A round-up of reports from games involving the clubs of North and Mid Wales.
If you have a match report which you would like to be added to this round-up, please email the report to gwcymru1@aol.com - many thanks
RGC 34 v Aberavon 24
Following report kindly supplied by RGC News
RGC made it 3 wins on the trot with a 32-24 victory against a strong Aberavon side at Stadiwm Zip World.
Assistant Coach Phil John gave credit to the players in seeing out the win after Jacob Botica hit 3 second half penalties to give RGC the win “We didn’t have to get any messages onto to the players as they knew what to do to see the game out, which is great from a coaching perspective. We worked hard in the contact area and did the right things at the right times.
“Looking at the whole game, the key was our territory. We played most of the game in the Aberavon half and when we did give penalties away it wasn’t in the danger areas”
Aberavon had won both games against RGC last season, and they looked dangerous from the opening minutes in Colwyn Bay again. The crossed the whitewash but the play was called back for a knock on to the relief of the home-crowd. If that was a let off for RGC, then it didn’t last long as referee Gwyn Morris gave the Wizards a penalty try after some pressure from the pack.
Much of the play was scrappy from both sides, with scrums, knock ons and loose passing being a major feature of play.
RGC got some points on the board with 2 penalties from Botica, as RGC took control of the game midway through the 1st half.
The home side were starting to move the ball around, but on a few occasions the final pass let them down.
The RGC scrum was starting to cause some damage as well, and the strong platform was allowing Schwarz to feed the backline. Dion Jones was collecting a few kicks and making some good yards with ball in hand.
Much of the play deserved a try, and it came in the 36th minute after a well worked move man of the match Dan Owen went over for his 1st senior try. Botica added the extras.
Winger Iolo Evans was next to test the Wizards as he made a good 40 yard sprint but was edged into touch with the tryline in sight.
The 2nd score came soon after when another member of the forwards boiler room picked up the try. Andrew Williams got it and Botica made it 23-7 at the break.
If RGC were on top at the end of the 1st half, they failed to get going at the start of the 2nd period.
Aberavon were the ones playing the positive rugby and the chased down RGC’s lead with tries from Thomas and Banfield. The boot of Steff Williams claimed the conversions and a penalty to put the visitors a point in front.
Much to RGCs credit they didn’t panic, and in seasons past the game would have slipped away from them. They regrouped and began to win the battle around the contact area. That physicality earned RGC 3 key penalties and Botica slotted a hatrick of penalties in the space of 5 minutes to take the game away from Aberavon.
Harri Evans danced down the wing evading a number of tackles much to the delight of the crowd. Tiaan Loots was also making some yards, but in a more direct way crashing through the tackles.
Try-scorer Andrew Williams was shown a yellow in the 70th minute, but in the end it made no difference to the result with RGC seeing out the game by stifling the Wizards attack.
Menai Bridge 14 v COBRA 22
Following report kindly supplied by Menai Bridge RFC.
Cobra will progress to the next round of the WRU bowl, however it was not an easy passage for the visitors to Llyn Y Felin. The opening exchanges of the match favoured Bridge in terms of possesion, but the Cobra defence suffocated the home team. At 20 minutes in, Cobra scored their first points with a penalty. This was followed by a converted try from a lineout move for Cobra which gave a 10 to nil lead at the half.
The scond half continued in much the same fashion, with both team's defences on top. It was fitting that the first score came from a charge down of a kick. Dion McGrath pressurised a clearing kick, knocked it down, chipped ahead and managed downward pressure for a score under the sticks, which he converted.
Bridge were enjoying their best period of the game and were rewarded, when quick ball was created by number 8 Sam Williams, who coolly put Lewis Harrison in space, for a run to the line. McGrath converted and Bridge were ahead for the first time in the match at 14- 10. Cobra then rolled up their sleeves and used their forward power to claim an excellent try for their number 8, which pushed the score to 14 -15 in favour of the visitors.
With the match in the balance, Cobra were able to control the possession and pounced on a loose pass on the try line to score a try. The try was converted, giving a final score of 14 - 22.
Cobra will be happy to progress and Bridge will take solace from their contribution to a hard fought contest.
Bala 40 v Dolgellau 22
Following match report kindly supplied by Dolgellau RFC.
Bala and Dolgellau served an eight try derby thriller at Maes Gwyniad, with Bala emerging victorious having hit a purple patch early in the second half, scoring two quickfire tries in as many minutes, in their immediate response to Dolgellau taking a deserved 12-15 lead eight minutes into the second half.
