Ophir grab away win in tight clash with Civil Service.

The 1st XV visited Civil Service in their first friendly of 2021, and after a slow opening half hour, the game burst into life. After a disallowed try, minutes before, Ophir took the lead through winger Cole Douglas' try in the corner shortly before half time.

Civil service came out quickly after the break, putting pressure on Ophir, especially from kick offs. The scoring was leveled before Ophir kicked into gear, with tries from Lewis Brown, Jordan McKinnell and Jamie McCafferty (all converted by full-back Liam Cosgrave), effectively sealing the win for the visitors.

The home side bounced back in the last period of the game, but Ophir showed resilience and came away with a well earned victory.

The sides meet again next week at Ophirs Home ground at UUJ for another highly anticipated fixture.