Championship:
Tata show their Steel at the death against unlucky Otters
Narberth 27-32 Tata Steel
An injury time try from Tata Steel scrum half Ross Pritchard gave his side a win at Narberth after The Otters had fought back from a 19-10 half time deficit to seemingly secure a deserved draw.
With the teams locked at 27-27, the ball went loose from a Narberth defensive scrum, and Pritchard pounced for the decisive try.
Tata had led 19-10 at the break with tries from flanker James Locke, second row Brett Thomas and No 9 Pritchard, with outside half Kristian Jenkins adding two conversions.
But The Otters kept in touch largely thanks to winger Nick Gale, who bagged a try, penalty, and conversion.
And in a frantic second period, the home side stormed back with tries from No 10 James Stephenson and winger Jordan Roberts, with the accurate Gale adding both conversions and a penalty.
For Tata, Jenkins kicked a penalty and influential skipper Locke grabbed his second try – and the sides looked set to share the spoils when Pritchard completed his brace late on.
The result moves Tata seventh in the table, with Narberth dropping to ninth.
Nick Gale - Try, Penalty and Conversion for the Otters
Division One (West):
Crymych let it slip in second half
Crymych 23-26 Waunarlwydd
There was frustration for Crymych at the Parc Lloyd Thomas ground as they let a 20-9 interval advantage slip against Waunarlwydd.
The Preseli Men controlled the first half as No 8 Guto Davies charged over, and the home side were also awarded a penalty try when the visitors collapsed a close range scrum. Scrum half Rhys Davies converted both scores and kicked two penalties – while ‘Waun’ outside half Lee Evans kept his team in contention with two penalties and a snap drop goal.
But it was a different story after the break as Crymych could only add another Davies penalty, and the third-placed visitors got a grip up front with tries from No 8 Joel Young and hooker Jack Cambiani.
Evans added the extras to both and kicked a decisive penalty – leaving The Preseli Men ninth in the table and still in need of points to avoid relegation.
Borderers left heartbroken by Kidwelly’s late show
Kidwelly 20-20 Whitland
Whitland team manager Kristian Richards admitted his side “should have left with four points” after a last gasp try from Kidwelly scrum half Jordan Rice and touchline conversion from No 10 Gareth Owens secured the home side a draw.
The Borderers trailed 10-7 at the break after going ahead through flying winger Sean Coles early on, and outside half Nico Setaro kicked the conversion.
But promotion chasing Kidwelly responded as prop Calvin Williams crashed over, with Owens adding the extras and a penalty.
Owens kicked another three points after half time but in one of their best league displays of the season, Whitland opened up a 20-13 lead when flanker Zac France-Miller drove over from close range, and Setaro converted before adding a five-pointer himself.
However, in the game’s final play, Rice sniped over in the corner and Owens agonisingly nailed the kick, leaving the visitors in the bottom two and desperately needing to win their games in hand to get out of relegation trouble.
Seasiders throw it away yet again
Tenby United 15-27 Loughor
It was a case of same old story for rock-bottom Tenby United as they let a good first half display go to waste and went down to an 18th straight league defeat against Loughor.
The Seasiders led 15-10 at the break, with outside half Scott James and captain and flanker Luke Hansford grabbing tries – and James also notching a conversion and penalty.
But Loughor, who began the day just a place above their hosts, ensured the deficit stood at just five points as flanker Kyle Tucker crossed and veteran kicker and centre Peter Smiriglia landed a conversion and penalty.
And the second half belonged to the visitors, as another back row man in Tom Davies went over and Smiriglia converted, before adding his second penalty.
The game remained in the balance until injury time when Loughor, leading 20-15, sealed the win and denied Tenby a losing bonus point as centre Shane Davies sliced through to score and Smiriglia inevitably converted.
Luke Hansford makes a break for Tenby
Picture by Brian McKehon
Division Two (West):
The Seagulls sneak a thrilling win
Fishguard and Goodwick 24-23 Pontyberem
Two tries from outstanding flanker Chris Shousha, and the boot of outside half James Griffiths, edged The Seagulls home after 80 minutes where fortunes ebbed and flowed.
Pontyberem, captained by former Narberth flanker Wayne Williams, led early on when outside half Mike Sauro landed a long range penalty, but the home side responded when Shousha peeled off a maul and powered over.
Sauro struck back with another three points before Shousha again struck, this time from 30 metres, and Griffiths converted.
The latter added two penalties before the break, but only after ‘Bont’ winger Matthew Morgan had hacked on and scored, and Sauro converted.
Leading 18-13, The Seagulls suffered a blow in the opening seconds of the second half when Pontyberem’s Gwion Jones cut in from the left wing and jinked past several tackles to score and Sauro added the extras.
But Griffiths landed two further penalties, before the clinical Sauro added another three points of his own, to set up a nerve jangling finish.
The visitors pressed hard in the final stages - but The Seagulls, well led by No 8 Simon James with forwards Mark George and Gavin Walsh also standing out, dug deep for a much needed win.
Fishguard flanker Mark George on a charging run (Pic: Andrew Butler)
Division Three (West) A:
Blues on the brink after battering Laugharne
Laugharne 20-67 Haverfordwest
The same sides had met at Merlins Bridge 10 days beforehand, and although the leaders prevailed 31-7, many felt The Cocklemen had pushed them further than the score suggested and would present a really tough test this time around.
However, it was one way traffic as The Blues led 45-15 at half time and added 22 more points thereafter, and now know a win or even draw at home to Cardigan next Saturday will be enough to seal the title.
For The Blues, winger Scott Candler grabbed three tries, prop Ashley Mathias two, and further scores came from winger Matthew Morgan, flanker and skipper Jonathan Mason, scrum half Lee Summons, outside half Mikey Jones, and replacement Mike Griffiths.
Laugharne did strike with three tries from Tom Rees, Dorian Harries, Jamie Harries – while Tom Jameson added five points with the boot, but in truth this was a harrowing day for The Cocklemen.
Scott Candler grabbed three tries
Mariners sail past youthful Saints
St Clears 12-27 Milford Haven
Despite travelling with a scratch side, Milford Haven marked their last away game of the season with a bonus point win against a St Clears outfit that also picked a number of younger players in an unfamiliar line up.
The Mariners were 20-7 ahead at half time – with four unconverted tries from winger Jamie Lewis, centre Dan Jenkins, No 8 Sam Dolling and flanker Ben Groves.
The Carmarthenshire Saints meanwhile, scored via a penalty try than Geraint Lewis converted.
Home hooker Dafydd Page also went over in the second half - but the highlight of the game came from Milford winger Lewis, who notched his second with a superb solo effort, and then duly added the extras himself.
It keeps The Mariners, for who flanker Ryan Mansell was nominated man of the match, in with a chance of catching second placed Cardigan, with home games against Pembroke and The Teifisiders to come.