PHOTOS:
Cardigan put in some big tackles to keep Llangwm at bay
Cardigan outside half Iestyn Crompton scores underneath the posts
Feature Match:
Division Three A (West):
Wasps wilt in closing stages
Llangwm 10 - Cardigan 61
This match was hugely entertaining in a first half at Pill Parks where Cardigan scored thee converted tries to lead 21-10 against a Llangwm side which played some positive rugby that will have pleased coach Dafydd Bowen.
In sharp contrast, Cardigan coach Colin Horscroft might have felt his side had something extra to give and whatever he said at half time certainly worked as the Teifisiders added 40 second-half points without reply!
Andrew Brock put the Wasps in front as he chased down a neat chip through by Luke Brock, making a welcome return to action – and Andrew Brock added a second from a classic outside break after their pack stuffed Cardigan at a scrum.
But on both occasions their lead was short-lived and Cardigan scored tries by centre Sion Hughes, second row Trystan Lewis and influential outside half Iestyn Crompton, who converted all three with his trusty left boot.
Equally as influential after half time was centre Emyr Hughes, who scored three tries alongside others by full back Alun Jenkins, Trystan Lewis again, and winger Sion Jones as Crompton converted five of them to give him a personal total of 21 points.
Llangwm: Kieran Cunningham: Ashley Whittaker; Andrew Brock; Luke Brock; Rhys Compton: Matthew Davies; Rhys Mason: Gavin Jones; Dan Hughes; Ryan Joseph: Josh Hicks; Nick Phillips: James Lewis; Ian Griffiths; Aled Morgan. Replacements: Steve Rees; Daniel Morgan; Ben Davies; Kieran Walkden.
Cardigan: Alun Jenkins: Gruff Lewis; Aaron Tomkinson; Sion Hughes; Sion Jones: Iestyn Crompton; Llyr Griffiths: Daniel Evans; Tomos Evans; Ifan Jones: Rob Connolly; Trystan Lewis: Gethin Jones; Kieran Hurley; Llyr Griffiths. Replacements: Aled Davies; Ben Hughes; Will Brice; Emyr Harries; Gareth Dymond.
Championship Division:
Marauder Morgan snatches victory for delighted Otters
Newbridge 18 - Narberth 19
Jonathan Morgan was the toast of his Narberth colleagues and their hardy band of supporters as his last-gasp solo try at the posts took the Otters to within a point of a shell-shocked Newbridge side which had seemed likely to win until that moment.
Morgan showed his predatory powers in the 79th minute as the Otters trailed 12-18 – but he picked up a loose ball in midfield and sped through a bemused Newbridge defence and Jonathan Rogers ensured victory with the simplest of conversions from almost the final kick of an absorbing clash.
The home side had taken the lead early on as winger Matthew McGovern sped through for an unconverted try and they also had two penalties by outside half Kieran Meek, whilst the Otters responded with penalties by Jonathan Rogers (2) and Nick Gale as they trailed 11-9 at the oranges.
Home winger Ryan Gardiner scored the first points of the second half and Meek converted to put Newbridge 18-9 ahead but again the Otters fought back with a Gale penalty – and then marauder Morgan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the closing stages, aided by the nerveless Rogers with the conversion!
Jonathan Morgan scored a match winning try for the Narberth
Division One (West):
Makeshift Seasiders pay the price
Gorseinon 27 - Tenby United 7
Tenby United again took a makeshift side to Gorseinon and paid the inevitable price as they trailed 24-0 at the break and ended up 27-7 in arrears.
To be fair to those who played in the red and black hoops there was no shortage of effort and skipper Luke Hansford certainly led by example alongside winger James Criddle and centre Jack Guerreiro.
Luke Deadman scored the lone Seasiders’ try, converted by Tom Lewis, home from his fishing off the north of Scotland, but Gorseinon had tries by Andrew Steele (2) and No 8 Sean Heycock (2), whilst Steele landed a conversion and penalty and centre Josh Simmonds also kicked the first conversion.
Dunvant make Preseli Men pay for an off day
Crymych 9 - Dunvant 27
“We had a bit of an off day,” was the succinct comment from a Crymych spokesman as Dunvant played the more positive rugby and leap-frogged over the Preseli Men and into second spot in the table.
All the home side could muster for their efforts were three first-half penalties from Luke Rogers but they already trailed 17-9 and failed to add a point afterwards as Dunvant claimed another ten points.
Hooker Ceri Davies, No 8 Jordan Jackson and centre Danny Davies sped over for their tries, all three converted to go with a penalty in each half by No 10 James Davies.
Borderers’ brave battle back in vain
Felinfoel 39 - Whitland 31
Whitland showed typical battling qualities as they fought back bravely from a 25-point interval deficit to gain a bonus point for scoring four tries and only just missing out on another one by losing by more than seven points!
“We were all at sea during the first period but whatever the coaches said at half time the Whitland players certainly raised the tempo and only a little bad luck saw them fail to score in the final eight minutes as they camped in Felinfoel’s 22.
Outside half Aled Roberts gave the homesters the early lead with a penalty and winger Andrew Evans intercepted and sped 85 metres for a try and although Roberts failed with the conversion he soon made amends as he converted tries from winger Matthew Moseley and No 8 Steffan Phillips and slotted his second three-pointer.
