RUGBY REPORTS WEEKLY - Posted between 15th November and 31st December 2008

Rugby Reports for 27th December 2008

Feature Match:

Division One (West):
Otters on top with a bonus point

Whitland 6 points - Narberth 30 points

Narberth proved too strong overall for neigbours Whitland as they not only secured the victory so sought after by both camps, but a bonus point since they scored four tries as they also ensured that the Borderers didn’t cross their line at any time in the game.

There could be no complaints from the home camp with conditions very cold but almost perfect for this time of the year, but they had to play skipper Randall Williams at second row instead of his influential regular berth at No 8 whilst the loss of hooker Mark Jones to Carmarthen Quins the day before the match was another body blow alongside several injuries

The platform for the Otters’ success was their lively back row in which No 8 Jamie Bohata, Andrew Dennis and Gareth Bateman worked as a  trio and were always involved in securing quality ball for halves Adrian Killa and Aled Davies to use.

Yet it was Whitland who opened the scoring after seven minutes when Narberth illegally blocked a ruck and Carwyn Jones slotted the ensuing penalty – but they were then forced to endure a sustained period pf pressure where Chris James, Jamie Bohata, Ryan Perrott and Alex Jenkins all went close.

The Borderers broke out as winger Gareth Morris was put away on the right flank but Carwyn Jones was off target with a snap drop goal attempt after Williams, Carwyn Davies, John Bowen and Alan Proctor had made earlier thrusts.

Narberth missed a golden chance to level matters as an Aled Davies’ penalty hit the left post but the Otters went into the lead as Davies put Bateman and Dennis on a run left from which winger Nick Jones benefitted with a corner unconverted try.

A charged-down clearance by Jack Mason against his former colleagues put Whitland back on the offensive and a second Jones’ penalty gave the Borderers a single point ahead at the break since Aled Davies missed a penalty at the other end.

But Davies made amends soon after the restart when he drilled a penalty between the uprights, although he was unable to convert when good work by Narberth full back Matthew Davies put winger Tom Bonnell in for a cracking corner try. An Aled Davies dropped goal found the target and Whitland missed a good chance of initiating a come-back when Carwyn Jones missed a simple penalty chance – and from then on it as the Otters who seemed to hold the aces.

Both teams made a number of changes in their personnel but a Jamie Bohata charge down put Narberth in with a scoring chance which was taken as Bohata and Johnny Morgan helped secure possession from which centre Steve Martin was able to score wide out and Aled Davies converted.

It was appropriate that Andrew Dennis should grab the final Narberth score as he burst through from a lineout because he and Bohata had been key figures in the visitors’ success – and the Otter fans will enjoy the bragging rights for some time before the teams meet again later in the season!

Whitland: Will Davies: Gareth Morris; Aled Jones; Lee Glanville; Dan Mason (Gary Evans): Carwyn Jones; Gareth Davies: Gareth Lloyd (Gareth Williams); Alan Proctor (Gavin Walsh); Richard Smith (Rhun Morgan): Randall Williams (Capt); Carwyn Davies: Gareth Downes (Ryan Michael); Jack Mason; John Bowen.

Narberth: Mathew Davies: Tom Bonnell; Steve Martin; Richard Davies; Nick Jones (Johnny Morgan): Aled Davies; Adrian Killa (Andrew Davies): Ryan Perrott (Tom Slater); Dan Smith; Justin Hughes: Chris James (Dai Ebsworth); Alex Jenkins: Gareth Bateman; Andrew Dennis; Jamie Bohata (Capt). Replacement: Richard Sharpe-Williams.

Ref Huw finds himself with no kit:

The referee for the Whitland versus Narberth clash was Huw Griffiths, from Port Talbot, who suffered something of a shock as he arrived at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn to find that his kit was in the family’s other car, which was being driven by his wife back in Port Talbot!

He was fortunate that he was taken under the wing of Whitland stalwarts Clifton Bowen, himself a former ref, and Meirion ‘Pengawse’ James, with Clifton lending the harassed official his socks, shorts and an old shirt, whilst Meirion acquired the boots from Daniel, his 14 year old son.

To cap it all off, Huw was loaned by club secretary Rob Benjamin the whistle of a real character in Eric ‘Ten Yards’ Llewellyn, the ex-ref from Whitland who was known for his disciplined approach to being in the middle.

So all was well that ended well as Mr. Griffiths took charge of the local derby – although the Whitland boys might have been forgiven for wishing that the game hadn’t gone ahead since their team lost by 30 points to six!

Division Three (West):

Cardis win Teifi Valley battle

Cardigan 18 points - Newcastle Emlyn 6 points

Cardigan won the battle of the Teifi Valley as they resisted the strong challenge of neighbours Newcastle Emlyn to secure their seventh in ten matches to leap-frog over Llanybydder and into third place in the section table.

These local derbies are rarely a spectacle and this one was no exception but there was no shortage of effort on either side. It was the Teifisiders who opened the scoring with an early corner try for ex-Emlyn outside half Iestyn Crompton as he was put away by Tom Turner after Emlyn failed to find touch from a clearance kick.

Then a good back row move allowed Cardigan skipper Colin Davies to put flanker Dylan Davies over for a try in the 30th minute try which Crompton converted before he added a penalty to leave Cardigan 15-0 ahead at the break – and with the visitors regretting the fact that Emlyn outside half Rhydian Harries missed four penalties, two from eminently kickable positions.

Newcastle Emlyn reduced the deficit with two penalties in the opening five minutes of the second half as centre Daniel Davies found the mark but the visitors were unable to break down the well-drilled Cardigan defence again and a penalty from near the half-way line from Colin Davies was enough to send the Teifisiders home more than happy with victory over their old rivals.

Cardigan: Michael Diggle: Rob Davies; Nathan Murphy; Carwyn Thomas; Guto Crompton: Iestyn Crompton; Tom Turner: Barry Davies; Nigel Kurish; Dai Jones: Matthew James; Rob Connolly: Dylan Davies; Dylan Richards; Colin Davies (Capt). Replacements: Huw Davies; Owen Jones; Jamie Hand; Dafydd Evans;

Blues gain superb away win

Llanybydder 11 points -

Haverfordwest 17 points

Haverfordwest produced one of their best performances for a long time as they travelled to third-placed Llanybydder and came away with a win that even the most die-yard home supporter would have to say was no more than the Blues deserved.

They opened up a 17-point interval lead whilst playing some high quality attacking rugby and when Llanybydder inevitably made a frenzied come-back attempt they made sure that they covered and tackled well, especially in the final ten minutes as Llanybydder sustained several attacks but had no points to show for them.

Blues’ skipper Steve Williams set the early tone for his team as he tackled his opposite number just five metres from the Haverfordwest line, tore the ball clear and sped fully 95 metres for a corner solo try which clearly lifted their spirits, adding the difficult conversion as a bonus.

