Championship Division:

 

Otters bounce back to winning ways

Narberth 35 - Bedlinog 17

Narberth shrugged off the disappointment of a heavy defeat the previous week to record a convincing win over a Bedlinog side which had started off their campaign with a draw against Glamorgan Wanderers.

The Otters played really well in the first half as they used the breeze to good advantage to open up a 32-point gap, claiming a bonus point, and after adding another Nick Gale penalty they defended well to limit Bedlinog to two converted tries and a penalty thereafter.

Jack Price marked his home debut with a first-minute try and Nick Gale converted before notching a couple of penalties in the opening ten minutes.

With skipper Alex Jenkins and second row partner Jack Simms ensuring quality possession further Narberth tries came from centre Joe Hutchings and scrum half Jonathan Rogers before Liam Hutchings followed his brother onto the scoresheet.

Gale converted the last two and added a penalty soon after the restart before Bedlinog responded with tries by winger Owen Rees and outside half Ben Grzesica – and full back Dan Harry added a 58th minute try which he also converted but from then on Narberth defended sensibly and coach Sean Gale must have been well pleased with his team’s overall performance!

Liam Hutchings - try for Narberth

 

Division One (West):

 

Preseli Men miss out at Kidwelly

Kidwelly 36 - Crymych 15

Crymych battled hard against a Kidwelly side which started the season as one of the favourites for promotion and has now won both their opening matches with a bonus point added.

The Preseli Men certainly battled hard as they scored good tries by Nick Bevan and Dion Gibby, one converted by Sion Thomas to go with a Rhys Davies penalty.

But Kidwelly used their pack power to set up tries by second row Chris Marks and No 8 Josh Middleton, as well as clearing space for tries by wingers Shaun Pearce (2) and Elliott Davies.

Gareth Rees converted four of the home tries and slotted a penalty to put Kidwelly at the top of the table, with Crymych having to return home with nothing to show for a great deal of effort.

Dion Gibby - scored try for Crymych

 

Borderers edged out by ‘One Eyelid’

Waunarlwydd 30 - Whitland 25

Whitland outscored Waunarlwydd by four tries to three in an absorbing clash against the team jokingly called ‘One Eyelid’ in Pembrokeshire rugby circles but still went down to a narrow defeat from which they at least had the consolation of a bonus point for all their efforts.

The Borderers were making their first appearance in league rugby this season and had three tries from lightning-quick winger Sean Coles alongside another by Steff Evans as they were 22-10 ahead midway through the second period.

But Waunarlwydd had tries from Jacob Blackmore, Daniel Moyle and Adam Mort, but, perhaps more importantly on this occasion, were boosted by the place kicking of Lee Evans, whose three conversions and three penalties ultimately proved the difference between the sides.

Sean Coles - three tries for Whitland

 

Division Two (West):

 

Seagulls soar to cracking home win

Fishguard & Goodwick 27 - Tumble 14

Fishguard and Goodwick produced an excellent all-round performance to make it two league wins in as many matches as they fended off the strong challenge of a Tumble outfit which was also looking for a second success.

The Seagulls trailed by seven points as Tumble scored a try by winger Sam Jones which Jack Hewitt converted but the home side drew level from a concerted push-over attempt in which new skipper Gavin Walsh, Simon James and Mark George were involved, with Kial Keane adding the extra points, as he did to put his side 14-7 in front after scrum half Andrew Williams sniped across the whitewash.

Try as they might, Tumble could only muster a second try after the break from Gareth Beynon, again converted by Hewitt but The Seagulls added a brace of penalties from Keane and a superb long-range try by winger Steffan Lewis after talented 18 year old full back Jake Jenkins set up his second score of the match.

Keane added the extra points to round off an excellent result for coaches Huw Evans and Gareth Thomas and put The Seagulls on top of the table at this early stage in the season.

Chris Shusha - try for Fishguard flanker

 

Tenby take the honours in ‘Battle of the Seasiders’

Mumbles 10 - Tenby United 38

Tenby United showed their real capabilities as they travelled to another seaside venue at Mumbles and came away with a bonus point win against a well-drilled home side that had beaten Haverfordwest the previous weekend.

The Seasiders were 10-5 to the good at the interval after an early Toby Smith penalty and a very good try by winger Jack Guerreiro which Smith converted before the home side responded with an unconverted try from No 8 Lewis Buckley.

Mumbles’ only second half score came from an unconverted try by replacement winger Tom Powell but in a rich patch in which brothers Johnny and Matthew Morgan featured alongside skipper Luke Hansford there were two tries by Jordan Asparassa, one either side of scores from new recruits Barry Parsons and Mike Davies (both from Pembroke Dock Quins), all four of them converted by in-form kicker Toby Smith.
This win was the first league success for the club for 560 days and hopefully The Seasiders, under new coach Andrew Morgan, can enjoy a successful season if they continue to play this sort of rugby.

Jack Guerreiro - vital early score for Tenby

 

Blues bombarded by The Bont

Pontarddulais 52 - Haverfordwest 11

Haverfordwest’s disappointing start to the new season after promotion continued as they lost heavily at Pontarddulais after finding themselves in trouble as early as the interval, where they already trailed 30-6.

Gareth John landed two early penalties for the Blues and after that all they could muster was a late consolation score from flanker Matthew Phillips as The Bont took control up front and showed a willingness to call their backs into play.

