St Davids battle hard a a ruck
Blaenau look to go on the attack from a scrum
Pictures by Ceri Coleman-Phillips

 

Featured Match:

 

Division Six (West):

 

Watson brace boosts Saints

St Davids 28 Blaenau 14

Two tries by scrum half Fraser Watson alongside some useful points gathering by Craig Challonder helped St Davids claim a welcome win over Blaenau which allowed them to leap-frog the opposition in the section table.

Watson, playing on permit from Whitland, grabbed a try in each half alongside a good try by flanker Aled Harries and the Saints

 only just missed out on a bonus point when Challonder looked likely to claim his side’s fourth try but was recalled for a forward pass when he was in the clear.

It was Challonder who put the home side ahead with two short-range penalties before adding the extra points when Harries brushed off two would-be tacklers on a 15 metre run to the line. Challonder added a third penalty as the Saints had experienced No 8 Anthony Davies leading by example and supported by Rhys Price, Rhys Tudor Price, Gethin Bateman and Ollie Blakiston.

 

Elementary for Watson

Then No 9 Watson scored near half time with a clever chip and good judgement of the bounce to cross in the corner and set up a 21-0 lead for his side at half time.

Blaenau used their experience up front to cut the deficit when prop Sion James ploughed over from close range and his brother Simon notched the conversion.

But St Davids came back with Watson’s second try after Darren Salmon had sliced through the gap and cleverly popped the ball up to the lively scrum half, who sped to the posts for Challon

der to add the extra points.

Blaenau had the final word when prop Steve James, the third brother on the scoresheet, claimed a try which brother Simon converted – but the Saints fully deserved their third win of the campaign.

St Davids: Darren Salmon: Luke Evans; David Canning (Capt); Moritz Neumann; Craig Challonder: Scott Candler; Fraser Watson: Dan Murphy; Rhys Price; Rhys Tudor Price: Gethin Bateman; Ollie Blakiston: Aled Harries; Dafydd Williams; Anthony Davies. Replacements: Ben Evans; Alex Richmond; Carl Evans; Norman Price.
 
 

Championship Division:
 
Narberth v Ebbw Vale
Match postponed – waterlogged pitch

 

Division One (West):

 

Preseli Men pick up a deserved point

Kenfig Hill 8 Crymych 8

Crymych produced an excellent all-round team performance to gain a deserved share of the spoils against Kenfig Hill and with a little more luck might even have pouched the points against a team standing fourth in the section table.

Indeed, the Preseli Men might even have pouched a third success of the campaign as scrum half Rhys Davies posed a constant threat around the fringes and the pack, which played well throughout, had outstanding performances by hooker Trystan Griffiths and No 8 Alex Humphreys.

It was Davies who booted Crymych ahead with a penalty which was cancelled out by Mules’ outside half Nicky Giles and then Davies struck 

from a close-range scrum for an unconverted try to put the Preseli Man 8-3 top the good at half time.

The second period was just as hard fought in the worsening conditions and the only points came from a home try claimed by Aaron Goodwin.
Fortunately for Crymych, Giles’ conversion attempt was off-target and so the teams shared the spoils and the visitors at least had something to show for their considerable efforts!

Rhys Davies - scored Crymych's eight points

 

Division Three (West):

 

Seasiders have to settle for a point

Llanybydder 6 Tenby United 6

Tenby United came away from Llanybydder with a hard-earned point from a match played in heavy conditions but feeling that with a little more rub of the green they might have secured the spoils.

The Seasiders had half chances where the final pass went astray and thought that they had scored the all-important only try of the match when powerhouse runner Damian Miller looked to 

have touched the ball down, only to be recalled because a touch judge had spotted knee touching the touch line.

Tenby had opened the scoring with a penalty by scrum half Jonathan Rogers which was cancelled out by a three-pointer from experienced  Llanybydder outside half Barry Thomas to see the teams locked at 3-3 at half time, with playing conditions inevitable getting heavier.

Rogers added a second penalty on target for Tenby but so did Thomas for the homesters – and the Seasiders were left to reflect on how close they had come through Miller’s try-scoring attempt!

Jonathan Rogers - scored Tenby United's points

 

Haverfordwest v Gorseinon
Match postponed – waterlogged pitch
 

Llandeilo v Cardigan
Match postponed – waterlogged pitch

 

Division Four (West):

 

Seagulls are good value for welcome win

Fishguard & Goodwick 11 Trimsaran 3

Fishguard & Goodwick climbed into the top half of the divisional table 

as their fifth win of the season came at the expense of a Trimsaran side which also battled hard but had less experience where it counted most, at No 8 and outside half.