Then the Blues broke out of their own half again via winger Darren Salmon, who did well to slip the ball back inside for full back Gareth John to claim a try as reward for his excellent support work and solid defensive play.

Matthew Kelly and Williams used their experience to good effect and Williams put the Blues into an attacking position from a penalty near the interval which allowed Tom Pellowe to continue his excellent success rate at lineouts to set up a drive from which prop Neil Phillips emerged to claim the third touch-down of the period.

Llanybydder scrum half Darrell Griffiths struck two penalties either side of a try where he sniped away from a scrum near the Blues’ line but from then on there was no further scoring as Richard Brazell, Jamie Dalton, Brett Davies and Gareth Phillips tackled as if their lives depended on it up front, the other players all gave 100% support and Haverfordwest had president Brian Stephens purring over what he regarded as one of the best Blues’ successes for a long time!

Haverfordwest: Gareth John: Michael Venables; Ben John; Dan Harries; Darren Salmon: Steve Williams; Matthew Kelly: Neil Phillips; Dai Owen (Alun Harries); Tim Phillips (Gareth Green): Tom Pellowe; Gareth Phillips: Richard Brazell; Jamie Dalton; Brett Davies.

Preseli Men lose after promising start

Pontyberem 27 points - Crymych 21 points

Crymych caused early shock waves against undefeated Pontyberem as they tore into them from the kick off and were 14 points ahead at the end of the first quarter.

But in a first half extended to almost 51 minutes by the match official Ponty pulled back to 14-apiece at the interval and edged into the lead so that although the Preseli Men played really well they could only muster a late try when it was too late to influence the final outcome.

Crymych took the lead when centre Carwyn Phillips latched on to a neat little chip over the top by outside half Gareth Davies, the try converted by scrum half Iwan James, as was a second try when Phillips’ co-centre Nick Bevan took a short pass and sliced through to the posts for a quality score.

But Pontyberem showed why they are top as skipper Simon Roberts led by example and they benefitted from a period of pressure when No 8 Phil Rowe ploughed through and outside half Mike Sauro added the extra points.

In an extended period of time added on before the oranges, Ponty pounced for their second try, this time from flanker Richard Thomas, and again converted by Sauro to tie up the interval score – and Sauro booted the homesters ahead for the first time soon after the break.

A second try for No 8 Rowe was converted by Sauro, who also landed his second penalty, but Crymych still had the final word as outside half Gareth Davies followed his own clever kick ahead to win the race for the touch-down. Replacement Huw Rees notched the extra points but there was no further scoring and Pontyberem retained their 100% record – although the Preseli Men at least had a bonus point for all their genuine graft.

Crymych: Eurig Davies: Mark Hamilton; Nick Bevan; Carwyn Phillips; Noam Davey: Gareth Davies; Iwan James: Rob Davies; Martin Edwards; John Davies: Jonathan Hickin; Andrew Phillips: Richard Llewellyn (Capt); Tomos Jones; Carwyn Lawrence. Replacements: Owain Williams; Rhys Richards; Cennydd James; Huw Rees.

26th December 2008

Bishop Cup:

Under-strength Blues retain Bishop Cup

Haverfordwest 19 points -

Llangwm 5 points

Haverfordwest retained the Bishop Cup for the 17th successive season as they fought off a concerted challenge from a Llangwm side which played with typical vigour and commitment.

In fact, Llangwm played well enough to dominate the first quarter but then had hooker Aled Morgan red-carded for allegedly throwing a punch at a ruck, and lost influential flanker James Lewis since they had to replace hooker Morgan with Johnny James. But they still had a huge territorial advantage until half time but allowed the Blues to grab a converted try from their first real attack, in the 38th minute and were always trailing from then on.

To be fair to Haverfordwest, they fielded something of a makeshift side because of their league fixture at Llanybydder 24 hours later and so to outscore the Wasps by three tries to one was perhaps more creditable than the final scoreline suggests, with skipper Steve Williams receiving the fine old trophy from club president Brian Stephens immediately after the game.

Llangwm will be asking themselves how they managed to have so much ball won by Justin Mountstevens, Ian Griffiths, Gareth Jones and the rest of their pack yet not manage early points. Outside half Andrew Brock placed two penalties wide of the mark from his left boot and there were concerted charges involving Hamish Nicholls and Nick Phillips before Gareth Jones was held up on the line.

But just when it looked as if there would be a blank first-half scoresheet the Blues broke out from a strong run up the right flank by Dan John from which Mike Venables made a typically slicing run and from this platform it was hooker Gareth Green who claimed the try against his former colleagues, despite strong appeals by the Wasps for a knock-on, and skipper Steve Williams added the extra points from wide out.

Haverfordwest also had No 8 Matthew Lewis yellow-carded right on the interval and young second row Tom Pellowe late in the second period but they always held the edge after they scored their second try when long passes by Steve Williams and Mike Venables, the second bouncing nicely for winger Robbie Neil to pick up on the burst, brush off his marker and speed to the corner for an unconverted try.

Strong-running centre Will Beresford helped reduce the deficit with a neat little dummy and charge through to the shadow of the posts and when Llangwm’s pack secured good possession from the ensuing ruck scrum half James Dix spread the ball left where replacement prop Richard Scriven was on hand to claim the touch-down. Scriven also took the conversion attempt but was marginally short with a difficult kick.

This try set up hopes of a Wasps’ revival but another dart from Mike Venables allowed replacement three-quarter Dean Pindair to score the Blues’ third try which replacement No 10 Tom Sterling converted to round off the scoring.

Robbie Neil was awarded the man of the match trophy from the James family, a decision made by referee Andrew Miles, the police man from Pembroke Dock, who managed to raise the ire of both sets of supporters and so in some ways could be considered to have had a reasonable match!

Haverfordwest:  Gareth John: Dan John; Mike Venables; Jonathan Venables; Robbie Neil: Steve Williams (Capt); Richard James: Danny Miners; Gareth Green; Tim Phillips: Gareth Phillips; Danny Maddocks: Brett Davies; Chris Brock; Matthew Lewis. Replacements: Dai Miners; Terry Lovell; Dan Devonald; John Thomas; Tom Sterling; Chris Oliver; Phil Jones; Dan Pindair; Steven Edwards; Dai Vaughan.

Llangwm: Steve Picton: Jonathan Brock; Will Beresford; Elliott Graham; James Venables: Andrew Brock; James Dix: Dan Hughes; Aled Morgan; Justin Mountstevens: Hamish Nicholls; Nick Phillips: James Lewis; Ian Griffiths (Capt); Gareth Jones. Replacements: Will Scriven; Richard Scriven; Johnny James; Daniel Morgan; James Griffiths; Nick McPhee; Wayne English.

Referee: Andrew Miles (Pembroke Dock)

Rugby Match Round Up for 20th December 2008

Swalec Cup Round Four:

Feature Match . . .

