectively throughout the first half using his kicking game to punish any AEI handling errors.
Showing his full range of skills, midway through the half Bond scored a scintillating individual try beating several tackles to crash over under the posts.
Bond added the extras.
As the half progressed AEI began to lose their discipline and were reduced to 14 men following a sinbinning.
Welsh took full advantage of the extra man as they began to take control of the set pieces and with Jamie Roche making some powerful runs from the unaccustomed centre position, AEI had to make numerous defensive tackles.
Following a catch and drive line-out, Matty Richards scored a try and shortly afterwards a powerful Welsh scrummaging effort set up outstanding scrum half Jack Taylor for a short range try, both of which were converted by Bond to give Welsh a 26-point half-time lead.
The introduction of Leigh Colledge and Pete Head at the start of the second half strengthened the Welsh grip of the contest as they dominated the forward exchanges.
The Welsh line-out was superb and AEI struggled to cope with the forward drives resulting from them.
Within a ten-minute period Welsh scored three tries from these moves, two from Richards, completing his personal hat-trick, both converted by Bond, while the ever hard working Galleno secured his second of the afternoon.
To AEI’s credit they kept working hard, despite suffering some injuries to key players, but could not breach the Welsh defence.
Perhaps with the advent of the worsening weather and the game stop-starting due to injuries, Welsh made some mistakes as the half progressed.
However they added gloss to their victory in the final ten minutes of the game with two further tries.
Firstly following a three quarter move, involving the ever impressive captain Bond, Anthony Reynolds scored a well taken try in the corner.
Welsh then finished off the game with a sublime try when Galleno gathered a ball well inside his own half, burst through some attempted tackles and then passed inside to Taylor who raced in for his second try which Bond converted.
Welsh take on Keresley this Saturday.
