RGC opened their pre-season campaign with an impressive 29-21 victory over Chester on Saturday, with five tries helping the North Wales side come away from a fiercely contested cross-border fixture with the win.

The Gogs made a fast start and showed plenty of intent, moving the ball quickly and attacking at pace around the breakdown.

Their early pressure was rewarded when Jac Williams collected a cross-field kick before sending new signing Ieuan Cornelius racing down the left wing to score.

RGC continued to dominate possession and regularly threatened the Chester 22, although a couple of knock-ons allowed the home side to escape further pressure.

The visitors doubled their advantage when Williams again found himself in space after collecting a loose ball, sprinting through to score. McBryde added the conversion.

Chester responded strongly, scoring two tries in quick succession to turn the game around, with former RGC player Sam Rogers adding the conversion to put the hosts 14-12 ahead.

RGC had the final say before half-time, however, as Gruff Llwyd read a Chester pass superbly, intercepted and raced away to score. The try put the Gogs back in front at 17-14.

The second half saw Chester pile on the pressure, with RGC forced to defend for long periods as the home side looked for a way through.

Former RGC players Tommy Ellis and Morgan Bagshaw helped orchestrate Chester's attacking play, with the hosts repeatedly threatening in the RGC half.

The penalty count began to build as Chester continued to back themselves at the attacking lineout. But RGC's defence stood firm, producing crucial tackles when they mattered most.

After 18 minutes of sustained pressure, the Gogs finally cleared their lines and won a penalty to move into Chester territory.

And when RGC next entered the Chester 22, they once again made it count.

A cross-field kick caused problems for the home defence and Llwyd was on hand to collect the ball and dive over for his second try of the afternoon.

RGC's defensive workload increased again as Chester pushed forward, with Huw Davies shown a yellow card after 70 minutes.

However, Chester were unable to make their numerical advantage count.

Instead, RGC struck again, with Daf Thirsk hitting a superb line to take the ball and power over the line. McBryde added the conversion to put the Gogs 29-14 ahead.

It was a key feature of RGC's second-half performance – while Chester enjoyed plenty of pressure, the visitors were clinical whenever they managed to reach the home side's 22.

Chester did have the final say, moving the ball quickly through the hands before using their numerical advantage to create space out wide and score in the corner. Rogers added the conversion to reduce the deficit.

The home side pushed for another score as the clock ticked towards 80 minutes, but RGC continued to defend with determination.

A final turnover secured the victory, allowing the Gogs to head back across the A55 with a valuable 29-21 win.

RGC winger Sam Jones said the victory was a positive way to begin preparations for the new campaign.

“It was good to get back on the pitch after a long pre-season, and to get the win,” he said.

“We have plenty to work on in the next two weeks, as we were rusty at times.

“It is always good to see the younger players making their senior debut, and we can focus and build to Coventry at home in two weeks' time.”

RGC will now continue their pre-season preparations ahead of their next fixture against Coventry at home on Saturday, August 29, with kick-off at 3.30pm.