Pembrokeshire Cup KO Semi-Final:

 

Seasiders too strong for Otters’ Development Squad

 

Tenby United 32 - Narberth Development Squad 5

 

Tenby United produced a powerhouse display of attacking rugby against a gritty Narberth Development Squad in front of a big crowd  under the Heywood Lane floodlights and their reward was a first appearance for some time in a Pembrokeshire KO Cup Final as they now wait to see whether they will take on Pembroke or Aberaeron in the final.
 
But credit must be given to what is ostensibly the Otters’ Seconds for the way that they stuck to the task, despite being out-gunned up front and outpaced behind as Seasiders’ coach Jonathan Evans was able to field almost his strongest squad.
 
They served notice of intent early on as their scrum superiority was evident and so was their ball-winning capability elsewhere as Ethan Morgan, Dan Allen and Rob Luly got on top in the former set-piece and with half backs Tom Lewis and especially Lloyd Thomas calling the shots it meant that the likes of Hywel Baker, Jack Brown and Dan Colley were able to secure quality possession on the ground, despite the efforts of Steve Pilot, Henry Foster, Jac Norcross and Co in the Development squad.
 
Tenby’s opening score showed their intent from a scrum on half way where they marched the opposition back before switching play left and good hands by Jack Gooding and Luke Waygood put left-winger Geraint Powell over in the corner, with No 10 Thomas adding the wide-angled conversion.
 
Their second try again stemmed from a scrum 40 metres out, where they pushed Narberth off their own ball, the back row made ground and Lloyd Thomas pit Tom Lewis over for an unconverted try.
 
It says much about The Development’ Squad’s spirit that they managed to fight back with a good try by skipper Will Davies, playing in the centre and rounding off a good handling move but with the conversion missed.
 
And with five minutes of the half remaining Tenby widened the gap when Geraint Powell looked likely to add his second try but was felled by a high tackle and referee Chris Oliver awarded a penalty try – and from the last move of the half Thomas landed a penalty to give The Seasiders a 22-5 interval lead.
 
The second half followed a similar pattern as Tenby maintained a firm grip on matters and The Otters battled bravely to try and start a comeback but Lloyd Thomas opened the scoring with a long-range penalty and the game was mase absolutely safe late on when another home attack saw replacement scrum half Cam Broadhurst pit in a neat chip into space and full back Gwion Jones was lurking with intent to take the kindly bounce and score before Thomas again added the extra points.
 
Interestingly, Broadhurst was one of three brothers who came off the bench to play well for The Seasiders as Jack and 18 year old Fletcher joined him. It was the third time that there were three brothers in the Tenby team, following the Powling brothers and, more recently, the Evans brothers.
 
Tenby United:  Gwion Jones: Geraint Powell; Jack Gooding; Luke Waygood; Luke Hartland: Lloyd Thomas; Tom Lewis: Ethan Morgan; Dan Allen; Rob Luly: Tom Barrass; Liam Pugh: Hywel Baker; Jack Brown; Dan Colley. Replacements: Frankie Boyd; Kyle Rossiter; James Morgan; Jake Roberts; Jack Broadhurst, Fletcher Broadhurst; Cam Broadhurst. Travelling Reserve: Will Allen.
 
Narberth Development Squad: Shane Rossiter: Luke Conbeer; Iwan Thomas; Will Davies (Capt); Ryan Scourfield: Harri Harries; Jordan Jones: Declan Cole; Rhys Jenkins; Jac Norcross: Lewis Reed; Henry Foster: Tom Parsells; Dylan Walsh; Steve Pilot. Replacements: Gareth Clifford; Gethin Thomas; Richard Watkins; Ryan Cole; Steve Thomas; Jake Philpin. Travelling Reserves:  Elliott Evans; Osian Phillips.





 
 

National League: Division Three (West) A:

 

Impressive six-try Price takes centre stage as Laugharne comfortably beat Pembroke

 

Pembroke 12 - Laugharne 66

 
After such an involvement in the WRU 3^rd Divion Cup,  Laugharne returned to league action with a bang in this floodlit match at Crickmarren where they gave Pembroke a 9-try thumping that had our Pembroke spokesperson  praising the pace of the visitors’ back division, centred of course on powerhouse centre Liam Price, who sped through for SIX of them
 
But this was very much a Laugharne all-round team effort as skipper Richie Walters led a ball-winning pack and his back division did the rest as they actually claimed 61 of the points, other than a try by dynamic No 8 Mikey Williams; the other points through talented young twins Lennon and Tyler Reynolds.
 
Laugharne defied the very heavy pitch to race into 26-7 lead at the interval as Price sped through for two early tries, both converted by full back Lennon Reynolds, and then his brother Tyler raced over on the wing for Lennon to again add the extra points.
 
