PHOTOS:
Milford Rugby Club show off their new shirts
James Passmore ploughs over for a try
A nice jog in for a Milford try

 

Featured match:
 
Division Four (West):

Plain sailing for the Mariners

 
Milford Haven 50 Furnace United 17

 
Milford Haven Rugby Club finally broke its duck for this season as they easily accounted for Furnace United in this basement battle at the Observatory Field.
 
The visitors had asked for uncontested scrums, which might have dented the Mariners’ battle plans, but Milford played with real commitment as they raced into a 31-3 interval lead and were always in control.

Yet it was Furnace who opened the scoring when outside half Geraint Jones slotted a penalty but from there on it was the Mariners who scored five first-half tries with a mixture of forward power and speed behind the scrums.

 
Chris Hall, Adam Thomas and James Passmore joined Quinn McCall and Ian Proctor as ball winners but it was the back row of Mike Cockburn, Jonathan Coe and especially Dom Todaro who caught the eye. This trio was everywhere and so Dean McSparron and Ian Rusinek could really call the shots at half back as they called Ryan Reynolds and Steve Picton into action.
 
Coach Rob Kingston and co-centre Dean Matthews used their experience to guide operations and Gareth Fawcett took a break from football to pose a significant threat at full back.
 
Props Adam Thomas and James Passmore powered over for tries before Dean Matthews jogged over for try No 3, with Rusinek notching all three conversions. Fawcett also got on the try sheet twice and so did Matthews for a second time.

Ian Rusinek and Picton also managed tries for the Mariners and Rusinek finished with five conversions to his name as Dom Todaro just edged out his back row colleagues for my man of the match tag for his terrific work rate. The match was well refereed by 19 year old Steffan Edwards, from Abercrave.

Milford Haven: Gareth Fawcett: Ryan Reynolds; Rob Kingston; Dean Matthews; Steve Picton: Ian Rusinek; Dean McSparron: Chris Hall; Adam Thomas; James Passmore: Quinn McGrath; Ian Proctor: Mike Cockburn; Dom Todaro; Jonathan Coe. Replacements: Richard Johnson; Vincent Simmonds; Darren Lewis; Celyn Jones.
 

Championship Division:

Ianto helps Otters edge through

Tata Steel 10 Narberth 12

Four penalties from outside half Ianto Griffiths were just enough to give Narberth a hard-fought victory over Tata Steel in what was described as a ‘dour tussle’ against the Steel Men.

But a win is a win at this level and the Otters demonstrated that as well as being exponents of running rugby can tough it out when necessary, as they did here.
 
Narberth moved into a 9-0 lead in the 27^th minute as Griffiths was on target with three penalties but the Otters found themselves 10-9 adrift at the half way mark as the Steel Men opened their account with a penalty from Simon Jones – and the outside half also slotted the conversion when Tom Amos went over for a try near the interval.
 
The second half was even harder fought than the first and the only score came from a fourth Griffiths’ penalty.
 
Tata had one final chance to secure the spoils when Jones had a last-gasp penalty chance kick which he missed, to the evident relief of the Otter faithful who made the journey!

Ianto Griffiths - four vital penalties for Narberth

 
Division One (West):

Preseli Men unable to raise the tempo

Llangennech 42 Crymych 14

 
Crymych were not at their strongest or their best for their away match at Llangennech and paid the inevitable price as they trailed 13-0 at half time and rarely looked likely to claw their way back into contention after the oranges.
 
Llangennech scored five tries as winger Tom Barnes, No 8 Johnny Roberts, centre Rhys Davies and full back Joe Hutchings got their names on the try sheet alongside a penalty try. Outside half Jonathan Griffiths was also in good form for the home side as he slotted four conversions and added three penalties for a personal haul of 17 points.
 
For Crymych, there were late consolation tries for winger Gavin Thomas and prop Lewis Davies, both converted by Adam Phillips – but it was far too little, too late as Crymych could have few complaints about the margin of defeat.
 

Borderers pick up deserved win

Builth Wells 26 Whitland 30

 
Whitland made further up the Division One (West) table with this deserved win at Builth Wells as winger Duncan Evans caught the eye with two of the Borderers’ four tries that also earned them a bonus point.
 
Evans opened the scoring with an unconverted try after good work by Scott Newton but Builth responded with a penalty from Rob Lloyd before the Borderers had a cracking try by flanker Jack Mason as reward for his support of Jonathan Thomas, with Nico Setaro adding the extra points.
 
Setaro also notched a penalty but Whitland took their foot off the gas as Lloyd landed two further penalties and Builth reduced the interval deficit to a single point as winger Luke Offa crossed for an unconverted try.
 
The second half also started well for the Borderers as Setaro landed a penalty and Duncan Evans claimed his second try which Setaro goaled before Whitland moved into a 30-14 lead as New Zealander Kieran White put his countryman Raff Williams over for an unconverted try.
 
Builth showed why they are hard to beat at home as No 8 Ben Duggan and centre Ben Perry scored late tries when Whitland lost Marc Lloyd for ten minutes, one converted by Rob Lloyd, leaving Whitland glad to hold on for victory in the closing stages.
 

Duncan Evans - two tries in Whitland win

Division Three (West):

Seasiders storm to superb win

Tenby United 39 Llanelli Wanderers 3

Tenby United maintained their second place in the table as they were too strong and skilful for a battling Llanelli Wanderers who were already in trouble by half time as they trailed 25-3.
 