Whitland started the second half with a bang as outside Nico Setaro grabbed a try and conversion before centre Andrew Jenkins added their second try – only for Felinfoel to respond with tries from prop Chris Jones and centre George Hoskins, both goaled by Roberts.
But Whitland refused to submit and added further quality tries by winger Sean Coles, second row Daf Walters and winger Deian Augustus, the first two converted by Setaro – and now the Borderers have to look at ways of not gifting points at the start, as they did in this tussle!
Division Two (West):
Seagulls fail to take their chances
Tycroes 15 - Fishguard & Goodwick 14
Fishguard and Goodwick picked up a bonus point in this narrowest of defeats at Tycroes but the Seagulls know that this was another game where they could well have won if they had taken the right options – and not conceded the usual early points.They are an attacking team by instinct but declined several eminently kickable penalties in the second half in search of tries but the kicks to the corner came to nought against a strong Tycroes defence.
Fishguard found themselves seven points in arrears almost from the kick-off as home centre Steve Jones scored a try which outside half Dean Bromham converted – but the Seagulls responded well with a cracking team try for No 10 James Griffiths which he also converted.
Bromham put Tycroes 10-7 ahead at half time with a penalty but failed to convert a try by scrum half Alun Griffiths from a tapped penalty.
Fishguard had their chances but were unable to add any further points until the closing moments, when a home error saw the Seagulls awarded a try by Gavin Walsh which Griffiths converted.
Mariners' skipper Mark Wonnacott drives forward against Laugharne
Division Three (West):
Mariners fight back maintains 100% record
Milford Haven 36 - Laugharne 24
Outside half Owain Thomas was the inspiration behind the Laugharne success in that first period as he sped through for a try hat-trick after second row Lewis Owen had put them into an early lead, with Tom Jameson converting two of them.
The Mariners could only muster tries by centre Dan Jenkins and wing Max Beddis, one converted by Joe Kiff – but they went to town after the interval as tearaway flanker Sam Dolling crossed three times as reward for his terrific support play and evergreen forward Dai Sweeney also scored a try.
Joe Kiff and Leigh Broome added further conversions st set the seal on a good Mariners’ win – but not before they had been given a kick up the backside!
Sam Dolling claimed a try hat-trick for the Mariners
All Blacks battered by Scarlets in second half
Pembroke 72 - Neyland 14
What a difference supporters of Pembroke received as their young team trailed 14-12 to Neyland but then took total control in a very one-sided second period to put 60 unanswered points on the Crickmarren scoreboard!
Small wonder then that coach Geraint Lewis should be delighted because he included 19 year olds Rhys Wilkins and Billy Wood, plus 18 year olds Rhys Fawcett and Lewys Gibby, who marked his senior debut at scrum half with two tries.
But it was Neyland’s talented teenage winger Ben Goodridge who caught the eye in the first half as he crossed the whitewash twice, both converted by outside half Patrick Bellerby – and Pembroke responded with tries by winger James Skeels and No 8 Cyle Wetherall, one converted by Wilkins.
But it was all Pembroke in the second half as tries flowed from flanker Dom Colman, full back Luca Tremarco (2), winger Barry John, Max Hayward, replacement Sam Smith, second row Will Edwards (2) and Gibby (2). Wilkins added his second conversion and Liam Price contributed four more to give the Scarlets a resounding win.
Candler shines as Blues maintain their inning streak
St Clears 17 Haverfordwest 44
On this occasion they ran in seven tries, four of them from pacy winger Scott Candler, as reward for their attacking play, one of Candler’s tries coming in a first half as they led 22-10, thanks to others by winger Lawrence Hancock and centre Dan Richards, plus two conversions and a penalty by No 10 Mikey Jones.
St Clears had a penalty try and the conversion and penalty by Chris Rodenhurst, who also added the extra points to their second try, scored by outside half Shane Morgan.
But it was the Blues who held all the aces as further tries came Mikey Jones and Candler (3), with Jones converting two to put the league leaders in good heart for their toughest assignment of the season on Saturday as they travel to third-placed Cardigan.
Pacy Blues' winger Scott Candler scored four tries
‘Damo’ goes nap as Quins slam Saints
St Davids 10 - Pembroke Dock Harlequins 74
Miller crossed five times, with three of his scores coming from long range, as the Quins turned a 38-5 half time lead into a comfortable 74-10 win.
It was flanker Gary Pickering who powered over to get the ball rolling for Ossie Boswell’s side, and alongside Miller’s haul, there were tries for Lewis Davies, Carl Williams (2), Alex Pearce, Kevin Bratcher, and Mike Davies.
No 10 Davies also notched seven conversions for a personal haul of 19 points.
The Saints, who had influential No 8 Anthony Davies sin binned in the first half, again battled in vain and struck twice themselves when scrum half Fraser Watson dived over from close range before the break – and winger Steve Regan gathered a late interception to score his first try in senior rugby.
But the second half was soured by a serious leg injury to home flanker Wayne Gray, who was taken to hospital and will require an operation – and Pembrokeshire Sport wishes him a speedy recovery.