A round up of reports from games involving the clubs of North and Mid Wales.
Ruthin 8 v Llandudno 9 - the Ruthin match report
Following report kindly supplied by Ruthin RFC.
In a tight match between Rhuthun and Llandudno on a glorious afternoon at Cae Ddol the Blues were unlucky not to come away with a win.
After a good start Rhuthun went ahead with well worked try from wing Josh Wilson after 5 minutes and then 5 minutes later full back Dyfan Humphreys grabbed three more points with a penalty goal.
Play was moving from end to end with defences in the ascendancy and neither side able to get across the try line. After 25 minutes Llanduno’s Nick Dundee kicked a penalty goal.
The Blues spent the rest of the half in the visitors’ territory in an attempt to widen the gap.
However there was no further score and at half time Rhuthun were ahead 8-3.
Rhuthun started the 2nd half as they finished the first but again were prevented from scoring and after 15 minutes or so the visitors began putting pressure on the Blues defence.
Llandudno were being awarded a lot of penalties against Rhuthun and they took advantage of this in the 60th and 65th minute when Oscar Lennon kicked two penalty goals putting the visitors’ ahead 9-8.
In what was becoming a ragged game interrupted by infringements there was no further score and after Llandudno were awarded another penalty they kicked into touch and the whistle blew for full time.
The Blues had to be content with a bonus point in what had been an exciting and edgy game.
Rhuthun 8 v Llandudno 9 - (The Goats match report)
Following report kindly supplied by Llandudno RFC.
On a beautiful day for rugby the Goats travelled to Cae Ddol for the second time this season having recently returned home victorious in the first round of the Welsh Plate.
From the kick off the Goats pressured in the Rhuthun half, however the home side showing a few changes from the previous visit soon began to get a foothold in the game which resulted in a try following a flowing backs move for their talisman winger Josh Wilson after 8 minutes.
The conversion was missed by full hack Dyfan Humphreys. From the restart the home side dominated possession and territory and after 11 minutes went further ahead following a penalty by Humphreys to lead 8-0.
The Goats were lacking the fluidity which has been a hallmark of their game so far this season, and also guilty of a number of uncharacteristic errors.
They did however get on the scoreboard following a rare foray into the home side half which resulted in a penalty converted by outside half Nick Dundee to leave the score at 8-3 after 25 minutes.
Rhuthun continued to dominate the ball and territory which resulted in the Goats conceding a number of penalties.
Two attempts at goal were missed by Humphreys, the second in front of the posts, to leave the score at 8-3 at the interval.
The Goats coaching staff were extremely vocal at half time and obviously got their message across as their side enjoyed a period of pressure in the home half after their failure to deal with the kick off. This lead to a penalty to the Goats to the right of the posts converted by full back Oscar Lennon 8-6.
The Goats now had the upper hand in the loose and set plays with the home side being penalised on a number of occasions. One such penalty was in front of their posts following a scrum infringement which Lennon again converted after 68 minutes to give the Goats the lead for the first time 8-9. Lennon had the opportunity to extend the lead on 75 mutes with a further penalty from distance, however the ball came back off the upright.
Rhuthun proceeded to throw everything at the Goats, however their defence held firm. with a number of infringements by the home side resulting in penalties to the Goats in their own half.
The match finished at 8-9 to the palpable disappointment of the large vocal home crowd, who know that this is one that got away as a result of the Goats being the more clinical side when the scoring opportunities became available.
Goats man of the match - Johnny Stokes.
Next week the Goats entertain Maesteg Celtic in the second round of the Welsh Plate.
Match report by VO # Howieinabsentia # Odd Socks #
Menai Bridge 25 v Flint 22 - match report
Following match report kindly supplied by Menai Bridge RFC.
It was a first bonus pont win of the season for Bridge, who came out on top against a very tough Flint side.
Flint enjoyed a bright start to the match, although not as bright as their impressively yellow new strip, when fly half Ben Mckriell scored a penalty. Bridge engineered a quick response, working their way up the pitch through the forwards, leading to a Gareth Parry try, which went unconverted.