It says a lot for The Scarlets that they battled hard in adversity, with youth player Ethan Brown showing what a good player he is going to be next season in senior rugby – and with old-timers Johnny Palmer, Jamie Brayford, Dai Beynon and acting skipper Scott Powell to the fore scored a close-range try claimed by scrum half Rhys McNally and converted by fly-half Luke Rutherford.

But Price claimed his hat-trick try, again converted by Lennon Reynolds just before the break.
 
Pembroke made a better start to the second half but unforced errors cost them points before skipper Powell rounded off some good work by Barry Alderman-John and Rhys Johns – but in the final 30 minutes they ran out of steam and Laugharne had a second hat-trick for the outstanding Price, plus others by Williams and the  Reynolds’ boys, with Lennon ending up with a personal haul of 19 points as reward for his excellent place-kicking.

The teams meet again on Saturday, this time in Laugharne, who stay in the hunt for the top spot with a mountain to climbe as this was only their tenth game of the campaign.
 
Pembroke: Barry Alderman-John: Darcy Langston; Rhys Johns; Leon Stewart; Rhys Griffiths: Luke Alderwick; Rhys McNally: Jamie Brayford; Dan Gosnold; Johnny Palmer: Dai Beynon; Scott Powell (Capt): Ethan Brown; Evan Phillips; Robin Badham. Replacements: Seamus Wiseman; Tom Cabot; Dewi Jackson;  Morgan Rees; Harry Turner.
 
Laugharne: Lennox Reynolds: Steven John; Liam Price; Tomos Davies; Tyler Reynolds: Owain Thomas; Adam Davies: Rhys Thomas; Richie Walters (Capt); Mikey Ryan: Tomos Rees; Thomas Lloyd: Iwan Lewis; Rhodri Rees; Mikey Williams. Replacements: Tom Waters; Dorian Harries; Carwyn Jones; Rhys Evans; Nico Setaro.
 

Youth Rugby:

 

Scarlets’ Youth are crowned league champions

 
Congratulations to Pembroke Youth  on Saturday as they made sure of winning this season’s youth championship by beating challengers Aberystwyth 27-22  in Mid Wales to earn them a terrific 13^th win of the season and a proud 100% record with just one match to go.
 
Head coach Phil Greenwood was understandably jubilant afterwards as he praised the total commitment of his squad, most of who have been with him and assistant Mark Boswell since they were seven years old.
 
The Young Scarlets’ tries came from Rhydian Eynon, Max Boswell (2), and Danny Davies, with Bowen Clarke adding two conversions and a  penalty – and we at PembrokesPort.co.uk wish them every congratulations – and we look forward to writing a feature on them all at the end of the season!
 

Young Seagulls win well at home

 

Fishguard & Goodwick 22 - Tenby United 0

 
Fishguard & Goodwick Youth’s comfortable win against  their counterparts from Tenby United saw then gain their sixth win from 11 starts and in doing so leap-frogged over their opponents in mid-table.
 
Small wonder then that coach Randall Williams was delighted at the way his team continue to improve – and the fact that they scored four tries whilst maintaining a clean sheet was an added bonus.
 
He was quick to praise Tenby for their part in an absorbing tussle as The Young Seagulls’ tries came from second row Jack Richards, twins  Danny and Laurie Voyce (playing centre and wing), plus hooker Will Robinson, who also kicked a conversion.
 

Old adversaries remain great pals

 
One of the great things about rugby is the way that former players who once were great rivals on the pitch remain good friends as they get older and going back to the KO Cup semi-final at Heywood Lane it was nice to see Ossie Boswell and Richard ‘Stag’ Jones enjoying ‘a walk down a long memory lane’!
 
Ossie was a key player with Pembroke Dock Harlequins at a time when they were one of the best teams in the county in pre-National League days alongside the likes of his brother Dai, Lenny and Roy Scourfield, Paul Rogers, Roland Boyett, Keith Harries and others in a revered pack – and then became coach there, Pembroke and now back at Tenby United, where he works as forwards’ coach alongside Jonathan Evans and Andy Barlow.
 
‘Stag’ was part of a Narberth back row considered arguably the best-ever in the county alongside Peter Griffiths and Roger Price and has since been an excellent coach at youth and schools’ levels, plus ‘up the road’ at Whitland for a spell.
 
Both were regulars for the county at a time when it was a real honour to represent Pembrokeshire – and both enjoy a pint!
 
So it was great to see two genuine ‘legends’ of local rugby from long ago looking so well – and enjoying each other’s company whilst Tenby United coasted home against the Narberth Development team!




 
**All Tenby United v Narberth Development squad curtesy of Tom D’Arcy Photography.**