PHOTOS:
Mariners winger Josh Thomas scores the opening try

A brave tackle from Dan McClelland

 

Division Three (West) A:

 

Carmarthenshire Saints win top of table clash

Milford 15 - St Clears 21

St Clears hopes of winning Division Three (West) A received a significant boost as they travelled to take on an equally-ambitious Milford Haven outfit sitting just below them in second place and played well to come away with a victory whilst The Mariners had to settle for a consolation bonus point.

The home side suffered a blow early on when pacy winger Jamie Lewis sustained a suspected broken ankle and although they went in to a 10-3 lead midway through the opening half they were unable to exert their usual presence up front against a Saints’ side in which Jake Iles, Tom Rees, Courtney Bowen and Carwyn Davies were terrific ball winners.

Full back Craig Barnett gave The Mariners an early lead with a penalty which was cancelled out by a similar effort from visiting full back Geraint Jones – but Milford were ahead again within two minutes as an excellent run out of defence by No 15 Barnett was continued by Dan Jenkins before powerful winger Josh Thomas was perfectly placed to take the scoring pass and plough over at the posts.

Barnett added the extras but his side squandered several chances, the clearest being from direct running by Barnett and Jenkins but on both occasions the moves fizzled out and St Clears took a single-point lead into half time from a second Geraint Jones’ penalty and an opportunist try by scrum half Llyr Ebsworth after the home defence had momentarily gone to sleep and paid the price in the right corner.

Both sides gave 100% in a game which deservedly carried the section’s ‘match of the day’ and The Saints scored tries by Carwyn Davies and influential outside half Shane Morgan to seal revenge for a 23-3 home defeat by Milford, who had a late try by replacement winger Lee Riley to at least give them something for their efforts.

Milford Haven: Craig Barnett: Jamie Lewis; Dan Birch; Dan Jenkins; Josh Thomas: Jamie Barnett; Dan McClelland: Jamie Parr (Capt); Luke Ryan; Adam Rees: Tom Manning; Archie Smithies: Ben Johnson; Ben Groves; Sam Dolling. Replacements: Mike Cockburn; Lee Riley; Chris Hall; Dai Sweeney.

St Clears: Geraint Jones: Matthew Lewis (Capt); Mike Georgiou; James Davies; Will Davies: Shane Morgan; Llyr Ebsworth: Andrew Howells; Matt Done; Gareth Jones: Carwyn Davies; Courtney Bowman: Jake Iles; Tom Rees. Replacements: Dan Hughes; Daniel Jones; Paul Brown; John Gosling.

PHOTO:
Mike Georgiou on a charge

 

Division One (West): 

 

Preseli Men well beaten by Penclawdd

Penclawdd 39 - Crymych 3

Crymych found it hard going at Penclawdd as they conceded seven tries and could only muster a penalty from Rhys Davies in response as The Cocklemen claimed the double, having won by 14-12 at Parc Lloyd Thomas earlier in the season.

They were already 17-3 adrift at half time as they left their recent good form on the bus and Penclawdd, who were a place below The Preseli men at the start of play, ran in tries by Lee Gunnell, Tom Devonald, Matt Donahoe, Phil Tucker, Johnny Davies and Tom Howells, who also landed two conversions to complete a good day for the home side as they leap-frogged their opponents in the section table.

PHOTO:
Fly half James Stephens scores a try for Whitland
Picture by Paul Rogers

 

Borderers maintain terrific form

Whitland 35 - Loughor 3

Whitland continued their recent good form with a deserved won over Loughor in this basement battle where the home side deservedly moved out of the bottom two in the table as their reward.

Loughor had won at home by 21-15 but there was little chance of a repeat result as The Borderers took control from the outset as their pack, with hooker Marc Jones and captain Jack Mason leading the way, provided a steady stream of quality possession for outside half James Stephenson to utilise.

All Loughor could manage was a penalty as veteran second row Dai Ebsworth got his name on the scoresheet as reward for some rousing charges, with others scored by winger Sion Coles, No 10 Stephenson, skipper Mason and winger Scott Candler, playing on permit from Haverfordwest.