With Bridge on the attack again, a chip ahead was snaffled up by the Flint full back who raced from deep and fed supporting runner Jack Evans. Evans was rewarded for his great support play with open space and he raced to the line for a great try. Flint had a 5 point lead with the half closing. Bridge bounced back once again to close the half at 10 all. Chris Roberts raced off the back of an attacking Bridge scrum, leaving the defence standing and fed Dion McGrath who touched down.
The match was finely balanced and it was Flint who took the lead again, shortly after the interval. They disrupted a scrum, eight picked up feeding fly half McKriell. He dummied and used a decoy runner to fox the defence and waltz over under the posts, converting his own try.
Bridge struck back with a McGrath penalty, soon followed by a debut try for winger Karolis Kurmis, who was delighted to get on the score sheet. With a one point lead Bridge applied the pressure. A loose clearance kick from the 22 was taken by Dan Hughes, who set off on a jinking run that shredded the Flint defence. He avoided a number of tacklers and scored a great individual try to bring up the bonus point. McGrath converted to give Bridge a 25 - 17 lead.
Following the pattern of the game, Flint closed the gap. Sustained pressure yielded a try for Dan Stokes scoring on Flint's left wing. The tricky touchline conversion was missed. This set up a nailbiting final five minute with three points between the teams. To their credit Bridge managed the close well, showing composure and maturity to close the game out.
The match was a credit to both teams and in truth could have gone either way. Bridge will visit Shotton Steel next Saturday, for what will undoubtedly be a stern test of their mettle.
Bangor 14 v Dolgellau 48 - match report
Following report kindly supplied by Dolgellau RFC.
It is becoming interesting at the top end of Division 2 North with five clubs having lost just the once so far this season. Dolgellau move into 3rd but have a game in hand over leaders Newtown and second placed Cobra.
Dolgellau, playing into a stiff breeze went ahead after only three minutes. Stand-off Eben Jones finishing off a move that started with a penalty for touch staying in bounds, causing disarray in the home defence. Centre Henri Roberts converted to put the visitors 0-7 ahead. Bangor, however, surged back, and were level seven minutes later. Sniping runs by livewire scrum half, Dan Jones, brought him close to scoring, but from a five metre scrum he managed to squeeze over for the score. Full back Steffan Owen converted.
Dolgellau were adept at finding holes in the home defence and one such break by prop, Dewi Pugh, resulted in scrum half, Lewis Jones wrong footing the home cover to sprint home under the posts. Henri Roberts added the extras to give Dolgellau a 7-14 lead they held to the interval.
Dolgellau scored their third try straight form the kick off. Wing Jake Hinge’s pace down the right touchline bringing him his fifth try of the season and putting Dolgellau 7-19 ahead. Ten minutes later centre Gareth Hughes punched a hole in the home defence to score under the posts for his 6th try of the season, and Henri Roberts added the conversion, before Jake Hinge’s speed once again brought him his second try of the game, making the score 7-31 after fifteen minutes.
Bangor kept plugging away, and scored a deserved second try, when outstanding no.8, Tom Yardley latched on to a loose Dolgellau pass, to sprint home under the posts. Again, full back, Steffan Owen was accurate with the extras to make it 14-31. But it was Dolgellau who finished strongly. Henri Roberts had now moved to stand-off, and his strength brought him a score, following a strong run down left touchline. Prop, Greg Smithies crashed over for Dolgellau’s seventh try, and with the very last move of the match, full-back Rob Pugh’s run saw scrum half, Lewis Jones dart over for his second try of the game. Centre Gareth Hughes added the conversion to seal the victory.
Bro Ffestiniog 33 v Llangefni 13 - match report
Following report kindly supplied by Bro Ffestiniog RFC.
