Keith Hopkins enjoyed a winning start as Malta coach as the national team battled past Cyprus in a dramatic Rugby Europe Conference encounter at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Saturday.

It was a resilient performance from the home side that managed to tame the physical challenge posed by the Cypriots to delight the home crowd with a crucial victory.

Thomas Holloway, Rob Holloway, and Brandon Dalton grabbed Malta’s tries while Chris Dudman added further points from his boot to give the Maltese a commanding 22-12 lead. But the Cypriots fought back late on to move just five points adrift but it had to be some stout defending from the hosts to ensure the win.

Read the full story on the Times of Malta sports website...

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