Whitland 25 points -
Ystrad Rhondda 13

Two cracking early tries helped Whitland secure an excellent home win over Ystrad Rhondda as the Borderers were always on top thereafter against a side which plays it’s rugby in Division One (East) and arrived at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn in confident mood.

But the visitors were rocked back on their heels from the Borderers’ first sustained attack when fly half Carwyn Jones cleverly switched play inside for centre Lee Glanville’s angled run to cause such chaos that he lipped two tackles and sped to the line for a superb try which Jones converted.

Then Glanville turned try-maker shortly after Will Davies replaced injured winger  Christiaan Roets, fending off a tackle in the left corner after taking co-centre Aled Jones’ pass and in the same moment slipping the ball to Will Davies, who scored with his first touch of the ball.

Whitland scrum half Gareth Davies was guilty of indiscipline as referee Colin Kirkhouse overturned a decision in favour of the Borderers, showed Davies the yellow card and awarded the penalty to Ystrad for outside half Dylan Jones to kick the three-pointer. Carwyn Jones and Dylan Jones then exchanged further penalties and Carwyn Jones had the final chance of the period to score but missed a penalty.

Carwyn Jones made amends early in the second period as he kicked a good penalty for the Borderers but wide with another chance after Ystrad lock Chris Hanley was yellow-carded.

Randall Williams was outstanding for Whitland, closely followed by John Bowen and Ryan Michael, whilst full back Dan Mason showed he has something to offer at this level alongside Aled Jones and Glanville, whilst they used all their replacements to keep on top with a neat try from Carwyn Jones as he followed up his own chip through to the posts and converted.

Ystrad Rhondda had the final say with a try by lock Anthony Shellard but by then it was all over bar a few shouts and Whitland were worthy entrants for round five as their reward.

Whitland: Dan Mason: Gareth Morris; Aled Jones; Lee Glanville (Gary Evans); Christian Roets (Will Davies): Carwyn Jones; Gareth Davies: Gareth Lloyd (Gareth Williams); Marc Jones (Alan Proctor); Richard Smith (Rhun Morgan): Tom Dinan (Gareth Downes); Carwyn Davies: John Bowen; Ryan Michael (Jack Mason); Randall Williams (Capt).

Crymych 5 points - Cross Keys 31 points

Crymych produced a memorable performance as underdogs against premiership club Cross Keys and although they didn’t manage to create the shock result of the day they made sure that the visitors went back to Gwent knowing they had been in a battle royal.

The Preseli Men served notice of intent by opening the scoring as early as the second minute when Richard Llewellyn’s pack secured good ball and play was spread wide to Noam Davey for the winger to slip a clever inside pass to full back Eurig Davies, who did well to squeeze in at the corner.

Gareth Davies missed the conversion and two difficult penalty chances into the very strong wind but Crymych held their lead for some time before Cross Keys’ pressure told and there were two penalties and dropped goal by their outside half Joe Deakins which edged them in front by 9-5 at the interval.

Sadly for Crymych, the wind eased considerably after the break and although the Preseli Men all tackled like demons they couldn’t stop Cross Keys adding further unconverted scores for hooker Lloyd Byrnes and flanker Geraint Gladwin.

Cross Keys finished strongly with a try by replacement winger Will Johnston and were awarded a penalty try which Deakins converted but even the most partisan Cross Keys supporter would have to say that the final scoreline flattered them because Crymych had played a full part in n absorbing contest.

Crymych:  Eurig Davies: Mark Hamilton; Nick Bevan; Carwyn Phillips; Noam Davey: Gareth Davies; Iwan James: Rob Davies; Trystan Griffiths; John Davies: Jonathan Hickin; Andrew Phillips:  Richard Llewellyn (Capt); Mark Oakman; Carwyn Lawrence. Replacements: Martin Edwards; Rhys Richards; Cennydd James; Mark Beasley; Huw Rees; Andrew Thomas; Osian Griffiths.

Narberth 64 points -
Kenfig Hill 0

Narberth produced some scintillating rugby to destroy Kenfig Hill as they scored 17 first-half points and finally ran in ten tries and kept a clean score-sheet as a bonus.

The Otters opened their account with a try from Alex Jenkins as the second rower secured line-out ball and did well to stay on his feet until he was impelled over the Kenfig Hill line by the rest of the home pack.

A 50-metre break by winger Johnny Morgan created the platform for full back Matthew Davies to side step through and slip the scoring pass to winger Tom Bonnell for the second unconverted try for the Otters – and classy centre Steve Marin scored try No 3 after Aled Davies had booted the Otters on to the offensive and Bonnell slipped out of a tackle to put Martin the clear before Aled Davies added the extra points.

It was all Narberth in the second period and further tries came from flanker Gareth Bateman, centre Nick Jones (2), industrious prop Ryan Perrott, winger Morgan and replacement forward Jason Jennings. Steve Martin added his second try and another six conversions in seven second-half attempts from Aled Davies took Narberth to a cracking win.

Narberth: Matthew Davies: Tom Bonnell; Steve Martin; Nick Jones; Johnny Morgan: Aled Davies; Adrian Killa: Tom Slater; Dan Smith; Ryan Perrott: Alex Jenkins; Chris James: Andrew Dennis; Gethin Bateman; Jamie Bohata (Capt). Replacements: Justin Hayward; Jason Jennings; Luke Kendall; Richard Sharpe-Williams; Gareth Flynn; Andrew Davies.

Swalec Plate Competition:

(For those teams knocked out of the Swalec Cup in rounds one and two)

Pembroke 11 points -
Neyland 9 points

A try by winger Matthew Lewis was the highlight as Pembroke edged through in this uninspiring local derby against old rivals Pembroke at Crickmarren.

All the points came in the first period as Mark Riley kicked an early penalty for the All Blacks which was soon cancelled out by a penalty from Phil Williams, who nudged the Scarlets ahead shortly afterwards with his second kick on target.

Neyland No 10 Riley levelled matters and put the All Blacks ahead with his third successful kick before a period of sustained pressure by the home pack saw the All Blacks defending desperately but unable to stop winger Lewis crashing through on the blind-side from close range.

There were no points in the second period as a number of players on both sides looked as if they had celebrated finishing work the night before – but Pembroke had the better of the exchanges and just about deserved their win and progress into the next round.

Newcastle Emlyn 29 points - Haverfordwest 8 points

Some good kicking from Newcastle Emlyn outside half Rhydian Phillips was a feature of their home win over Haverfordwest as he claimed 19 points from five penalties and two conversions.

Yet it was the Blues who made the brighter start as they took the lead with a good try by winger Chris Shewry after quick hands put him over in the corner – but Phillips slotted the first two of his penalties before Haverfordwest No 10 Tom Stirling eased the Blues into an 8-6 lead.