Nick Setaro rounded off another good personal performance with all five conversions and The Borderers’ faithful clearly enjoyed this committed display of rugby.

 

PHOTO:
Dai Ebsworth - another try for Whitland's effervescent lock

  
 

Division Two (West):

Smashing success for Seasiders

Pontarddulais 10 - Tenby United 17

Tenby United showed what strong contenders they are for promotion as they eased home in this top of the table clash with Pontarddulais, who remain a single point ahead of The Seasiders after a late try by Caleb Collins earned them a bonus point.

Luke Hansford’s side will be disappointed by that score but can take considerable consolation from the fact that few clubs will come away from The Bont with any points as they added this deserved success to a 20-3 home win earlier in the campaign.

The power play of the Tenby pack: with their front row of Joe Poole, Jeff Martin and Ethan Morgan putting in disciplined shifts getting through plenty of work, helped them seize an early advantage with a try from flanker Andrew Cooke, converted by Ashley Sutton, as reward for his support play in conjunction with Hansford and Timoci Kaumaitotoya.

Pontarddulais showed their mettle with an unconverted try by Josh Goss as fortunes ebbed and flowed until half time – when some well-chosen words by coach Chris James seemed to raise the tempo for The Seasiders.

Johnny Morgan showed his class with an excellent try after good work by Luke Dedman and Mike Davies, whose efforts were rewarded when he scored his team’s third try, which went unconverted.
Ashley Sutton controlled matters well from his role as pivot before the homesters claimed that late Collins’s try but Tenby United were good value for a terrific win in the section’s game of the day.

PHOTO:
Johnny Morgan - vital try in Tenby United's excellent win

Seagulls shot down by Athletic

Fishguard & Goodwick 15 - Carmarthen Athletic 24 

Fishguard started out as favourites against Carmarthen Athletic at The Moors but after leading 10-7 at the half way mark they were unable to match the control exerted for The Athletic by Scott Maynard and paid the price.

The visitors started the day in tenth place, three places below The Seagulls, for whom Simon James and skipper Gavin Walsh carried the ball well in a good start where Kial Keane’s penalty gave them an early lead.

The Athletic responded with a try by scrum half Carwyn Thomas which fly half Maynard converted but  good work in a series of set-pieces earned Fishguard a penalty try which Keane converted to give his team a three-point lead at the oranges.

But Maynard levelled matters with an early penalty and then he added the extras to a try by Tom Gravelle before home prop Owain Rowlands responded with an unconverted try to haul their way back into contention.

Maynard had the final word though, as he sliced through for a try which he also converted to boost his team’s chances of avoiding the ‘dreaded drop’ – and the double over The Seagulls, whom they had already beaten 15-5 at home.

Game postponed by mutual consent of clubs
Llanybydder P Haverfordwest P

Division Three (West) A:

Ten-try Cardis too strong for Wasps

Cardigan 60 - Llangwm 0 

Cardigan completed a high-scoring double over Llangwm as they followed a 39-0 success at Pill Parks with this storming ten try victory over a Wasps’ team which couldn’t claim any points but battled until the final whistle.

Scrum half Lewis Jones, flanker Ben Llewellyn and especially flanker Ashley James caught the eye for The Wasps but they were already 22-0 adrift at the break as outside centre Sion Hughes, full back Alun Jenkins, outside half Llyr Jones and left wing Ben Rogers claimed tries, one converted by centre Emyr Harries.

The pressure on the Llangwm defence in the second half was unrelenting as Alun Jenkins raced over to complete an early hat-trick, whilst Sion Hughes added his second and replacement winger Carwyn Thomas scored two tries in quick succession.

Replacement flanker Kieran Hurley also added his name to the try sheet whilst conversions from Harries (3) and Jones took the Teifisiders to a total of 60 points – and a move up to second spot in the table.

PHOTO:
Alun Jenkins - try hat-trick for Cardigan

Laugharne complete deserved double

Neyland 10 - Laugharne 25

Laugharne completed a double over Neyland at The Athletic Ground as they built up a first-half lead and used their experience to good effect in the second period against a resurgent home side.

