PHOTO
Quins on the charge against The Blues

 

Featured Match:
 
Division Three (West):

 

Blues beat gritty Quins

Haverfordwest 17 - Pembroke Dock Harlequins 5

Both teams were made to make a number of changes from the teams originally selected because of illness, injury and work commitments, especially in the Quins’ camp with some of their players on the shut-down at the Power Station, and it showed as Ossie Boswell’s boys had a bare 15 players and opted for uncontested scrums.

The Blues’ side was also unrecognisable from the original team selected but they had some influential players in young half backs Ollie Hughes and Liam Manwaring, prop Terry Lovell, Lewis Wood and flanker Richard Brazell, turning out to help The Blues and playing with a vigour which belied the fact that ‘Trigger’ is now in his mid-40s!

It was Haverfordwest who opened the scoring from an opportunist try that stemmed from a Quins’ move breaking down in midfield before Ollie Hughes twice hacked forward and beat the cover to be awarded an unconverted try, although it looked as if a penalty try might have been considered by referee Paul Richards.

But The Quins quickly made amends with a cracking try that stemmed from the ball-winning capabilities of Hywel Baker, Steff Halwood and Harry Owen that allowed half backs Ollie Lewis and Aaron Cookson to spread play right and winger Matthew Lewis supplied the scoring pass for skipper Thomas Doyle to dive over in the corner.

And although both teams had half chances there were inevitably errors in the awful conditions and half time arrived with both teams still sharing ten points.

The second half was equally as competitive but it was The Blues who started well for tight-head prop Lovell to crash over the line and Ollie Hughes added the extra points.

Halwood, Baker, George Bellmaine and Alex Pearce tried hard to raise the tempo but again half chances went abegging and The Blues sealed victory when full back Rhys Baker rounded off some quick hands to cross the whitewash and although the conversion went awry it mattered little because Haverfordwest were able to celebrate a win which puts them back into fourth place in the section table.

Haverfordwest:  Rhys Baker: Ben Skudder; Ollie Hughes; Dave O’Leary; Mark Stobbs: Liam Manwaring; Ollie Hughes: Cole Barry; Jamie Zambas; Terry Lovell: Paul Thomas; Tom Meehan: Steve Thomas; Richard Brazell; Lewis Wood. Replacements: Tom Carrington; Richard Little; Mark Wilson; Josh Atherton; Hywel Church.

Pembroke Dock Harlequins:  Liam Hargreaves-Gibson: Will Nico; Thomas Doyle; James Skeels; Matthew Lewis: Aaron Cookson; Ollie Lewis: Dai Rees; George Bellmaine; Rob Monk: Alex Pearce; Jack Brown: Hywel Baker, Harry Owen; Steffan Halwood.

PHOTO:
A classic diving pass by veteran Richard Brazell

 

Championship:

 

Otters called off despite yeoman work on pitch

Narberth P Pontypool P

Narberth’s hopes of avenging a 29-0 defeat at Pontypool were brought to a halt when the heavy rain in the area saw the home club with no option but to postpone this top of the table clash at lunch-time, despite the yeoman efforts of some committeemen throughout the morning to get rid of the standing water on their Lewis Lloyd pitch.

 

Division One (West):

 

Seasiders fail to maintain recent momentum

Aberystwyth 24 - Tenby United 10 

Tenby United travelled to Aberystwyth in search of a league double against a side they also need to play in the KO Cup semi-final in the next few weeks but after five league wins on the trot they were unable to find their form here as they were beaten up front and paid the price.

Tenby won at Heywood Lane by 33-7 and also beat Aber in last season’s KO Cup Final but on this occasion they found themselves 17-3 adrift at half time on the university’s pitch as their only points came from a Craig Barnett penalty as Aber scored early unconverted tries by full back Matthew Hughes and second row Lee Slack alongside a penalty try when the Seasiders were penalised for collapsing three scrum fives before the referee lost patience and raised his arm under the posts for a seven-pointer.

Aber maintained control for a while in the second half and added a bonus-point try from Ianto Ellis which Llyr Thomas converted but when Wyndham Williams joined the fray for his 190th game in Tenby’s colours he seemed to galvanise the visitors and second row Jack Clancy emerged from a pile of bodies after a concerted Seasiders’ drive and Barnett added the extra points.

But it was too little, too late for Tenby and they will be looking to raise the tempo, especially in the set pieces, when the travel to Aberystwyth for their cup encounter!
 