They managed to restrict the Seasiders to just two converted tries in the second period but Tenby coach Gareth Thomas will be pleased with this all-round display in which the back row of Pat Roberts, Luke Hansford and especially Roy Osborne, were outstanding.
 
Damian Miller, playing in his first game at full back, scored Tenby’s first try and others came from outside half Lloyd Thomas and hooker Gareth Jones, with young scrum half Jonathan Rogers contributing two conversions and two penalties.
 
Jonathan George score the Wanderers only points with a first-half penalty before the Seasiders assumed control again after the break to run in further tries by centre Jack Guerreiro and Pat Roberts, both converted by Rogers, as Tenby United maintained the pressure on Penclawdd at the top of the table.

Damian Miller - scored Tenby try from full back

Blues beaten by frosted pitch
Pontyberem v Haverfordwest
*Match postponed – to be replayed later in the season

 

Terrific performance by the Teifisiders

Cardigan 38 Tycroes 26

 
Cardigan produced an excellent attacking performance against visiting Tycroes and managed to close the gap on their opponents in the battle for 6^th place in the table.

Right winger Rhydian Jenkins claimed the first Cardigan try, converted by James Russell, before Tycroes fought back with tries by centre Steff Jones and winger Dean Bromham, the first converted by Carwyn Richards.
 
Cardigan ensured a 12-all half time scoreline when Russell crossed for a try, and within minutes of the restart Russell scored another try which he converted.

As fortunes ebbed and flowed, Tycroes drew level again with a converted try by hooker James Rosser – and again the teams shared 14 points as winger Scott Bowen grabbed a converted try for Tycroes and Cardigan made it 26-1ll with a converted try by skipper Llyr Griffiths.
 
It was at this point that the Teifisiders managed to raise the tempo and Griffiths ploughed through for his second try and then flanker Dylan Davies grabbed a deserved try which Russell converted – and Cardigan were able to celebrate an entertaining win!
 
 

Division Four (West):

Seagulls suffer against in-form Lampeter

 
Lampeter 20 Fishguard & Goodwick 7

 
Fishguard and Goodwick found it hard going against third-placed Lampeter and could only muster a try from Adrian Squelch which Rhodri Thomas converted late in the game.
 
Lampeter were good value for a 14-0 interval lead with tries by winger Wayne Jones and outside half Huw Thomas, who also slotted both conversions.
 
The Seagulls played a little better in the second half as they limited Lampeter to penalties from Thomas and full back Wayne Jones, but could only claim that one seven-pointer for their efforts.
 

Division Five (West):

Honours even in local derby

Neyland 19 Pembroke 19

Local derbies between Neyland and Pembroke are traditionally hard fought and this one at the Athletic Ground was no exception as the All Blacks defied their lowly league position to gain a deserved draw against the fourth-placed Scarlets.
 
There were uncontested scrums from the outset, but Neyland showed they were up for the challenge as centre Adam Collins scored a trademark try with a powerful burst through the Scarlets’ defence before Mark Riley converted and also landed a penalty to put his side ten points ahead.
 
But Pembroke powered back with a try from their own dreadnought centre Dom Colman which Lewis Davies converted – and they took the lead when winger Gianluca Tremarco ran in for an unconverted try.
 
Riley added another three points for Neyland to nudge his side into a 13-12 interval lead but they were forced onto the back foot in the third quarter as the Scarlets held the edge but missed a couple of eminently kickable penalties before Riley showed them how to do it with his third successful penalty.
 
Colman capped a good display with his second try for the Scarlets, however and Lewis Davies converted to regain the lead for the visitors but with Time running out up stepped Riley to kick his fourth penalty to give his side a share of the spoils in an absorbing clash.

 Dom Colman - two tries for Pembroke's powerful centre

 

Mike’s late try sees Quins to victory

Pembroke Dock Harlequins 19 Penygroes 12

Mike Davies was the toast of his Pembroke Dock Harlequins team-mates as the strong-running second row ploughed over for a last-gasp try against Penygroes which gave the Quins an excellent victory in a match where there were uncontested scrums.

 
With both teams eager to move up the table it was Penygroes who made the better start as they opened with a try from Carwyn Davies, who ran in 65 metres for Chris Powell to add the extra points.
 
But Adam Cawley cut through for an unconverted try before half time to reduce the deficit to two points - and was instrumental in putting Paul Jonkers away in the second half for a very goods try that Cawley converted.
 
Penygroes responded with a try by Powell but their ace kicker somehow missed the easy conversion to leave the teams locked at 12-all with time running out.
 
It was then that the Quins had the final word when some superb inter-passing down the left touchline saw Mike Davies in support to score the winning try, which Cawley converted from the touchline with almost the final kick of the match.

Mike Davies - vital try for the Quins' second row

Wasps play well despite defeat

Cefneithin 19 Llangwm 5

 
Llangwm went down to their expected defeat at high-flying Cefneithin but played really well as they trailed by just 7-5 at the interval and conceded just two more tries in the second half.
 
The home side are in second spot in the table, having lost just once in eight starts whilst the Wasps have lost all eight of their matches but they had an excellent all-round team performance which was led by centre Henry Brant and young lock Ryan Davies.
 
It was Brant who raced over for Llangwm’s unconverted try in the first half but centre Matthew Green grabbed a try in each half for Cefneithin and experienced No 8 Sean Peregrine added a third.
 
Two were converted by full back Andy McCall but, try as they might, the home side were unable to snatch a bonus point as the young Wasps defended really well to prevent them from scoring a fourth try.