Phillips kicked three other penalties and Emlyn had tries by blind-side flanker Gareth Phillips and a late score from full back Mark Lloyd, both converted by Phillips, but it might have been of some comfort to the Blues’ hardy band of supporters that their side only conceded two tries and scored one – but they gave away too many penalties under pressure and paid the inevitable price.

Swalec Bowl Competition

(For those teams knocked out of the Swalec Plate in Round One)

Aberaeron 25 points -
Tenby United 19 points

Aberaeron produced one of the surprise results of the day as they beat a makeshift Tenby United side for whom team manager Russell Milns bravely battled at loose-head prop in his first game for four years.

Tenby were trailing 18-12 at the interval as Tom Lewis grabbed a try and conversion whilst half back partner Rhys Thomas also crossed for a try, with Aberaeron showing their capability with good tries from prop Owain Wozencroft and Own Williams, plus a conversion and two penalties from scrum half Dylan Evans.

Tenby nudged ahead after 15 minutes of the second half when No 10 Lewis claimed his second try and added the extra points to put his team a single point to the good – but Aberaeron are bonny battlers and arty from second row Sion Arron, converted by outside half Llyr Davies, took them to an excellent win.

Fishguard and Goodwick versus Aberystwyth University

Match cancelled because Aberystwyth University were unable to field a team – so Fishguard will move into the next round.

Rugby Match Round Up for 13th December, 2008

National League

Feature Match
Division One (West):

Narberth 15 points -
Dunvant 5 points

Narberth gained their expected win over Dunvant on a gluepot of a pitch at the Lewis Lloyd Ground but rarely looked likely to build the expected big score against a side which had lost all ten of its previous matches.
The Otters were 15 points ahead at the interval, having dominated play, and they allowed themselves to be dragged down to Dunvant’s level in the second half so that they failed to score a single point and at the sane time gifted the visitors a soft try to further frustrate their supporters, who were also less than enamoured with referee Colin Kirkhouse.
Dunvant had a strong Narberth connection as former Otter coach Keith Eaton was in charge, with former players Gareth James and Simon Daniel at full back and outside half respectively, whilst skipper Christian Richards tried hard to keep his pack going from his hooker’s berth.
But Narberth were stronger up front and looked sharper behind, although No 10 Aled Davies looked a little out of sorts – but the Otters made a good start as they scored a seventh-minute try as skipper Jamie Bohata fed Andrew Davies from the base of a scrum and full back Matthew Davies swung out of a tackle to put winger Nick Jones in at the corner
Aled Davies missed the conversion but made amends when he added the extra points to a try scored from a pushover at a scrum five which Andrew Davies claimed – and Aled Davies notched a good penalty to put the Otters 15 points to the good after the first quarter. But from then on there were no further points as Aled Davies hit the post from a penalty and winger Nick Jones missed a sitter as he dropped a long pass from Aled Davies right on the line!
With such a boggy pitch it was perhaps inevitable the both sides would make basic errors but although the home coaching staff tried several changes there was no addition to the Otters’ total and there was no expected bonus point – and centre Mike Arnold capitalized on a gift pass from a Narberth player in the right corner to give Dunvant a consolation score before the match deteriorated into a series of errors on a very gloopy pitch.

Tonmawr 19 points - Whitland 3 points

Whitland knew that they would face a battle at Tonmawr, who are second in the table, and the writing looked on the wall for the Borderers after the opening quarter where they trailed 19-3 and looked under serious pressure.
Hooker Joe Rees gave Tonmawr the early lead when he burrowed through for an unconverted try and blind side flanker Alan Gwynn claimed their second try which fly half Steve Lewis converted.
Emyr Williams landed a Whitland penalty as skipper Randall Williams, Jack Mason and especially John Bowen played well in the back row but right winger Rhodri Bailiff claimed a third Tonmawr score which Lewis goaled.
At this stage it appeared that the Borderers might lose by a substantial margin but it is to their great credit that they refused to submit and, although they didn’t manage to add further points of their own, they defended superbly to deny Tonmawr further points or a bonus point for scoring four tries.
Gareth Williams, Dan Jones, John Bowen and Randall Williams led by example and everyone tackled their hearts out as Whitland showed real grit in adversity.

Division Three (West):

Amman United 13 points -

Cardigan 28 points

Cardigan showed they had recovered from defeat the previous Saturday as they played well against an Amman United side which has yet to win a league match but is always stronger on home turf and managed to score 13 points of their own.
The Teifisiders raced into a 21-0 lead with two cracking tries from outside half Iestyn Crompton which he also converted, the first after good work by Huw Davies and the second set up by Colin Davies and Dylan Richards. Crompton also converted when full back Huw Davies rounded off a move featuring Carwyn Thomas as the provider and all Amman United could offer in response were two penalties by NO 10 Gavin Lewis.
There was no addition to the scoreline for the first 30 minutes after the break, despite a great deal of pressing by the Cardis, who secured the  precious bonus point when good passing allowed Huw Davies to cross for a deserved second try – again converted by Crompton.
Perhaps this allowed Cardigan to settle relax too much and Amman United had the final word when scrum half Brian Williams sped over for a try which he also converted – but by then the Teifisiders were good value for a comfortable win.

Haverfordwest 10 points - Aberystwyth 26 points

Aberystwyth gained a victory against Haverfordwest but found the Blues in no mood to give in easily and eager to fight hard until the final whistle.
In fact, the Blues went in front after only three minutes as skipper Steve Williams converted but Aber replied with tries from second rows Llew and Dafydd Evans, both of which were converted by outside half Jason Rees.
Back came Haverfordwest when winger Chris Shewry kicked ahead and did well to claim the touch-down, with Williams converting and leaving his side only 10-14 behind at the interval.
The Blues again battled hard after the oranges but were rocked back when they conceded a penalty try, converted by Rees, and a good try by flanker Arwel Lloyd as reward for his support play, within the first 11 minutes of the period.
Williams tried hard to kick his forwards onto the offensive but Aber refused to let the Blues back into contention with and soft scores and held their discipline until the final whistle to claim their eighth win in nine outings to maintain their strong second spot in the table.

Crymych v Lampeter – Match postponed

The match between Crymych and Lampeter was postponed because Parc Lloyd Thomas was waterlogged and will have to be rearranged later in the season.