PHOTO:
Jack Clancy - scored Tenby's only try at Aberystwyth

 

Preseli Men fall apart in the second half

Llanelli Wanderers 46 - Crymych 12

Crymych travelled to Llanelli Wanderers eager for a victory against one of the other teams embroiled in the relegation battle but after a promising first half, where they led 12-10, they fell apart after the oranges and conceded another 36 points without any scores of their own.

The Preseli Men scored good tries from No 8 Guto Davies and full back Thomas Phillips, one converted by centre Ifan Phillips, as the Wanderers only response was a penalty from Jonathan George until they opened their try count right on half time by No 9 Josh Weeds, which George converted.

But whatever the home coaches said at half time it certainly worked because Weeds sniped over for his second try alongside others from No 8 Nicky Harries, winger Lewis Jones, full back Lloyd Thomas, centre Dafydd Daniel and outside half George, who also landed three more conversions and a penalty.

It means that Crymych are now ten points adrift at the foot of the table whilst this bonus-point victory takes Llanelli Wanderers out of the bottom two as their reward.
 

PHOTO:
Tomos Phillips - scored for Crymych from full back

 

Division Two (West):

 

Seagulls defeated by table toppers

Fishguard & Goodwick 7 - Yr Hendy 17

Table-topping team Yr Hendy came to The Moors in search of the double over Fishguard & Goodwick, having won 33-18 at home, but were unable to field a front row and so opted for uncontested scrums, which effectively removed one of The Seagulls’ most potent weapons.

This was especially so in the first half when The Seagulls were competitive in the loose play but were unable to gain a real advantage against experienced opposition who managed to score tries by winger Yousef Suleiman and second row Richard Kinver, plus a conversion from full back Josh Bachup, whilst The Seagulls had two penalty chances which Alun George pushed just the wrong side of the uprights.

Hendy were ever-ready to use their incisive back division and they added a third try when pacy winger Kieran James sped over for an unconverted try.

To be fair to Fishguard they kept plugging away and were finally rewarded when some good passing released centre Ben John on a run to the line for Mike Jenkins to add the extra points.

But there was no chance for Huw Evans’ boys to snatch a late win but a real plus point came from the fact that youth scrum half and skipper Osian Lewis arrived expecting to be touch judge but found himself on the bench after Ed Bendall got injured in the pre-match warm-up, and made a more than useful league debut when he came on!
 

PHOTO:
Ben John - scored a try for Fishguard from his outside centre berth

 

Borderers left without a match as Loughor fail to raise a team

Whitland P Loughor P

Whitland’s hopes of playing this eagerly-awaited clash against fourth-placed Loughor were halted in midweek when Loughor confirmed they were unable to field a team, leaving the disappointed Borderers to fume at their enforced inactivity.
 
 

Division Three (West) A:

 

Wonnacott wins it late for Mariners

Milford Haven 10 - Aberaeron 8

A late, late try from veteran No 8 Mark Wonnacott saw Milford Haven edge out Aberaeron at The Observatory Field and leave coach Alan McClelland and their hardy band of supporters with chewed-down finger nails after Tregaron looked likely to avenge their 19-0 home defeat as they led 10-8.

The Mariners had been awarded a close-range scrum near the Aberaeron line and after two aborted attempts it was third time lucky when The Mariners’ pack jerked their opponents back and Wonnacott, who is still playing as well as ever, gained the vital touch down.

Milford had opted to play the match on their main pitch, rather than the new artificial one below it – and after scoring an early try when dynamic flanker David Round pounced on a loose ball that squirted out of a set-piece, The Mariners were never allowed to settle by a determined Aberaeron cover defence.

And the visitors began to cause unease as outside half Rhodri Jenkins slotted a penalty and added the extra points to a try by his namesake Tudor, playing well at No 8, to gain the upper hand.

The Milford Haven pack, with Wonnacott, Round and Dewi Williams, playing on permit from Whitland, were always involved in the close exchanges but there were was very little time left when Wonnacott claimed that vital score to take Milford Haven back to the top of the table since rivals Pembroke were without a fixture!
 

PHOTO:
Mark Wonnacott - match winning try for The Mariners

 

Wasps just miss out on first victory

Neyland 5 - Llangwm 3

Llangwm had lost by 59-5 at home to Milford Haven in the previous tussle between these old rivals but showed terrific spirit as they came very close to claiming their first victory of the season in this second leg of the Paul Sutton Memorial Cup, competed for annually between these near neighbours.

The Wasps rook an early lead with a Steve Picton penalty but will look back on two other relatively simple missed three-pointers near the posts, one where the ball fell off the tee and a hastily conjured dropped goal went the wrong side of the woodwork.

