Bridgnorth starting to find their groove

The new-look All Blacks made it two wins on the spin with the 55-34 success over the Coventry visitors.

They began the 2019/20 season with two defeats under new head coach Rod Petty but former captain Griffiths – who has moved into his new role for this season – feels the team are beginning to find their feet.

Eight try scorers registered for the hosts, who moved up to 10th in the early Midlands Premier standings. Broadstreet – who have lost four from four – scored two late tries to make the scoreline more competitive.

Griffiths said: “It was a good win for us and good to score a few points.

“It was a high-scoring game and we were in control and threatening in attack.

“It was definitely our best performance of the season. We’re starting to click a bit better with new lads learning their roles, certainly in the backline.

“We leaked a few more than we would have liked to but we play expansive rugby and that comes with its risks.”

George Bvuma, Llew Williams, Conor Nicholls, Luis Evitt, Loti Molitika, Callum Bradbury, Sam Brown and Jake Goulson all went over for free-scoring Bridgnorth with centre Williams on form with his kicking.

The Edgar Davies Ground side were 21-10 to the good at the break thanks to tries from Bvuma, Williams and a pushover scrum by number eight Nicholls.

But they turned on the gas in the second-half to storm into a 55-22 lead before the visitors nipped in to secure two late tries

Bridgnorth began with defeats against Sheffield and Bournville but, with six new recruits in the line-up against Broadsteet, there was no panic within the ranks after early setbacks.

“We had a sticky start results-wise,” admitted Griffiths. “But we were not a million miles off. The scorelines in those games complimented the opposition.

“As a team we are in a good place, we just needed these wins to reaffirm that.”

Meanwhile, former Bridgnorth coach and director of rugby Dale Smallman has been invited on to the board of the England Colleges Rugby Football Union as a regional representative.

Smallman works at Shrewsbury College and is passionate about improving rugby quality and opportunity for young players.

His brother Bryan, first-team manager at the All Blacks, said: “It’s a great move for him, it all fits, he’s very passionate about creating better possibilities for these young lads.”