Featured Match One – Division Three (West) A:

 

Blues back home with a win over basement battlers

by Bill Carne
 

Haverfordwest 33 - Cefneithin 0

 

Haverfordwest played their first league game at Pembroke Road since Christmas as they welcomed bottom-club Cefneithin and held the edge throughout against a team that was playing for the first time in six weeks, although the ring-rustiness was there for spectators to see – but both teams deserved a pat on the back as they tried to run the ball at every opportunity despite the heavy pitch and very cold, damp conditions, writes Bill Carne.
 
But The Blues made a perfect start with seven points in the first minute as they received the ball near half way via Jack Evans and the centre sliced through before handing on to support players in front of the stand and featuring again before supplying supporting scrum half Liam Eaton with the scoring pass so that outside half Jack Codd could add the easy extra points.
 
The Blues’ pack certainly held sway in the set-pieces but they were perhaps trying to run the ball with flicked passes, rather than looking to build platforms and in doing so had their fair share of knock-ons, whilst Cefneithin looked more composed via half backs Jack Willingham and Aled Thomas, with good support by their back row of Raymond, Roberts and Dickie.
 
Jack Evans and Matty Phillips posed a threat in midfield for The Blues but they took until the 24^th minute before they increased their lead after Jack Clancy, Jake Evans, Josh Young and especially skipper Karl Busch put in some big charges before No 10 Jack Codd instigated a move which saw Jack Evans slice through to the posts in style and Codd converted, albeit off the upright.




 
Haverfordwest had other chances which they didn’t take, none more so that when Codd booted them from well inside his own half to within two metres of the far corner flag – but the throw-in was crooked and Cefneithin escaped until The Blues scored in almost the same spot from another diagonal kick to the same corner – and a Cefneithinfumble allowed winger George Hopkins to grab the ball and dive over the line.
 
Codd again converted from the touchline to help his side to a 21-0 interval lead and in the second period Haverfordwest scored their bonus-point try – and what a cracker it was as winger Guy Barrons was involved and then quick hands amongst the forwards Dan Berry, Tom Carrington et all created the space for full back Owain Roberts to slice through and round to the posts to give Codd a simple conversion.
 
By this time the visitors had opted for uncontested scrums but it didn’t stop The Blues adding a late fifth try, this time unconverted, as back rower Mikey Griffiths scored it and later deservedly received the man of the match award from new club chairman Dr David Richards after so much work undertaken in all aspects of play.
 
There was no points for Cefneithin but they also deserve credit for the way that they stuck to their task and made a game of it in sticky conditions and could certainly hold their heads high as a result!





 
Haverfordwest: Owain Roberts: Guy Barrons; Jack Evans; Matt Phillips; George Hopkins: Jack Codd; Liam Eaton: Dan Berry; Jamie Zambas; Tom Carrington: Karl Busch (Capt); Jack Clancy: Logun Young; Mike Griffiths; Jake Evans. Replacements: Terry Lovell; Teifion Owen; Kieran Harries; Logun Hug; Ioan Hawkridge-Jones.
 
Referee: Jonathan Walters














 
 

 

 

Featured Match Two – Division Four (West) A:

 

All Blacks complete a deserved double

By Fraser Watson
 

St Davids 0 - Neyland 31

 
Neyland strengthened their grip on the title race as they ran in five unanswered tries to secure a bonus-point win at St Davids, writes Fraser Watson.
 
The All Blacks took full advantage of Narberth Athletic’s defeat at Pembroke to move nine points clear at the top as flanker Dan Hart (2), No.10 Oli Rothero, winger Tal Tamila and No.8 Ben Williams all crossed.
 
In difficult conditions, a scrappy first 20 minutes was played almost entirely in the home side’s half as Neyland centre Harri Williams, playing on permit from Swansea RFC, showed his class by pinning the Saints back with two raking kicks to the corner. But despite a series of attacking positions, the visitors failed to cross as twice they were held up short from line-out drives - with home captain Nathan Foster outstanding in defence.
 
Winger Josh Watts also spilled a chance in the corner but having mostly tried to power over up front, when Neyland’s breakthrough did come after 20 minutes it was instigated by the backs as centre George Williams cut through in midfield and slipped a scoring pass back to Rothero to go under the posts.
 
And the defining period of the game then came in the final seven minutes of the first half, after Neyland back rower Williams was deservedly yellow carded for trying to take out Foster off the ball.
 
However, despite being down to 14 men the league leaders scored twice before the break, with flanker Dan Hart driving over from close range before a clever chip kick from Harri Williams saw Tamila - who was moved to the wing after an injury to Liam Rees in the warm-up - win the race to the loose ball to score.
 
Rothero converted all three tries and then after the break, the outside half instigated a sharp counter attack after St Davids coughed up possession in the Neyland 22 - and it ended with Harri Williams being denied a certain score by a brilliant cover tackle from home winger Bob Froy.
 
But on the hour mark Neyland got the try bonus point they craved after twice again going close from close range line-outs, before a third forward effort finally culminated in No.8 Williams touching down.
 
St Davids did push for a score late on as George Raymond was stopped short of the line but it was Neyland who had the final word after Rothero regathered his own grubber kick forward and from the attack that followed, it was Hart who found himself on the overlap out wide to dive over in the corner. 
 
“It’s a difficult place to come and St Davids have improved a hell of a lot, so it’s a result I’ll take all day long,” said Neyland head coach Steve Hamer afterwards.
 
“We struggled a bit to get quick ball at a ruck time, and were a bit slow in the first half to get it away. But then when we actually did get it away we caused a bit of damage behind. And defensively  - there’s not many teams who will come here and nil St Davids so fair play to the boys for that effort.”
 
Referee: Rhys Andrews
 
St Davids: Will James: Zak Morgan; Harvey Lavin; Will Savage; Bob Froy: Owain Swain; Michael Gurney: Ethan Griffiths; Rhys Price; Adam Williams: James Goldsmith; Owain Morris: Aaron Foster; Nathan Foster (Capt); George Raymond. Replacements:  Ben Evans; Ben Lloyd; Ben Perkins; Aled Davies; Morgan Griffiths.
 
Neyland: Henry McBeth, Tai Tamila, George Williams (Capt), Harri Williams Josh Watts, Oli Rothero, Owen Hamer, Luke Griffiths-Dawes, Alex Swales, Seb Mackintosh, George Evans, Adam Peel, Owain Evans, Da? Hart, Ben Williams. Replacements: Mark James, Iestyn Evans, Lewis Hallet, Jack Harries.