It was Dolgellau who went ahead after six minutes play, as scrum half Jac Roberts was busy on the blind side and Gerwyn Thomas’ perfect chip ahead was gathered by centre Dylan Evans to sprint over and give the visitors a 0-5 lead. Five minutes later, Bala responded with a long driving maul from ten meters out, and it was hooker Garan Davies who emerged with the score. Stand-off Owain Aled put over the conversion to give them a 7-5 lead.
Dolgellau stand-off, Gerwyn Thomas restored Dolgellau’s lead with a penalty going into the second quarter of the match, but that lead was short lived, as a mis-understanding in visitors’ defence saw alert Bala open side flanker, Owain Pugh take full advantage to score Bala’s second try and give them a 12-8 lead.
As both sets of forwards grappled for ascendancy at the scrum, the pendulum swung from one side to the other and the half time whistle went without any addition to the score and the match was evenly poised.
Dolgellau went ahead for the third time in the match eight minutes into the second period, No.8 Rob Lewis pouncing to score from the base of a five metre scrum. Gerwyn Thomas added the extra points and Dolgellau looked good with a 12-15 lead. However almost immediately Bala took the match by scruff of the neck, hitting Dolgellau with two quick tries. The first to replacement hooker Endaf Jones, again following a short drive from a line out, and the second, a peach of a try, as Bala ran from deep, the ball moving through many pairs of hands and finished off in style by prop Mathew Bevan. Stand-off Owain Aled added both conversions to give Bala a 26-15 lead.
There was no come back for Dolgellau this time, and Owain Aled punished them with two penalties for a 32-15 lead with a quarter of an hour remaining. However Dolgellau closed the gap with no.08 Rob Lewis’ second try of the match following a driving run by second row Bryn Jones. Thomas’ conversion closing the gap to ten points at 32-22.
Whilst the visitors had worked hard for their points, they came easier for Bala, who finished strongly, Owain Aled adding a penalty on the half hour and wing Iwan Williams crossed for Bala’s fifth try with four minutes remaining following some excellent probing runs by skipper Ilan Rowlands.
Referee : Dylan Davies
Rhyl 2nds 47 v Bala 2nds 20
Following report kindly supplied by Bala RFC.
Bala seconds lost 47-20 away from home to a strong Rhyl second team.
The day didn’t get off the the best of starts with a few key players dropping out and most of the team getting lost on the way to game. Fortunately the legendary veteran prop, Phil from Rhyl, stepped in at the last minute to bolster up the Bala scrum.
Bala started strongly, with number eight Dafydd Strutt crashing the ball up from the kick off and the pack making ground to earn a converted penalty.
What Rhyl lacked up front, they more than made up for in the backs. An aggressive Bala defence, led by flanker Ifan Hughes and winger Sion Davies, repelled attack after attack. However, Rhyl found a way through when Bala lost Phil from Rhyl to the sin bin for ten minutes for some old school rucking. Two more tries followed in quick succession to bring the half time score to 17-3 to Rhyl.
The second half started very competitively, with each team bagging a try. True to form, Rhyl’s backs found an overlap to score on the wing and Bala’s heavy pack took prop Lee Cefmeirch close enough to power over at short range.
However, Bala began to tire without any substitutes and the flood gates opened when Rhyl brought on a number of fresh legs in the middle of the second half to score four more tries in the space of a fifteen minutes.
With all the odds stacked against them, Bala made a spirited come back in the dying minutes of the game. Front row forwards Lee Cefnmeirch, Tomos Traws and Phil increased the intensity in the scrum and made good ground. Back rowers Dafydd Strut and Ifan Hughes combined well to carry the ball up the pitch and Dei Bach danced his way over the line.
Led by captain Dewi Pugh, Bala forwards worked their way straight back up the pitch from the kick off. Following a number of pick and go’s, Dewi Simpson Davies found a gap on the wing to bring the final score to 47-20.
Mold 13 v Nant Conwy 41
Following report kindly supplied by Nant Conwy RFC.
