Yes there was a game of Cup Rugby played on Sunday despite the wet and stormy conditions and the playing surface held up exceptionally well to allow a fast, highly competitive and entertaining game of rugby from the off.
This was Premier League Llandaff North’s first visit to Caernarfon and their experienced backroom staff were impressed by the commitment and guile shown by the home team from the off.
Indeed the opening exchanges showed Caernarfon at their best, driving purposefully at the heart of the visitor’s rear guard and sustaining pressure by securing good recycled ball. However in contrast Llandaff North crossed the whitewash on their initial incursion into Cofi territory.
A series of driving mauls close to the line finally saw the ball being spun wide to allow centre Ffion Jones enough of a gap to score. Caernarfon were however undaunted and kept adding pressure at scrum time to force errors. A hands in call saw scrum half Jess Kavanagh take a quick tap penalty and drift through the cover to draw the Cofis level. Sera Bailey was also successful with the conversion attempt to edge Caernarfon ahead.
Losing speedster Lauren Hassett from the back line meant that Llandaff were able to exploit the rearranging. Mared Evans on her return to Caernarfon began to orchestrate proceedings, switching play and seeking a gap to score her first of the afternoon together with the conversion on the half hour mark. Minutes later Ffion Jones scored her second of the day out wide following turnover ball.
The game was sadly lost for Caernarfon minutes each side of half time with Jade Newman at centre powering over and Mared Evans once again scoring by outpacing the defence. Mared also added the conversion to Jade’s try to bring the half to a close with the visitors twenty two points to the good. Within minutes of the restart Mared outpaced the cover once again after having been released by the long and effective service of scrum half Becky Newton.
The Cofis to their credit kept plugging away and by harassing and tackling ferociously were finally able to make the wind advantage tell. After numerous charges towards the Llandaff North line the ball was finally fed wide and Elin Evans succeeded to squeeze in at the corner following good work by Sera Bailey. It was Mared though who once again shone after a collected lineout ball and drive saw her emerge to score out wide.
With ten minutes remaining, the never say die attitude of the Cofis saw them finally offering the killer touch within the red zone, leading to prop Emma Edwards collecting and charging over from close range to grant Sera Bailey another conversion.
With time running out Llandaff North’s forwards, with Norwegian Ulrikke Dahl workmanlike put together one concerted effort from a line out and prop Nia Jones’s outstretched arm succeeded to ground on the try line to bring a highly entertaining game to a close.
Caernarfon are granted a bye in a fortnight’s time and will travel to Seven Sisters on the sixteenth of February for yet another cup challenge.
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