Division Four (West):

Tycroes 6 points -
Tenby United 34 points

Tenby United grabbed their eighth win from nine starts to remain firmly in second place as they journeyed to Tycroes and returned with the win and a good bonus point as reward for another concerted team effort.
They didn’t play as well as they might in the first period, when they led 16-6, but looked really sharp thereafter to shut out the homesters and add three more tries themselves.
Wingers Sam Catikai and James Davies joined scrum half Rhys Thomas and full back Dan Colley on the try sheet as outside half Tom Lewis tried to utilize his backs’ running skills as often as possible.
Lewis slotted two penalties and four conversions and all Tycroes could muster in return were two penalties by outside half Kyle Ace

Pembroke 10 points - Brynamman 32 points

Pembroke’s stop-start season continued as they lost at home to a Brynamman side now third in the table and able to show the Scarlets how to take their chances as they ran in four tries to grab a welcome bonus point whilst Pembroke had just one try to show for all their efforts.
Pembroke’s Phil Williams nudged his team into an early lead with a penalty but pacy winger Dafydd Moses put Brynamman ahead with a try converted by scrum half Dafydd Jones, who also added the extras when full back Dean Williams crossed for a try.
Brynamman moved into an 18-3 interval lead with an unconverted try by No 8 Adrian Rummings and a Dafydd Jones’ penalty – and added a further try from flanker Mike Richards, plus a conversion and penalty by Dafydd Jones to kill off home hopes.
The Scarlets were awarded a penalty try when scrum half Darren Gilbert was impeded close to the line, Phil Williams kicking the conversion, but it was not Pembroke’s day and they find themselves in mid table after this fifth defeat in nine games played.

Pembroke Dock Quins 36 points - Cwmgors 10 points

The Quins ran in five tries to comfortably beat a Cwmgors outfit which came to Bierspool with eight defeats in as many matches and rarely looked likely to break their duck as the Quins were well on top.
There was a minute’s silence before the game as a mark of respect for former Quins’ player and committeeman Rowland Smith, a lovely man, and the Quins were 17-3 ahead at the break and played some good rugby.
The front row of Richard McIntyre, Gary Burns and David Manning ensured a strong base for the Quins that allowed Gareth Scourfield and Kevin Bratcher to feed off them – and Gareth Scourfield scored two tries alongside others from winger Lee Scourfield and centre Darren Gibby (2).
Mark Lay played his first match for the Quins for some time and Ian Osborne made a welcome return as replacement alongside Michael Scourfield - and Stuart Hay landed four conversions and a penalty as all Cwmgors could score in reply was a first half penalty by Ken Windsor, who also converted a late try by Darren Williams.

Division Five (West):

Milford Haven 57 points -

Pontyates 3 points 

Milford Haven overcame the trying conditions as they looked far too sharp for Pontyates and ran in no fewer than nine tries whilst conceding a solitary first-half penalty kicked by Ponty outside half Alex Rowlands.
The Mariners must now be considered very strong contenders for promotion although coach Alan McClelland will keep his young charges’ feet firmly on the ground, as he has done in their winning seven and drawing the other of the eight league matches so far.
They ran the ball well and were 30-3 in front at the break before powering further forward in the second period. Wingers Rhys Holmes and Sam Stallbow shared four tries as proof of their ability to spread play wide, with powerful centre Dean Matthews also bagging a try brace. Other tries were claimed by hooker Craig Smith, his second in as many matches, scrum half Aaron Sprowell and veteran No 8 Scott Walters, the ‘old hand’ alongside Mark Wonnacott and Dai Sweeney in a busy back row.
Full back Leigh Broome converted sic of the tries and coach McClelland admitted afterwards that he was very pleased with the focus shown by the entire squad at the moment.

Swansea Uplands 12 points -  

St Davids 8 points

St Davids started well against Swansea Uplands and were deservedly 8-0 ahead at the break but they failed to turn further good positions into points and conceded two tries which enabled the Uplands to leap-frog over them at the foot of the table.
Noel Lyons played well alongside Dan Colfer and Rhodri Thomas in the front row, whilst Geraint Morris tried hard at fly half alongside No 9 Brian Phillips, to keep his pack going forward – and this ploy seemed to be working as second row Ian McGarty ploughed over for a try and skipper Phil Lamb atoned for the missed conversion with a well-struck penalty.
Jack Dudley was his usual committed self when he joined the fray but open-side flanker Ian Lewis scored a try for the Uplands which left-winger Ross Grey converted – and Grey raced clear for an unconverted try which finally swung the game in the home side’s favour.

Furnace 13 points - Neyland 3 points

Neyland were unable to prevent Furnace maintaining their chase for promotion as they never gave up trying but allowed the homesters to score points at vital times.
The All Blacks had two early penalty chances but fly half Mark Riley hit the woodwork and then was just short with a long-range effort so Furnace led by eight points at half time through a penalty by full back Geraint Jones, after good work by skipper Chris James and youth prospect Ben Phillips in the back row, plus a well-worked unconverted try by winger Thomas Barnes.
Good work by veteran lock Tony Smith-Howell and Riley ensured Neyland were in the game and Riley found the target with a penalty but the All Blacks were rocked back by a soft try from home winger Mark Cook and they were unable to break down the stubborn home defence in the last quarter.

Cefneithin versus Fishguard and Goodwick – Match postponed

This match was called off as a mark of respect for former Fishguard player and committeeman Wayne Harries, who had passed away in the week, and will be replayed later in the season.

Rugby Match Round-Up - Saturday 6th December 2008

Feature Match . . .
Division Five (West):

Llangwm 0 points - Milford Haven 29 points

A hat-trick of tries by teenage winger Tom Bullivant made sure that Milford Haven comfortably maintained their unbeaten record in a tough local derby at Pill Parks where the Wasps were strong up front but couldn’t match the Mariners behind the scrum.

Bullivant posed a threat whenever he had the ball in his hands and has now grabbed six tries in three senior matches – opening the scoring after only two minutes after quick hands by Ian Rusinek and Wayne Sprowell put him in at the left corner, with Leigh Broome converting.

Llangwm had chances in a strong 10 minutes territorially where Gareth Jones, Hamish Nicholls and skipper Ian Griffiths caught the eye but missed penalties by Richard Scriven (2) and Andrew Brock before Milford fought their way back upfield and Bullivant romped through for his second score as the referee missed a clear midfield knock-on.

The second half followed a similar pattern as Llangwm never gave up trying but whenever Milford had the ball they looked like scoring, as they did when hooker Craig Smith successfully chased an Aaron Sprowell kick through – and Sprowell scored a cracking solo try almost from the kick-off as a little dummy created the space and he sprinted 50 metres to the posts for Broome to add the extras.

Bullivant applied the final nail in Llangwm’s coffin after good work by Ian Rusinek, Rhys Holmes, Gareth Fawcett and Wayne Sprowell, to leave Milford Haven very much in contention at the top of the table.

Llangwm: Steve Picton: James Venables; Will Beresford; Elliott Graham; Jonathan Brock: Andrew Brock; James Dixon: Richard Scriven; Aled Morgan; Dan Hughes: Nick Phillips; Hamish Nicholls: James Lewis; Ian Griffiths (Capt): Gareth Jones. Replacements: William Scriven; Justin Mountstevens; Daniel Morgan; Johnny Jones; Wayne English; James Griffiths; Nick McPhee.

