PHOTO: 
Pembroke centre Dom Colman on the burst at Pill Parks

 

Featured Match:

 

Division Three (West) A:

 

Wasps wilt after Hicks sets them off with a bang

Llangwm 12 - Pembroke 85

Outstanding forward Josh Hicks scored a try for Llangwm straight from the kick-off against Pembroke at Pill Parks but The Wasps found themselves 52-5 in arrears at half time and although the powerful Hicks ploughed over again towards the end, converted by scrum half Luke Hayman, the homesters eventually conceded 13 tries, ten of them goaled by centre Sean Dalling.

Small wonder then that Scarlets’ coach Geraint Lewis was delighted by his squads’ display, not least because he had rested some key players to give some up and coming youngsters a chance, but also brought on more at the oranges.

There were uncontested scrums from the outset as Llangwm were able to field only a bare 15 players but they got off to a bang as Hicks claimed the kick-off brushed through some tackles, cleverly chipped ahead, showed some good control and claimed a real solo try.

It certainly gave The Scarlets a wake-up call because they grabbed 28 points of their own in quick time as winger Simon Stanford marked his return with the first try, followed by others by a long-range effort by Toby Smith, a training-ground score by centre Dan Colley and one from powerhouse No 8 Sam Smith, all converted by centre Sean Dalling.

There were others from skipper Scott Powell, winger ‘Daffy’ Lewis (2) and full back Luke Hartland, two more goaled by Dalling.

In the second half there were other Scarlet tries by scrum half Simon Hooper, Stanford and Toby Smith again before strong-running flanker Dom Colman added a brace of late scores.

Dalling slotted another four conversions and although James Lewis’s boys never gave up trying it was the visitors who created a huge lead in the first leg of the Palmer Cup, competed for annually by these old rivals.

PHOTO:
Josh Hicks runs strongly for Llangwm

 

Championship Division:

 

Otters beaten up front and suffer the consequences

Newbridge 15 - Narberth 13

After such a good string of performances Narberth had to settle for a losing bonus point against Newbridge when recent form might have suggested a victory but after trailing 10-3 at half time they were unable to take the initiative and so suffered their third defeat from 11 starts.

As head coach Sean Gale said afterwards,
“We weren’t at our best as we let them win the physical battle up front on a sticky pitch and in front of a vociferous crowd – but it is all part of our learning process in adapting to conditions that don’t suit our patters of play.”

All The Otters could muster in the first half was a Ianto Griffiths’ penalty as Lewis Hudd crossed for a Newbridge try converted by Eamonn Reese to go with a well-struck penalty.

Ryan Evans added a second try for Newbridge before another penalty from Griffiths reduced the deficit – and a try from powerful skipper Alex Jenkins, converted by Griffiths, took Narberth within two points of the opposition.

But there was no successful come-back story, as there was the previous weekend, and Newbridge moved into fifth place as their reward.

Narberth: Joe Hutchings: Liam Hutchings; Jack Parkinson; Paul Davies; Kieron Jones: Ianto Griffiths; Lewys Gibby: Rhys Davies; Dan Smith; Craig Thomas: Ryan Banner; Alex Jenkins (Capt): Dewi Williams; Tom Powell; Richard Rees. Replacements: Bradley Davies; Rhodri Owens; Steffan Phillips; Rhys Lane; Jonathan Rogers.
 

PHOTO:
Alex Jenkins - try for Narberth skipper

 

Division One (West): 

 

Waterlogged pitch sees derby game called off
Crymych P Tenby United P
Heavy overnight rain resulted in a waterlogged Parc Lloyd Thomas that saw this eagerly-awaited Pembrokeshire derby match called off.

 

Division Two (West): 

 

Great second half sees Seagulls flying to a vital victory

Amman United 13 - Fishguard & Goodwick 36

With both teams in the bottom four of the table this tough tussle saw Amman United lead by ten points early on before Fishguard and Goodwick narrowed the margin near half time and took almost total control thereafter.

The Seagulls made their traditional slow start at away games and soon found themselves ten points in arrears through a Joel Foster penalty and a try by winger Shane Edwards which Foster goaled.

Fishguard also had chances but over-eagerness saw them come and go before they scored a vital try when centre Arwel Davies sped through and No 10 Jake Jenkins added the extra points to reduce the interval deficit to three points.

A Jenkins’ penalty tied things up soon after the break and as skipper Gavin Walsh, Ryan McVeigh, Ritchie Hunter and newcomer Ryan Landman secured possession so the back row began to thrive.

Centre Mike Jenkins, who had a good game, scored two tries with one from McVeigh sandwiched in between, two converted by Jenkins, and all Amman United could muster in between was a Foster penalty.
Arwel Davies added his second try, converted by Jenkins, and this terrific performance saw The Seagulls deservedly climb the section table.
 