Neyland took a 5-3 lead into half time as some good handling amongst their back division allowed young centre George Williams to race over the line for an unconverted try.

Both teams had early chances in the second half but the conditions worsened – although The Wasps looked the more likely to score for the final quarter as  18 year old centre Daniel Davies played well on debut from Narberth; whilst centre James Lewis, hooker Gethin Lewis, second rower Steve Rees and Josh Hicks caught the eye. Ieuan Power at prop and Aled Morgan, in a cameo performance on the wing, were other Wasps to buzz.

But there was to be no more scoring as Steve Martin’s boys defended well and at the final whistle it was left to Jonathan Sutton to present the silverware to Neyland skipper Mark James – but Llangwm showed how they are growing in confidence as the season progresses.

*An interesting talking point after the match in the Llangwm camp was in regard to two recent incidents; starting when Dai Owen went to come on as replacement against Haverfordwest and in stretching a little too enthusiastically damaged an Achilles tendon and had to go to hospital – and in this match Dafydd Bevan came on a replacement and after a tackle at his first scrum was sent off by the referee. He was teased afterwards by his colleagues and coaches about whether he had outlasted poor old Dai – and took it in good humour, despite his disappointment!

PHOTO:
George Williams - scored only try of the match for Neyland against Llangwm

 

Tregaron too strong for Saints

St Davids 12 - Tregaron 22

There was a real battle at St Davids before a late penalty from Tregaron outside half Huw Bonner sealed the win for his side – and cruelly denied the home team a bonus point.

The Mid-Wales team had first use of a strong wind, and showed their backline threat as a slick counter attack from inside their own half resulted in left winger Huw Ebenezer scoring in the corner.

But The Saints, for whom flanker Andrew Groves excelled, then dug in against the elements and levelled matters when No 10 Scott James took a quick tap penalty and set up an unconverted try for prop Dan Murphy.

The home pack were in the ascendancy at the scrum but were unable to take advantage of further attacking positions before crucially, Tregaron re-took the lead before the break when centre Gethin Jones cut through a gap in midfield and went under the posts from 10 metres out. Outside half Bonner converted.

And it was the visitors who started stronger in the second half, extending their lead to 19-5 when replacement forward Rhodri Davies crashed over from close range after taking a pop pass off scrum half Rhydian Evans.

The introduction of centre Gabe York off the bench gave the home side impetus though, and he went under the posts following a half break by fellow centre Matty Mcleod, who then added the simple extras.

It set up a tense final quarter which saw The Saints press for the converted try they needed to draw level, before Tregaron No 10 Bonner came close to the bonus point score for his side as he intercepted a pass and sped down the right wing – only to be denied by a brilliant York cover tackle.

But then in the dying minutes, it was skipper Bonner who landed a wide angled a penalty to increase his side’s lead to 10 points.

Still the home side could have pouched a point as Mcleod was just off target with a late penalty attempt, before a series of forward drives came to nothing as the visitors stood firm in defence.

“We are disappointed, which is a good thing – and it was another performance where everyone gave 100%,” said Saints head coach Matthew ‘Taff’ Williams afterwards.

St Davids: Rhys Morgan, Luke Brooks, Matty Mcleod, Mathew Bennett, Scott James, Fraser Watson, Will Davies, Noel Lyons, Ben Evans, Rhys Price (capt), Gethin Bateman, Andrew Groves, Scott Riches, Anthony Davies, Replacements: Tommy Reynolds, Ben Evans, Adam Williams, Gabe York, Adam Williams.
 

PHOTO:
Dan Murphy - good try for St Davids

 

Mike makes it eight tries in a high-scoring double

Laugharne 38 - Cardigan 11

Laugharne completed a high scoring double over Cardigan and bustling back rower Mike Williams finished the two matches with an amazing NINE tries, having grabbed a double hat-trick in the previous fixture, where Laugharne won at the King George Vth Playing Fields by 41-10.

Williams grabbed their first and third tries, with another scored by replacement scrum half Steve Bevan and completed another hat-trick in the second period.

The homesters led 17-6 at the interval as Nico Setaro, playing on permit from Whitland, notched a conversion, whilst full back John Lumb kicked two penalties for The Teifisiders., including one to open the scoring.

In the second half Cardigan managed a late try from second row Dan Evans, who had moved to No 8 at that time, but Laugharne added three more tries, all converted by Setaro, as centres Ross Michael and Tom Windsor joined Williams on the scoresheet with his third try.