Playing for the first time at Broadway West, the host's new home, they made light of the wet, wind and heavy ground conditions to run in 7 tries to 2 with some excellent handling and strong running to set up a strong position for the other pool game against Bradford Salem in February.

With the wind advantage, they went ahead almost immediately, centre Craig Dominick, who together with fellow-centre Bradley Pears and stand-off Arnie Stevenson were forceful throughout, diving over for the first try to capitalise on some good phase play following a scrum.

Their lead was short-lived however as Gosforth stand-off Mark Anderson kicked a penalty and scrum-half Anthony Graham intercepted as City attacked to score from 40 metres out.

Order was quickly restored though as bursts by Stevenson and Dominick led to No.8 Peter Dent scoring wide out and Pears then broke to register their fourth try from a 5 metre lineout.

A second try for Dominick following a break by Pears took City’s lead to 20 – 8 and then Pears got in on the act himself, diving over from a ruck on the Gosforth line to stretch it to 25 – 8 at half-time.

Playing against the wind and up the slope proved a little more difficult, but nevertheless they added 2 more tries in the first 10 minutes after the interval, flanker Tom Baty going over from a driven lineout and Stevenson breaking from 15 metres to add their seventh.

With goal kicking particularly tricky on a windswept day, full-back Sam Heron raised a cheer from the crowd when he finally managed to convert one of them for a 37 – 8 lead before Gosforth hit back to run in a second try from half-way when City dropped the ball. Anderson converted, but it was token defiance in a game City dominated.

CITY: Sam Heron; Max Bailey, Bradley Pears, Craig Dominick, Adam Huitson;
Arnie Stevenson, Will Paxton; Colin Hogg, Jack Bengochea, Benny Parkinson,
Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Showler, Tom Baty, Jeff Roberts, Peter Dent (c)

Replacements : David Harries, Marc Barton, Jim Earley.