Milford Haven: Leigh Broome: Tom Bullivant; Wayne Sprowell; Dean Matthews; Rhys Holmes: Ian Rusinek; Aaron Sprowell: Mike Cockburn; Craig Smith; James Passmore: Gareth Fawcett; Carl Allen (Cap): Mark Wonnacott; Dai Sweeney; Scott Walters. Replacements: Jamie Picton; Mike Ryder; Craig Thomas.

Division One (West):

Narberth 20 points - Bonymaen 13 points

Two tries by winger Tom Bonnell helped Narberth to a solid home win over basement battlers Bonymaen but after establishing a deserved 15 point interval lead the Otters took their feet off the gas for a while in the second period and gave the visitors the glimpse of a chance.

Bonnell raced over after fifteen minutes and the Otters doubled their lead when fly half Aled Davies claimed a cracking solo try from the 22 metre line. Bonnell added his second as he successfully chased a clever Steve Martin kick ahead and Narberth looked settled for a comfortable win.

But Bonymaen fought back in the third quarter as full back Rob Townsend slotted to penalties and he added the conversion to a try from winger Richard Watkins.

These points served as a wake-up call for Narberth and they secured a bonus point for four tries when their pack drove Bonymaen back at a scrum five for Jamie Bohata to claim the touch-down and ensure the Otters were winners.

Whitland 13 points - Maesteg 6 points

Whitland secured a deserved home win as they outlasted a Maesteg side which was always in contention but couldn’t break down the well-drilled Borderers’ defence.

The first half was very tight and Whitland took the lead on 14 minutes with an Emyr Williams penalty which was soon cancelled out by a similar kick from Gareth Goodridge. Williams was of-target with another attempt but landed his second penalty after 32 minutes to put Whitland just 6-3 ahead at half time.

The second period was equally hard-fought but the Borderers struck a crucial blow when Randall Williams and Mark Jones helped set up a try for flanker Ryan Michael which Emyr Williams converted.

Gareth Goodridge landed his second penalty to keep Maesteg within a converted try of a draw but although Emyr Williams missed another penalty for the Borderers they held out well to claim another win.

Division Three (West ):

Cardigan 8 points - Pontyberem 15 points

Two late tries from left wing Mike Murphy and hooker Hefin Lloyd helped Pontyberem maintain their 100% league record and left Cardigan reflecting on just how close they came to securing a home win.

Full back Mike Diggle opened the scoring with an unconverted try and skipper Colin Davies notched a penalty as centre Mike Sauro kicked a penalty for Pontyberem which restricted the Teifisiders to an 8-3 half time when their commitment might well have been better rewarded with a little more luck.

And that is the way the scoreline remained in a tight second period until the final ten minutes, when Mike Murphy cut through for his try, converted by Sauro, and hooker Lloyd sealed an away win for Pontyberem when he ploughed over for an unconverted try.

Lampeter 26 points - Haverfordwest 15 points

Haverfordwest were in contention for much of their match at Lampeter but paid the price for being without several experienced players as Lampeter overturned a 10-9 interval deficit to win.

Home No 10 Huw Thomas landed three first half penalties as a Gyles Vaughan try, plus an early penalty and the conversion from Blues’ skipper Steve Williams nudged them a point ahead.

Mark Busch and Richard Brazell both worked tirelessly up front for the Blues whilst younger players like Richard James, Gareth and Ben John also showed what they could do – and Brett Davies grabbed an unconverted try for Haverfordwest.

But Lampeter outlasted the Blues to register tries from No8 Aled Thomas, flanker Dai Jones and scrum half Joe Thomas, one of which was converted by Huw Thomas – and they claimed their fourth win in nine starts as a result.

Tumble versus Crymych

Division Four (West):

Hendy 16 points - Pembroke Dock Quins 21 points

Pembroke Dock Quins defied a poor start, where they conceded ten points in as many minutes, to record an excellent away win over Hendy.

Hendy outside half Rhydian Morris benefitted from some sloppy Quins play to kick a penalty and convert his own try but three penalties by Quins outside half Stuart Hay pulled them back into contention and a close range try from No 8 and skipper Gareth Scourfield out the visitors ahead for the first time.

Two more Morris penalties kept Hendy in with a real chance of success but the Quins made sure of a good away win when Gareth Scourfield dived through  from a push-over attempt to claim his second score and Hay applied the coup de grace when he added the conversion points.

Pontarddulais 27 points - Pembroke 13 points

Pembroke played reasonably well at Pontarddulais but were never able to turn pressure into points and paid the inevitable price. Te Scarlets were 15-3 adrift at half time and found themselves 24 points in arrears before they finally found their scoring touch when it was too late to grab good tries by prop James Walters from a tap and go penalty and by winger Matthew Lewis after a smooth handling move along their back division.

Ross McNally had given the Scarlets an early lead with a penalty but wingers Gethin and Gary Williams both scored first-half tries for the Bont, one converted by outside half Paul Rees to go with a penalty.

Gethin Williams added his second try after the interval alongside a fourth try to secure a bonus point, scored by centre Ian Merks, and Rees slotted a second conversion to keep his side in fourth place in the table as the Scarlets lost their fourth match in eight league starts.

Tenby United 43 points - Burry Port 10 points

Tenby United played some cracking rugby as they ran in no fewer than seven tries against Burry Port, a deserved victory which ensures they remain second in the section table.

Tom Lewis grabbed yet another interception try to go with four conversions for a personal haul of 13 points whilst other tries came from Mark Heywood, Ben Griffiths, Ben Cray, Rob James, Ifan Davies and Sam Smith.

Burry Port did manage a try by David Williams which Huw Davies converted to go with his penalty but the visitors were never really in the hunt and the Seasiders are very much in the promotion race at the moment!

Division Five (West):

Fishguard 13 points - Aberaeron 15 points

This was a match that Fishguard should have won but they conspired to throw the game away when they conceded a late interception try to replacement winger Owen Williams.

There was still just enough time for the Seagulls to mount one last-gasp attack to claw back the verdict and they were awarded a last-ditch penalty – but the normally-reliable Huw Evans sent the ball marginally the wrong side of the woodwork and Aberaeron made the long journey home with the league points and Alan Phillips’ team was left to reflect on what might have been.

Outside half Dylan Evans kicked Aberaeron into an early lead with a penalty and that’s the way the score stayed into the second half when the Seagulls suffered a double blow as they had centre Steve Jenkins shown a yellow card for obstruction and conceded a penalty try which Dylan Evans converted.

The Seagulls clawed their way back through two Huw Evans’ penalties and a try from Matthew Reynolds which Huw Evans goaled – but then came those dramatic last moments and the homesters had to settle for a narrow defeat.

St Davids 0 points - Furnace 29 points

St Davids looked decidedly ring-rusty after the enforced holiday caused by the autumn internationals and never looked likely to beat Furnace as they trailed by ten points at the interval and weren’t able to claim a single point.

