A FORMER Barry schoolboy stepped onto the hallowed pitch of Cardiff Arms Park when he returned to South Wales recently.

Clive French is a Corporal in the RAF Police and is also the coach of their rugby side which he led to a showdown with the South Wales Police at the iconic rugby ground.

Clive, who was a pupil at Barry Boys Comprehensive until 1992, said he was proud to bring his side to Cardiff: "To play somewhere like Cardiff Arms Park as a Barry boy is something special. I've been on the terraces for many years with my dad watching games. I've played once here, but to coach a team here is even better."

Before the game Clive took the squad to train at the Vale of Glamorgan training facility at Hensol Castle used by the Welsh national side.

There were put through their paces by Welsh Rugby Union staff, which Cpl French described as "a different level of coaching”. They also got to experience playing on a 3G pitch at the site.

The game was fiercely contested with South Wales Police coming out on top by 22 points to 5.

Cpl French, who joined the RAF in 2001 and before that was an Air Cadet with Barry's 372 Squadron, said his men were "as ready as they could have been" to take on the South Wales Police but their opponents had the benefits of playing together for longer.

Despite sustained pressure from the RAF Police, the South Wales Police made their greater size and experience tell as the match went on.

Cpl French said: "I expected a fiercely competitive match - two sides going at it hammer and tongues - and this is what we got. You're not going to get much different with 30 coppers on the park."

"I thought physically both teams brought it and both tried to play an expansive game - and playing on this wonderful surface did allow some good rugby. Scoring the last try of the game was a highlight - one of the lads getting one over at the Arms Park, you can't ask for much more."

The squad were also raising money for the Dallaglio Foundation, the cause set up the former England, Lawrence Dallaglio to teach life skills based on the values of rugby to young people not in mainstream education. They also supported the RAF Charitable Trust.