Aled Stone kicked two early penalties for the home side before tries came from prop Ieuan Evans, No 8 Aled Thomas, Adrian Killa and Stone, who also landed two conversions.

 Centre James Davies grabbed two tries for Pontarddulais after the resumption and others came from co-centre Josh Gough and flanker Rhys Samuels, plus another Stone two-pointer to complete a difficult day for the Blues.

Neyland line up

 

Division Three (West) A:

 

Mariners win local derby against battling Blacks

Neyland 14 - Milford Haven 22

Milford Haven gained a local-derby victory at The Athletic Ground but not before they had been pushed all the way by a Neyland side which never gave up trying and, but for three yellow cards might have enjoyed more success against a Mariners’ side which had just one player in the ‘sin bin’.

Matches between these two rivals are traditionally close and this one was no exception as the scoresheet was still blank after 33 minutes but then when the home side were reduced to 14 men for ten minutes The Mariners struck with a penalty from skipper Craig Barnett, who also did well to add the extras to a corner try by talented young flanker Archie Smithies.

The Mariners brought on Mark Wonnacott in the second half and his experience told as he supplied the scoring pass for a try by Ryan Mansell early in the second period which Barnett again did well to convert from near the left touchline.

It says much for Neyland’s resilience, however, that they refused to submit and scored a good try of their own from a counter-attack initiated by Ashley Sutton and Patrick Bellerby before veteran centre Adam Collins to power through at the posts for Sutton to slot the easy extras.

Dan McClelland and James Barnett caught the eye at half back for The Mariners as they added a try by Ryan Mansell which Craig Barnett goaled to make the game safe.

But there was still time for Neyland to have the final word when Ashley Sutton sped through and converted to round off an entertaining tussle between two very committed sides.

Craig Barnett - led Milford haven by example

Adam Collins goes close for Neyland
Picture by Sheila Sear-Witts

 

Dom Colman bursts through for Pembroke

Scarlets pushed all the way by gritty Quins

Pembroke Dock Harlequins 12 -  Pembroke 17

“We got out of jail here!” was the carefully-considered verdict of Pembroke coach Geraint Lewis after a last-ditch try by prop Dom Colman saw them edge this local derby against old rivals Pembroke Dock Harlequins at Bierspool.

Small wonder then that opposing coach Ossie Boswell should say, “We are gutted by the result because we were level until the last moments against a side who most people thought would be too strong for us. But I’m very proud of the way that my squad stuck to their task.”

The Scarlets enjoyed a marked territorial advantage for 30 minutes but spurned several kickable penalty chances in their quest for tries – and were made to pay as the Quins were nine points ahead thanks to three Ben Hathaway penalties.

Pembroke did manage a late score from bustling No 8 Sam Smith which went unconverted and The Scarlets took the lead for the first time in the second half when centre Billy Woods powered over for a try converted by Luke Hartland.

But there was drama from the kick-off as Pembroke’s Cyle Wetherall was shown the red card and Hathaway notched his fourth penalty to tie things up.

The excitement didn’t end there, though, as The Quins looked to have a chance at an uncontested scrum near Pembroke’s line, only for Scarlets’ scrum half Lewys Gibby to set up a terrific counter-attack which saw several phases and sharp handling from Mark Williams and Harry Owen before prop Dom Colman took the final pass to cross for an unconverted try.

It left the home supporters desperately disappointed and the Pembroke fans in a large crowd able to cheer their team, but knowing that in the final analysis perhaps a draw might have been the fairest result.

Scarlets' winger James Skeels in action

 

Wasps celebrate first victory in 530 days!

St Davids 7 - Llangwm 19

Llangwm ended their long wait for a league win as they deservedly came away from St Davids with victory after fighting back from being 7-0 down early on.

 It was The Saints who struck first after 15 minutes from a five metre scrum, as the home pack shunted towards the line and after The Wasps infringed, a penalty try was awarded that full back John Miles converted.

 But the visitors responded, as full back Paul Jonkers carried well into the St Davids 22, creating an overlap from which centre Steve Picton dived over in the corner.

 Young outside half Kieron Walkden was wide with the conversion, but impressed in keeping The Wasps on the front foot despite them trailing 7-5 at the break.

 The Saints then failed to make a heavy spell of pressure count at the start of the second half, and were made to pay as a break from Llangwm winger Craig Grice led to a try for flanker Ian Griffiths, that Picton converted with Walkden off the field injured.

 Moments later Llangwm No 8 Jamie Lewis, one of his side’s best performers on the day, rounded off an attack which saw the ball go through several pairs of hands and Picton again added the extras.

The home side, for whom No 8 Gethin Bateman stood out, did press hard for a bonus point score, but The Wasps held firm and were able to celebrate a first Division Three West A victory in 530 days, covering 28 matches.
 

Ian Griffiths - another try for Llangwm

Wasps go over for a try
Picture by Ceri Coleman-Phillips

 

Carmarthenshire Saints win their local derby

Laugharne 17 - St Clears 28

St Clears won their local derby at Laugharne with a little in hand after they had established a 16-3 lead and never relinquished that advantage throughout the match.

The saints’ first-half points came from a Carwyn Davies try alongside three penalties by Geraint Jones, whilst Tom Jameson landed the Laugharne penalty.

Jameson also added the extra points to home second-half tries from a penalty try and Owen Thomas – but it was in vain as St Clears recorded another try by Carwyn Davies and from Daf Walter, one converted by Jones.
 

Cardis so strong at Tregaron

Tregaron 0 - Cardigan 40