PHOTO:
Mike Jenkins - try brace for Fishguard centre

 

Borderers surrender their 100% record on The Gower

Mumbles 19 - Whitland 12

There was disappointment in the Whitland camp as they lost their 100% record to a Mumbles’ side which had to opt for uncontested scrums from the outset and raised their tempo to deny The Borderers key possession in other areas as well.

Key to the home side’s performance was nippy outside half Adam Nicklin, who made two terrific first-half breaks to race away and create a try for himself and supporting centre Iwan Gully.

Mumbles also scored a long-range try which a club spokesman described as their best of the season when interpassing between forwards and backs ended with winger Tom Powell scoring – and Nicklin converted two of the tries, one from the touchline.

All The Borderers could muster in response was a try by centre Jonathan Thomas, who also a added his second score, converted  by Nico Setaro, to set up a late hope of a converted try to draw level.

And their hardy band of supporters thought they might have done just that as industrious No 8 Jack Mason ploughed through but the referee ruled it hadn’t been grounded and so Whitland surrendered their undefeated record and are now in third place in the table.
 

PHOTO:
Jonathan Thomas - two tries for Whitland centre

 

Division Three (West) A: 

 

Williams leads All Blacks to big win at Ty Ddewi

St Davids 12 - Neyland 66

Promising young centre George Williams crossed for a hat trick of tries as Neyland eased to a third win in four recent  league games, this time against a battling St Davids side which never three in the towel.

Despite the adverse weather, Steve Martin’s young side again showed their potential with ball in hand, and it was Williams who crossed first after an inside pass from winger Dan Goodridge, before his centre partner Alex Codd charged down a kick in his own 22 and sped to the posts.

Neyland’s veteran No 9 Mark Riley converted both score to make it 14-0, but back came St Davids when some quick handling saw No 10 Scott James speed down the wing and cross in the corner.

But The All Blacks secured a bonus point before half time as winger Martin himself scored after the ball went loose in the Saints’ 22 and Riley converted, and then full back Chris Morgan got the fourth try from close range.

The visitors then cut loose after the break, as Williams sliced through for two more tries to secure his treble, with Codd also adding another after some great interplay between forwards and backs.

The pack also played their part as prop Jack Harries (who worked well alongside Richard Jones and Iorrie Salter), veteran second row Chris Busby, and outstanding flanker Kyle Hamer all went over. Riley added three more conversions, and after he went off, Martin and No 10 Jonathan Lloyd kicked one apiece.

The Saints did at least grab a consolation try late on when replacement forward Zac France-Miller, who played on permit from Crymych, powered under the posts for a try that James converted.

PHOTO:
St Davids look to carry at the base of a ruck
Picture by Fraser Watson

 

Riley leads Mariners to Mid Wales win

Tregaron 7 - Milford Haven 20

Two tries by experienced full back Lee Riley helped Milford Haven retain second place in the section table after a hard-fought for result at Tregaron, whose seventh place in the table belies the fact that they are a far stronger side on their home patch than they are on the road.

The Mariners also had a deserved try for wandering forward Dai Sweeny, one converted by scrum half Dan McClelland to go with a Riley penalty that gave him a personal haul of 13 points as reward for organising the cover defence but also knowing when to counter-strike.

The visitors were 12-0 up early on as Riley and Sweeny struck and McClelland converted one before Gwion Jones reduced the deficit to five points with a solo try that he also converted.

Catching the eye for Alan McClelland’s boys was second row Chris Hall, who put in an immense amount of work, and Jamie Lewis at outside half.

“We were workmanlike on a heavy pitch’” said coach McClelland, “but I felt we never looked in danger of losing,” after his team added a second Riley try and a penalty in a tight second half.
 

PHOTO:
Lee Riley - 13 points for Milford Haven full back

 

Cardis struggle against Aberaeron pack power

Cardigan 5 - Aberaeron 27

Cardigan found it hard going at home to Aberaeron as the visitors had power aplenty up front against an inexperienced Teifisiders’ XV which is settling in under coaches Colin Davies and Matthew Moynihan, and already 17 points adrift at the break.

They did manage an excellent unconverted try by outside half Tom Dunn within three minutes of the restart but hopes of a revival were quickly doused as influential Aberaeron No 10 Rhodri Jenkins landed a penalty then added a try which he also converted to seal success.

Jenkins had also converted Aberaeron tries by No 8 Tudur Jenkins and inside centre Ollie Sawyer and landed a first-half penalty to claim the man of the match tag.
 

Blues match called off
Haverfordwest P Laugharne P
*Match postponed by mutual consent