Trefn y sgorio a'r sgorwyr / Scoring Sequence and scorers:
2m: 0 – 5 IFAN JONES, 7m: 3 – 5 JACK MARTIN, 14m: 3 – 10 CARWYN ELLIS & 3 – 12 ARTHUR LENNON, 21m: 3 – 17 ARTHUR LENNON & 3 – 19 ARTHUR LENNON, 25m: 6 – 19 JACK MARTIN, 29m: 6 – 22 ARTHUR LENNON, 31m: 6 - 27 SION PRINGLE
52m: 6 – 32 CARWYN ELLIS & 6 – 34 ARTRHUR LENNON, 57m: 11 -34 LUKE WILLIAMS & 13 – 34 JACK MARTIN 68m: 13 – 39 ARTHUR LENNON & 13 – 41 ARTHUR LENNON.
Dyfarnwr / Referee: Mr Bill Hunt, Ystrad Mynach
Gydag ymosodiad cyntaf y gêm, agorodd Nant y sgôr drwy’r hannerwr a’r capten eleni, Ifan wedi 2 funud. Ymatebodd y tîm cartref yn fuan gyda chic gosb lwyddiannus. Daeth pac Nant yn fwyfwy cryf ag yn fuan gwthiwyd y pac cartref dros y llinell a chododd Carwyn E yn fuddugoliaethus wedi sgorio cais a droswyd gan Arthur. Ar y chwarter, Arthur ei hun dorrodd yr amddiffyn gan redeg yn gyflyn i sgorio cais o dan y pyst ac yna’i drosi. Ymateb arall drwy gic gosb gan Yr Wyddgrug. Atebwyd hyn gan gic gosb gan Arthur i’r ymwelwyr cyn i’r ‘pwynt bonws am sgorio 4 cais’ gyrraedd cyn yr hanner wedi cais arall gan y cefnwr chwim, Sion. Rhoddodd hyn sgôr o 6 -29 ar yr hanner.
Daeth y tîm cartref fwy i’r gêm yn yr ail hanner ag I Nant ddefnyddio’u holl eilyddion. Ond eto, Nant sgoriodd y cais nesaf drwy Carwyn E. eto gyda’r pac yn gwthio sgrym y gwrthwynebwyr tros y linell. Trosodd Arthur cyn i brop pen tyn Yr Wyddgrug sgorio cais a droswyd gan Jack. Ond Arthur sgoriodd bwyntiau olaf y gêm trwy doori’r amddiffyn yn gelfydd a thirio o dan y pyst er mwyn hwyluso’i ymdrech lwyddiannus i drosi. Y sgôr derfynol felly’n 13 – 41 ac edrychir ymlaen yn awr at y Sadwrn nesaf.
Nant went ahead with the match’s first attack when Scrum Half and this season’s Captain, Ifan Jones, spilt the defensive line to score a try. The home side responded quickly with a penalty kick by Jack. The Nant pack, slowly but surely, gained control and it was no surprise when a push over try arrived with No. 8, Carwyn Ellis touching down. This try was converted by Arthur. Quarter way though the match, Arthur himself split the home defence and out ran everybody to touch down underneath the posts and then converted his own try. Mold responded with another successful penalty which, in turn, Arthur responded likewise for Nant. The ‘4 try bonus point’ duly arrived before half time when the fast Full Back, Sion out sped everyone on the left wing to give a half time score of 6–29.
As expected, Mold became stronger in the second half when Nant used all of their substitutes. But again, it was Nant who scored the next points through another push over try completed by Carwyn E. Arthur turned the try into a 7 pointer before Mold’s try arrived through their Tight Head Prop, Luke which was converted by Jack. The final score of the day went to Arthur when he outwitted the home defence again to score a try under the posts – a try which he duly converted to give a final score of 13 – 41. We shall now all look forwrad to next Saturday.
Sadwrn nesaf / Next Saturday: Rhuthun / Ruthin v NANT CONWY
Other results for Nant Conwy:
TEIRW NANT [Nant Conwy 2nds] – 100 v Yr Wyddgrug / Mold (2) - 0
[Powlen SWALEC Bowl] R.1
Sadwrn nesaf / Next Saturday: TEIRW NANT v Porthaethwy / Menai Bridge
[Adran 3 y Gogledd/ Division 3 North]
Ieuenctid Caergybi / Holyhead Youth – 0 v Ieuenctid NANT CONWY Youth 53
[N Wales Youth League – Western Division]
Gêm nesaf / Next match – 30.09.2017
Ieuenctid NANT CONWY Youth v Ieuenctid Pwllheli Youth
[Cwpan Ieuenctid Cymru / Welsh Youth Cup]
[Ifor Glyn]
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