Ceisiau/Tries: Aron Smyr Roberts, Aron Humphreys, Aron Cai Aspden, Daniel Pierce Jones a Dewi James
Trosiad/Conversion: Gareth Davies x3 a Mathew Haydn
Bro yn dechrau yn gryf eto wythnos yma ac yn mynd ar y blaen ar ôl tua 10 munud wedi iddynt rhoi pwysau ar llinell y gwrthwynebwyr. Ond roedd Llangefni yn aros yn y gêm gyda diffyg disgyblaeth Bro yn rhoi cyfle iddynt daro yn ôl drwy cic gosb. Digwyddodd yr un peth eto yn fuan gyda Bro yn sgorio cais arall yn dilyn dwylo da ac yn ei drosi cyn i Llangefni daro yn ôl yn syth hefo cic gosb arall. Sgoriodd Bro eu trydydd cais o’r hanner tua 10 munud cyn hanner amser i ymestyn y sgôr i 21-6 ond fe darodd Llangefni yn ôl cyn hanner amser. Bro yn rhoi cic gosb i ffwrdd, a gyda cefnwr Llangefni yn cicio yn dda fe gafwyd linell tua 5m allan ac fe blymiodd yr ail rheng mawr drosodd i gau y sgôr a felly arhosodd tan hanner amser gyda Bro ar y blaen o 21-13.
Mi ddaeth Llangefni allan ar ôl yr hanner gyda hyder yn dilyn eu cais hwyr hanner cyntaf, ond fe aeth Bro ati yn syth a mynd a’r gêm at Llangefni ac fe sgorwyd cais yn dilyn chwarae da i ymestyn y sgôr i 26-13. Er i Llangefni geisio brwydro yn ôl i fewn i’r gêm a rhoi’r pwysau ymlaen, roedd Bro yn dal yn fygythiol gyda’r bêl ac fe gafwyd nifer o gyfleoedd cyn sgorio be wnaeth droi allan i fod y cais olaf y gêm. Er hynny, roedd Bro dal i chwilio am fwy ond ddim cweit yn gallu torri drwy’r amddiffyn ac fe orffenwyd yn 33-13. Buddugoliaeth haeddiannol i’r hogiau. ???
Bro again started the match well and took the game to the visitors from the off and managed to score their first try of the game after 10 minutes following sustained pressure. Bro went through the phases and playing with the referee’s advantage, it was Aron ‘Smyr’ Roberts who went over in the corner. Gareth ‘Gaz’ Davies slotting an excellent conversion from out wide. Bro, however, did allow the visitors to stay in the game and it wasn’t long until Bro were penalised and Llangefni got three points on the board.
It was a similar story for the next 10 minutes with Bro applying most of the pressure and working through the phases and neat handling and clever offloading allowed Dan P Jones to run in for a try untouched, which was again converted by Gaz Davies. Almost immediately after kick off, Llangefni were awarded another penalty and their full back made no mistake to close the gap to 14-6.
Bro though, were in determined mood and after being awarded a penalty of their own, kicked to the corner and then kept the ball well before Dewi James powered over from close range, which was successfully converted by Gaz Davies to extend their lead to 21-6 and Bro looked to be in control. However, ill-discipline around the breakdown allowed Llangefni to kick to the corner and following a couple of phases, their big second row went over for a try, which was successfully converted and closed the gap to 21-13 at the half way point.
Bro were pleased with their overall attacking play in the first half, but disappointed that they allowed their opponents to remain within two scores.
Bro started the second half with a purpose and it wasn’t long until they extended their lead. A nice break through the middle was recycled quickly and the ball was fed wide left and allowed winger, Aron Humphreys to go over untouched in the corner. The conversion this time unsuccessful.
Llangefni had their moments and worked hard to try and get back into the match, but Bro kept their discipline and defended very well to shut them out. There was still a try in the game and it was Bro who again went through numerous phases in the opposition half and it was Aron Aspden who then picked a great line to take the pass and score out wide. Mathew Haydn kicked a great conversion to take the score to 33-13.
Bro pushed for more but unfortunately couldn’t break down the Llangefni defence and it ended 33-13 to the home side.
An encouraging performance by the home side and just reward for their hard work on the training field after a slow start to the season. Bro now have two free Saturdays before their next game when they travel to face a Pwllheli side that have had a very good start to the season. Thanks again to our large number of supporters, it is very much appreciated. Match ball sponsored by Trish and Chips takaway?
There are no events to show yet.