English and Welsh match report kindly supplied by Eifion Harding, Caernarfon RFC. Picture by Lorraine Jones.
Caernarfon Ladies 43 v Pontyclun Ladies 22
Caernarfon found the going tough during most of the first half in this premier league encounter. After the first quarter they found themselves seventeen points adrift to an organised and committed Pontyclun outfit. However they regrouped effectively during the second half to take the spoils.
Visiting winger Heather Rees nearly got to the try line early on and the constant pressure soon led to an offside call allowing Brogaan Jones to slot over a penalty to open the account. She also delivered a clever cross field kick that was within inches of being collected by speedster Rafiuke Taylor.
The Cofis, in an attempt to relieve pressure, chipped over the on rushing defence but it fell kindly into the hands of Taylor who blasted a path to the try line and again offering Brogaan Jones a reasonably easy conversion.
Caernarfon's best charges were courtesy of number eight Nicky Crawford and having worked their way up field and having the try line at their mercy Rafiuke Taylor struck once again, intercepting the final pass and heading off on a length of the field run to score her second. Jones again converted to give Pontyclun a seventeen point lead with twenty three minutes played.
Sadly Pontyclun's Jess Wallington was injured soon afterwards and a delay ensued with play eventually restarting on the adjoining pitch.
The Cofis slowly began to put phases of play together with a quick tap penalty and charge by Elen Evans providing the offload for Bethan Davies to surge over and convert her own try.
Pontyclun's injury list sadly continued with impressive tackling fullback Shaunni Davies also having to leave the field on the stroke of half time.
The losses of two valuable assets under such circumstances affected the Pontyclun squad with the restructuring not being given the required time to bond as Caernarfon were far more focused and direct in their approach from the restart.
Hooker Non Roberts collected a loose ball within the tram lines and powered her way along the unguarded touch line to finally touch down amongst the reacting rearguard before surfacing with a smile only linked to one scoring her first premier league try.
Caernarfon kept up the pressure and were soon on level terms when Beth Davies chipped through and won the chase to hack on under control, thus giving her the opportunity to slide in and ground beneath the crossbar. She duly added the conversion to put the Cofis ahead for the first time.
Minutes later a well fielded ball and charge by Tawny Travis set up quick ball for Nicky Crawford, who threw a dummy pass to find a clear path to the line from forty meters. Davies again added the extras.
Pontyclun were still game with Jess Pritchard and Megan Oaten prominent in gaining valuable yardage but by now the tide was beginning to turn against them. Caernarfon's replacement Sarah Williams featured prominently with her charges, one setting up a swift inside pass that found Nicky Crawford's angle run being halted just short of the line but the offload found on rushing Elin Royle at hand to slide in with ten minutes to play.
Almost immediately a glorious pick up off her toes and pass by Iona Evans freed centre Molly Shuttleworth who surged through to score a fine individual try.
Pontyclun to their credit kept plugging away with Toni-Louisa Lloyd and Georgia Evans leading the way. They were eventually rewarded for their persistence when Caernarfon in an attempt to run out of defence saw a pass being intercepted by Seren Gough-Walters who then had the legs to get to the line from close to the half way line for a thoroughly deserved added consolation try.
The last word however went to the Cofis as Claire Wright pressurised her opposite number to regain possession before setting Elen Evans off on a try scoring run. This seventh try of the afternoon for the home side was duly converted by Beth Davies to bring proceedings to a close.
Although jubilant in victory the players thought's were undoubtedly with the injured duo and wish both a speedy recovery.
Am yr hanner awr gyntaf o'r gêm gynghrair hon, Pontyclun oedd y tîm gorau o ddigon, gan fod yn gyfforddus gyda'r bêl yn eu meddiant ac yn llwyddo i fanteisio yn llwyr ar gamgymeriadau y Cofis. Yn anffodus o du yr ymwelwyr, yn dilyn dau anaf a seibiant o ugain munud a mwy, fe newidiodd gwedd y gêm wrth i Gaernarfon frwydro'n ôl a rheoli am weddill y gêm.
Yr asgellwraig Heather Rees berodd y broblem gyntaf wrth lithro o afael y Cofis ac ond cael ei rhwystro gan dacl dda Molly Shuttleworth fodfeddi yn brin. O fewn dim 'roedd y pwysau wedi arwain at gig gosb am gam ochri a llwydodd Brogaan Jones i recordio'r pwyntiau cyntaf. Eiliadau yn ddiweddarach ciciodd ar draws y cae yn gelfydd i geisio rhyddhau yr asgellwraig Rafiuke Taylor a bu bron i'r dacteg weithio.