The Seagulls had skipper Simon James at No 8 and he scored the only try of the game for another whole-hearted performance, whilst ‘old timer’ Huw Evans not only controlled matters with his kicking out of hand but also slotted two penalties after failing to convert James’ try.

Conditions at The Moors were understandably heavy but James, ably assisted by fellow-back rowers Kevin Hammond and Mark George, featured a lot after good ball-winning from Ryan McVeigh, Owain Morgans and Adrian Squelch, alongside Gwilym Evans and promising young second row Rhys Lewis

Phil Davies landed a penalty for Trimsaran but the Seagulls were able to call on an experienced bench that included Gavin Walsh, Steve and Nathan Jenkins – and they kept a second-half clean sheet whilst No 10 Evans slotted his two penalties with panache!

Huw Evans - still going well at Fishguard

 

Milford Haven v Lampeter
Match postponed – waterlogged pitch

 

Division Five (West):

 

Scarlets slam sorry Quins

Pembroke 39 Pembroke Dock Harlequins 0

Pembroke completed a high-scoring double over near neighbours Pembroke Dock Harlequins and left old-timers from both camps trying to recall when one side had been so much on top of the other.

The Scarlets had beaten their old rivals by 36-3 at Bierspool on the opening day of the season but produced seven tries in this one-sided affair to make the aggregate score 75-3 as they also prevented the Quins from claiming even a single score!

The writing was already on the wall for the visitors at half time as they trailed by 17-0. No 8 Sam Smith put the Scarlets ahead with a typical close-range thrust and within minutes they were 12 points in front as outside half James Davies, who controlled play well, cut through for a try 

which was converted by winger Gianluca Tremarco. Then powerful centre Dom Colman rounded off some good work by partner Simon Cole to put the Scarlets well in control.

Even worse was to follow after the oranges as Scarlets’ skipper Geraint Jackson rounded off a good move and the loudest cheer of the day was reserved for a ‘golden moment’ when veteran prop Richard Mason ripped the ball clear and ploughed over the line for a try which Tremarco goaled!

Geraint Jackson claimed his second try and No 8 Smith also crossed for his second try as he brushed off would-be tacklers on a 40-metre run to the posts and although Tremarco hit the crossbar with the conversion attempt it mattered little because the Scarlets were able to celebrate an easy win.

 

Wasps' centre Will Beresford looks to exploit some space

 

Wasps battle hard but still lose

Llangwm 5 Bynea 19

Llangwm still seek their first league win of the season after this defeat by Bynea at Pill Parks but again the Wasps battled hard without managing to score enough points from their periods of pressure.

They trailed by 12-0 at half time against an experienced Bynea side which is third in the table and had already beaten the Wasps 45-3 at home. But there was to be no repeat of that heavy loss as Aled Morgan Gavin Jones and Roy Venables grafted hard in the front row and young second row Ryan John again looked the part in the ball-winning stakes.

Scrum half Jonathan Brock was ever-ready to run at Bynea and centre Will Beresford again caught the eye in attack and defence, helping to set up a try for flanker Deion Lloyd-Hughes.

But Bynea had a third try, this time scored by Scott Tudor after first half tries by Chris Mills and Nick Morris, with Jonathan Cronin notching his second conversion to give Bynea the double.

 

League leaders beat Blacks

New Dock Stars 40 Neyland 5

Travelling to New Dock was never going to be an easy option for Neyland as they had already lost at home by 65-5 to the Stars, who are well in front at the head of the table with 11 wins from as many matches.

But although the All Blacks conceded the double they deserve a pat on the back for sticking to the task but conceding late tries which made the Stars’ win look easier than it actually was!

Neyland trailed by 19-5 at half time as prop Gareth Bevans scored an unconverted try whilst there were good individual displays from skipper Mark James, No 8 Steve Hamer, scrum half Mark Riley and No 10 Ashley Sutton, playing on permit.

The Stars’ tries came from props Ian Jones (2) and Stuart Williams, plus others by centre Matthew Bennett, flankers Jason Baxter and Jordan Evans.

Baxter also notched five conversions to help maintain his team’s 100% record but Neyland had other chances to score and can certainly hold their heads up after this sort of gritty display.