TORFAEN Tigers named an experimental side for their Development XIII fixture against Bristol Sonics but still maintained their winning habit.

The Tigers, who have enjoyed successive victories against Oxford Cavaliers and Sheffield Hallam Eagles in the Conference League South, handed debuts to five players and first appearances of the year to another two.

The gamble looked to have backfired when cheap penalties and sloppy tackling allowed the visitors to take an early 6-0 lead when Sam Collins crossed for a try that Dom Swann converted.

The Tigers attempted to play too much rugby in the wrong areas but were rewarded for their adventure when first Zack Hadley and then 17-year-old winger Liam Silver crossed for tries, Luke Brown adding one conversion.

Teenage hooker Ben Williams then burrowed over and Brown converted before the Sonics hit back through Ryan Goodman, Swann converting to cut the Tigers’ half-time lead to 16-12.

Playing down the slope in the second half, the Tigers races out of the blocks with Matt Cummins gathering a Luke Brown cross field kick to score and Cummins then raced 60 yards from the following kick-off to give Williams his second.

Brown’s conversion gave the Tigers breathing space at 26-12 and next on the scoreboard was Craig Price as he crashed over from close range.

Brown converted before Cummins took a quick 20-metre restart and went all the way himself, adding the conversion to make it 38-12.

Bristol gave themselves a glimmer of hope with a Mike Gaston try before Cummins and Chris Wannell combined to put Connor Price over for a try on debut, before Wannell stretched over himself, Brown converting both to bring up the half century.

The Tigers then had tries ruled out for Andrew Barlow and Jake Thomas for a forward pass and knock on respectively.

Prop forward Zack Hadley then made a 50-metre break only to offload in to touch, moments later Tom Matthews didn't make the same mistake when he broke before passing inside for Kurtis Haile to race away for a debut try.

There was a carbon copy try on the other touch line then when Connor Price broke before feeding Luke Brown to complete the scoring.

The Tigers won 58-16 and the first team return to action this Saturday when they travel to Oxhalls Campus to play Gloucester Warriors.