Calne invited Old Edwardians from Bath over for a friendly and won 27-22.

Calne took the opportunity to try out five new players.

Two, Graham Neal and Tom Davis, had not played since their school days, while youngsters Mike Smith and Mike Benson were the products of local youth sections.

The set-piece forward exchanges were controlled by Old Eds, as new boy Davis, playing his first game in the second row, got to grips with the finer arts of scrumaging.

Prop Mark Salmon was a revelation, both a solid scrumager and active in the loose.

New backs Smith and winger Benson were positive attackers and willing defenders and they needed to be as the Old Eds' back line was impressively fast.

Neal started the game on the wing but was soon moved to flanker when it was recognised that his ball carrying and support play were exceptional.

Old Eds, as usual, never gave up and with their set-piece control and pacy backs they scored two tries in a minute to keep the game in reach.

Changes at half time saw a new-found forward dominance and soon after a rare push over try was scored by vice captain and No 8 Alan Wicks.

Second row Pete McGarry scored another to keep the scoreboard ticking over, but try of the day, if not of the season so far, was scored by fly-half James Gladding.

In a now trademark break he beat his opposite number and the covering flanker, then chipped over the opposition centres to collect and score.

Post-match reflection from captain Mike Charlwood was extremely positive. He said that with a little more technical training Davis and Neal could easily challenge for first team places, while the two Mikes would certainly be putting the existing back line under pressure.

He added that he was pleased with new prop Salmon.

Club stalwart Matt Arnold warned that if the commitment to training was not improved, some very senior players were going to find the youngsters wearing their shirts.