Furnace are currently second in the table and they started well with a try by winger Tom Barnes to go with Steff Rogers’ conversion and penalty.

Barnes added a second try as Furnace remained on top and other tries by scrum half Nick Stephenson and centre Mark Cook, both converted by Rogers, saw the visiting team able to celebrate a bonus-point victory whilst the Saints had little to show for their efforts

30th Nov. 2008

KO Cup News:

Blues beat Blacks by a single point

Neyland 14 points -

Haverfordwest 15 points

Haverfordwest eased through by a single point at Neyland after the All Blacks had used the wind to good advantage and led 14-3 at half time.

Steve Williams, the Haverfordwest outside half and captain, claimed all the Blues points with five successful kicks, the first coming after the All Blacks had taken an 11-0 lead with a try by Darren John and two Mark Riley penalties.

Riley added another penalty before the interval but Haverfordwest made progress in the competition as Williams slotted another four successful kicks up to the 71st minute and made sure there was no further scoring in a tense finale.

Quins too hot for sorry Saints

St Davids 3 points -

Pembroke Dock Harlequins 55 points

Pembroke Dock Harlequins proved too strong and mobile for a plucky St Davids side whose only points came from a first-half penalty by skipper Phil Lamb.

The Quins ran in nine tries, five of them converted by Stuart Hay, who also claimed a try alongside Simon Coleman (2), Chris Saunders, Paul Jonkers (2),  David and Danny Manning, plus skipper Gareth Scourfield.

Borderers too strong for willing Wasps

Llangwm 5 points - Whitland 52 points

Whitland moved into the second round of the Pembrokeshire Knock Out Cup as they travelled to Pill Parks and proved far too strong and experienced for a plucky Llangwm outfit which never gave up trying until the final whistle from referee Tony Pratt blew.

The Borderers had youth team half backs Dafydd Evans and Jonathan Thomas gaining some senior experience and this pair combined to put them ahead early on as No 9 Evans sniped away from a quickly-taken tap penalty and Thomas rounded things off in style before full back Carwyn Jones added the extra points.

The Wasps responded well as their pack set up a typical charge involving burly prop Richard Scriven which led to influential No 8 Gareth Jones ploughing over, although Scriven was unable to add the extra points.

Whitland led by 26-5 at half time after regaining the iniative with a good try by Carwyn Jones which he was unable to convert – but Jones soon made amends when he converted further tries by skipper Randall Williams from his No 8 berth and winger Gary Evans.

Llangwm continued to battle hard after the interval but the bigger and more experienced Whitland pack ensured a steady stream of possession for Evans and Thomas to exploit. The Borderers opened their second half account when prop Gareth Lloyd crashed over for an unconverted try and this was followed by a second score from Carwyn Jones which the full back also converted.

As Whitland inevitably lasted the pace a little better they had a try from scum half Evans after a little dart to the line and back row grafter Ryan Michael rounded off the try count after good work by the Borderers’ pack. Both were converted by Carwyn Jones and Whitland were worthy winners of an entertaining match.

Cardis come through late on

Milford Haven 27 points - Cardigan 38 points

Cardigan made progress after being pushed all the way by a gritty Milford Haven side which showed they can play at a higher level than Division Five, playing well in this floodlit Friday evening match at The Observatory..

The Mariners actually led 27-24 in the last quarter before the Teifisiders used their greater experience to good effect.

Revised Draw:

Whitland v Crymych/Tenby United

Cardigan v Fishguard/Narberth

Aberystwyth v Pembroke Dock Harlequins

Haverfordwest v Pembroke

Friendly Match: 22nd Nov. 2008

Otters ousted by slick students

UWIC 40 points - Narberth 19 points

The first divisions from east and west clashed in Cardiff before Saturday’s international as UWIC entertained Narberth and the students came out comfortable winners.

Yet the Otters started well as winger Johnny Morgan sped up the left flank to score a try which was converted by stand-in stand-off Nick Jones.

But the lead was short lived because UWIC levelled matters with a good try from centre Alex Carlton-Palmer which outside half Simon Humperstone converted, as he did when Carlton-Palmer grabbed his second try to put the students ahead.

A good break by winger Elfin Davies allowed hooker Mike Catriss to score a converted try for UWIC and they led 28-7 as Humperstone slotted his fourth conversion when centre Sean Hawkey raced away for their fourth try right on the interval.

The Otters also played some excellent rugby and started the second period well when Adrian Killa, playing at full back, joined the line at the right time to score a corner try which Jones did well to convert before replacement Gareth Flynn also crossed for an unconverted Narberth try to haul them back into contention.

But Narberth lost centre Neil Davies to a red card and the students fought back with two good tries from replacement flanker Luke Dyckoff, the first converted by Humperstone, to round off an entertaining game that was enjoyed by both sets of supporters before nipping across to the Millennium Stadium.

International Club Rugby

Local rugby serves Welsh Clubs XV well

Germany 14 points - Welsh Clubs XV 27 points

Narberth had a huge contingent as centre Steve Martin, winger Tom Bonnell, scrum half Andrew Davies, utility back Matthew Davies, hooker Dan Smith, second row Alex Jenkins and flanker Chris James were included in the squad, whilst Emyr Williams (Whitland) and Colin Davies (Cardigan) also started the match at centre and No 8 respectively. Former Whitland and Haverfordwest player Matthew John, now with UWIC) started at full back whilst ex-Whitland prop Alun ‘Tank’ Davies (now at Carmarthen Quins) made it a total of 11 players from the 25-man squad to have played rugby in Pembrokeshire.

Germany moved into an early nine-point lead from three penalties but Wales’ skipper Jamie Howells (Bargoed) landed a penalty and Bonnell reduced the interval deficit to a single point after being put through by the quick hands of Martin and Williams, whilst Narberth all-rounder Matthew Davies joined the fray after 20 minutes when Matthew John was injured.

Germany managed to grab a solitary try after the break but Wales got on top up front as Alex Jenkins, Chris James, Dan Smith, Colin Davies were all heavily involved in the ball-winning stakes. For James, it was a third successive term in the Welsh team after representing the Clubs’ XV in Belgium two years ago and last season played against both France and Scotland.

Steve Martin put Wales ahead with a cracking try and others came from Emyr Williams and skipper Howells, who also notched two conversions as he played well at half back alongside Andrew Davies.

The squad flew to Germany from Heathrow and received a warm welcome and a formal dinner after the match. They all received their caps at a presentation - and the Pembrokeshire connection was continued since Narberth’s coach Sean Gale and District ‘H’ director of coaching Kim Norkett were heavily involved in the coaching set-up. They were delighted by the performances of their young charges and Kim Norkett told pembrokeshiresport.co.uk that the players had served Pembrokeshire and Welsh Rugby with some distinction.