Neyland were without some key players but had  good displays at No 10 by Jonathan Lloyd and his half back partner Mark Riley, who scored one of their tries alongside elusive young winger Ben Goodridge, who is proving to be a very adept finisher.

Laugharne had won 43-17 in the reverse fixture and again secured a welcome bonus point for their four tries, which were scored by Tom Jameson, Tom Davies, Steve Thomas and Mike Williams, with Jameson also notching one conversion and a penalty in a good all-round team performance.

PHOTO:
Mark Riley - scored a good try for Neyland

 

Quins delighted with victory over The Saints

St Davids 5 - Pembroke Dock Quins 30 

A brace of tries from influential captain Thomas Doyle gave Pembroke Dock Harlequins their fourth league win of the season against struggling St Davids.

Both sides went into the game depleted by injuries, with The Quins having to ask for uncontested scrums from the starts as they failed to field a front row.

But it was the visitors who made the brighter start as No 8 Steffan Halwood knocked on with the line at his mercy, but it mattered little as moments later flanker James Gardener broke through and set up Doyle to score.

 Outside half Ben Hathaway missed the conversion but soon added a simple penalty, and then added the extras when veteran second row Dean Wilcox, who rolled back the years with some powerful surges, took advantage of some weak tackling to crash under the posts.

It got worse for The Saints as young centre Morgan Williams, who had been his side’s best player in the opening 30 minutes, was stretchered off with a serious knee injury – and The Quins took full advantage as winger Sam Richards rounded off an overlap out wide with an unconverted try out wide.

Ossie Boswell’s side struck again after half time when flanker Alex Pearce broke through and put Doyle over in the corner – before The Saints enjoyed a heavy period of pressure but they failed to make it count as hooker Noel Lyons twice went close, and some poor handling and decision making saw the home side blow numerous other chances out wide.

Again The Quins made them pay as Pearce powered over from close range to make it 0-30 – before the home side, without a point to their name this season, did finally get on the scoresheet when full back Rhys Morgan burrowed over from a ruck late on.

PHOTO:
Bryan Phillips looks to pass for St Davids
Picture by Ceri Coleman Phillips

Depleted Scarlets delighted with victory

Tregaron 20 - Pembroke 36 

Four tries from powerful No 8 Sam Smith was the undoubted highlight of Pembroke’s win at Tregaron which pleased coach Geraint Lewis, not only for some excellent team skills, but for the fact that they played most of the game with 14 men after Dom Colman had been controversially red-carded.

Even when they were reduced to 13 men for a yellow card as Tregaron mounted a fight-back the Scarlets held out well, with good defensive play by young backs Luke Hartland, Tom Lewis and especially Tom Kinnear.

Pembroke made a powerful start against a team they had beaten 38-10 at home, grabbing 14 points in the first five minutes as hooker Max Hayward rounded off a 75 metre move from the kick off and Smith scored his first try from close range, both converted by Hartland.

Smith added his second after excellent play by Will Edwards, Scott Powell, Johnny Palmer and Lloyd Davies, with Hartland converting that score and Smith’s hat-trick try – but Tregaron used their numerical advantage to claw their way back to 28-15 before Smith was on hand to grab The Scarlets’ fifth try and although Hartland missed the conversion he made amends with a penalty so that although Tregaron managed another late score it was Pembroke who made the long journey home with a deserved victory.

PHOTO:
Sam Smith - scored four tries in Pembroke victory

Friendly:

Otters enjoy run out against All Blacks

Neath 36 - Narberth 21

Narberth used their bye in the national Cop competition to organise a friendly with Neath and give a run out to several players not normally included in their first-choice set-up.

The Otters played well to take an early lead through prop Liam Tobias which Nick Gale converted – but The All Blacks led 14-7 at half time thanks to tries from Ed Howley and Rory Morgan-Williams, both converted by Howley.

Nick Gale sped over for a try converted by Ianto Griffiths and Tobias added his second score in an entertaining second half but Neath responded with further tries by Howley (2) and Alan Grabham, with Howley adding both conversions and a penalty to round off an excellent personal performance.