Gwelodd Caernarfon yn fuan pam fod tacteg o'r fath yn cael ei fabwysiadu oherwydd wrth iddi nhw geisio rhyddhau y pwysau drwy gicio o'u 22 fe ddisgynnodd y bêl yn garedig i ddwylo Taylor ac o fewn eiliadau 'roedd wedi gwibio drwy'r amddiffyn i sgorio dan y pyst. Ychwanegodd Jones y trosiad i ymestyn y fantais i ddeg pwynt gyda chwarter awr ar y cloc.
Wythwraig Caernarfon, Nicky Crawford, oedd yr unig un ar y cyfnod i osod gwir fygythiad, drwy ei rhedeg cryf a syth o gefn y sgrymiau gosod. Pan ddaeth y cyfle cyntaf i daro nôl wedi ugain munud, llwyddodd Rafiuke Taylor i ryngipio y bas olaf ac yna rhedeg hyd y cae i sgorio ei hail gais a chynnig cyfle hawdd i Brogaan Jones ychwanegu y trosiad.
Munudau yn ddiweddarach bu seibiant yn y chwarae yn dilyn anaf i Jess Wallington blaenwraig Pontyclun a symudwyd i gae yr ail dîm i barhau. O'r diwedd fe ganfyddodd y Cofis fwlch yn amddiffyn pontyclun wrth i Elen Evans gymryd cig gosb sydyn a chanfod Beth Davies wrth ei hochr i gasglu'r bas a sgorio. Llwyddodd hefyd gyda'r trosiad i roi elfen o obaith i'r Cofis y gellid brwydro nôl wrth i'r hanner ddynesi i'w derfyn. Yn anffodus daeth anaf hefyd eiliadau yn ddiweddarach i gefnwraig Pontyclun, Shaunni Davies, a fu'n taclo'n ddigyfaddawd o'r cychwyn.
Collodd Pontyclun beth awch am y frwydr ar ddechrau'r ail hanner tra y gorfod gwynebu'r goledd a llwyddodd y Cofis i'w cadw dan bwysau. Llwyddodd y bachwr Non Roberts i gasglu pêl rydd a chanfod bwlch gyfochrog a'r linell ochr gan garlamu yn benderfynol i'r linell gais a thirio yn fuddugolaethus er yr ymdrechion i'w rhwystro. Dyma'n wir ei chais cyntaf i'r Cofis.
Ar yr awr 'roedd Caernarfon yn gyfartal wrth i Beth Davies gicio dros yr amddiffyn ac yna ennill y frwydr i'r bêl rydd gan ei chicio'n bellach dan reolaeth a llwyddo i ddisgyn arni dan y pyst. Daeth trosiad hefyd i roi'r tîm cartref ar y blaen am y tro cyntaf.
Munudau yn ddiweddarach maesodd Tawny Travis bêl uchel a hyrddio i ganol y cae ac wrth fwydo Nicky Crawford yn sydyn fe lwyddodd hithau i ffugbasio a chanfod llwybr clir i'r linell i sgorio'r cais oedd yn dod a phwynt bonws hefyd i'r tîm cartref ynghyd â throsiad eto gan Beth Davies.
Brwydrodd Jess Pritchard a Megan Oaten yn galed i roi Pontyclun nôl ar y droed flaen ond erbyn hyn 'roedd y llif yn eu herbyn. Llwyddodd Sarah Williams i gyfrannu yn gyson wedi iddi ymuno â'r frwydr ac un o'i hyrddiadau hi arweiniodd at gais gwych i Elin Royle wrth i Nicky Crawford unwaith eto ganfod llwybr i'r linell a dadlwytho yn gelfydd i roi'r cais iddi.
Bron yn syth casglodd Iona Evans bêl o fysedd ei thraed a bwydo Molly Shuttleworth, gan yna ei gweld hi yn hollti'r amddiffyn i sgorio cais unigol gwych.
Cyfrannodd Toni-Louisa Lloyd a Georgia Evans at ymdrech Pontyclun ac wrth i'r Cofis geisio rhedeg o'i hanner eu hun fe ryngipiodd Seren Gough Walters a llwyddo i redeg bron hanner hyd y cae i sgorio cais cysur haeddiannol.
Daeth y gair olaf i'r Cofis wrth i Claire Wright roi pwysedd ar ei gwrthwynebydd ac o sicrhau'r bêl llwyddodd y bythol wyrdd Elen Evans i ganfod gwagle a sgorio seithfed cais y tîm cartref gyda'r ymdrech yma yn cael ei throsi yn llwyddiannus gan Beth Davies.
Er yn uchel eu hysbryd o gael y fuddugoliaeth 'roedd meddyliau pob un o'r chwaraewr gyda'r ddwy gaeth eu hanafu ac yn dymuno y byddant yn gwella yn fuan.
There are no events to show yet.