Swalec Welsh Cup Third Round: 15th Nov. 2008

Otters run Saracens ragged

Narberth 45 points - Newport Saracens 12 points

Narberth played some typically entertaining running rugby as they comfortably took on Newport Saracens in the Swalec Welsh Cup, turning a 19-12 interval lead into a deserved 45-12 scoreline at the finish.

The Saracens are bottom of Division One (East) but took an early led with a penalty from full back Simon Shinner, the only time the Otters trailed throughout an entertaining tussle.

Narberth full back Matthew Davies opened the second half scoring with an unconverted try after following up his own neat chip ahead, and Morgan claimed his second as inter-passing gave him the chance to speed in at the posts. Replacement centre Steve Martin also got on the try count and Matthew Davies crossed for a late second try, with Aled Davies converting the final three tries to give the Otters’ supporters real value for money and a fully merited victory.

Borderers bring home the bacon

Cwmafon 6 points - Whitland 24 points

Whitland made their expected progress in the competition at the hands of a Cwmafon side which is currently tenth in Division Two (West) and beat Llangefni (away) in the previous round.

Borderers’ full back Lee Glanville opened their account with an unconverted try after great work by outside half Carwyn Jones and winger Gareth Morris whilst home kicker Neil Gadd slotted penalties either side of a good try from Whitland No 9 Gareth Davies, set up by prop Richard Smith, which Carwyn Jones converted to put Whitland in by six points at half time as he and opposite number Gadd also missed two penalty chances apiece.

Randall Williams, Jack mason, Mark Jones and Rhun Morgan all played well up front for Whitland after the interval to make sure that they contained Cwmafon’s attacking plans and further tries from hooker Mark Jones and winger Gareth Morris, the first converted by Carwyn Jones, ensured that the Borderers, name was in the draw for round four.

Cardis push Llan all the way

Cardigan 7 points - Llantrisant 14 points

Llantrisant are currently top of Division Two (East) after an unbeaten start to the campaign but knew they had been in a real cup-tie as Cardigan battled hard throughout a tough encounter and were in with a real chance up until the closing stages.

The visitors led 11-0 at half time thanks to a try right on the interval by winger Kevin Owen and two penalties in the 12th and 36th minutes from scrum half Ian Worgan – but Cardigan had gone close when outside half Iestyn Crompton made a terrific break, only to slip just short of the line and lose possession. .

Cardigan fought back within six minutes of the start of the second period with a good try by Arwyn Wilson after another Iestyn Crompton break and some useful tidying up from winger Robert Davies. Iestyn Crompton converted and the Teifisiders were still in with a chance as Mike Diggle and Crompton tried hard to keep the momentum going and there was no shortage of effort from Nigel Kurish, Dylan Richards and Gonzalo Lucena up front.

They pushed Llantrisant all the way until deep into injury time, when Worgan added a third penalty to seal success for a relieved Llantrisant contingent but Cardigan could take pride in the fact that they started as underdogs but had pushed Llantrisant all the way.

Big guns shoot down Mariners

Milford Haven 9 points - Llangennech 42 points

Milford Haven knew they would have to battle all the way against Llangennech because the visitors to The Observatory Field are eighth in Division One (West) and playing against the likes of Narberth and Whitland on a weekly basis. Inevitably, they found the visitors too strong and streetwise as they trailed 22-9 at the interval and conceded another three tries afterwards, but coach Alan McClelland was full of praise for the way his team stuck to their task.

Leigh Broome landed three penalties for Milford and there was some yeoman defensive work from Ian Rusinek, Martin and Dean Matthews, Rhys Holmes and Adam Richards. But two tries by Rhys Lane, plus other scores from Ashley Bonfield, Mark Bowen, Mark Fisher, Aled Roberts and Neil Davies made sure that Llangennech were always looking likely to make progress. Roberts also kicked a penalty and two conversions as Ben Johnson and Aaron Sprowell caught the eye for Milford Haven and there was effort aplenty from Scott Walters, Jamie Parr, Mark Wonnacott up front.. The match was sponsored by Dean Hadley Construction.

Welsh prop leads Crymych to home win

Crymych 22 points - Birchgrove 3 points

A try by former Llanelli and Wales prop John Davies set Crymych on their way as they out-lasted a gritty Birchgrove side to earn a solid win.

Davies, who has opted for at least one final season at Parc Lloyd Thomas to end a glittering career and he powered over for the first try after North Walian winger Noam Davey had made the initial thrust and found Davies at he shoulder for a 20 metre run to the line. Crymych scrum half Huw Rees had landed an early penalty which was cancelled out by opposite number Lee Mainwaring, with Rees adding the extra points to Davies’s try to put Crymych 10-3 ahead at the break.

Noam Davey opened the second half scoring for Crymych as he sliced through from near the half way line and whenever Birchgrove, who are currently bottom of Division Four (South-East), tried to counter-attack they found a tight defence centred around Eurig Davies, Nick Bevan, Carwyn Phillips and the kicking of Gareth Davies. Rees again converted before Osian Griffiths claimed what turned out to be the final score of the match and allow the Preseli Men to move smoothly into the next stage of the competition.

Blackwood versus Pembroke Dock Harlequins

Swalec Cup Plate Competition:

Neyland 11 points - Fishguard & Goodwick 6 points

Neyland led 8-0 at the break thanks to a try from winger Darren John and a penalty by outside half Mark Riley as Tony Smith-Howell played really well in a rare game at prop alongside Robert Codd.

Riley also kicked really well out of his hand in a solid half back partnership with Andrew Slark as the All Blacks played better than when the teams recently met and they edged home 12-9.

But Fishguard have improved of late and although they were without a few key players

They fought back when Alun George slotted two penalties for the Seagulls to raise hopes of a come-back.

Neyland kept their focus, despite the pressure, however, and Riley added a second penalty to nudge the All Blacks through to the next round as Alun George was off-target with two further difficult penalties, one from inside his own half for the Seagulls.

Scarlets seal success over Seasiders

Pembroke 20 points - Tenby United 10 points

Pembroke overcame the dismissal of second row Dai Beynon to gain a Plate Competition win over neighbours Tenby United at Crickmarren.

The Scarlets led by 12 clear points at half time thanks to tries by Beynon, who bullocked his way over with assistance from his forward colleagues, and winger Matthew Lewis, who rounded off some superb handling to cross wide out. One try was converted by Ross McNally, but after Beynon had been shown the red card early in the second half the Seasiders clawed their way back with unconverted tries from Dai Merrick and Sam Smith as Rhys Tomas and Gavin Brace played well for them behind the scrum.

McNally added a penalty for Pembroke, who were reduced to 13 men when Steve Dyde received a yellow card – but the Scarlets managed to grab that vital final score with an unconverted try by powerful centre Mark ‘Pello’ Williams to seal their place in the second round of this new competition.

Haverfordwest versus St Davids