PHOTO:
Haverfordwest RFC and Llangwm RFC line-up before the game

 

Featured match:

 

Division Three (West) A:

 

The Blues beat The Wasps in local derby clash

Haverfordwest 41 - Llangwm 10

Haverfordwest beat near neighbours Llangwm in this local derby clash with some positive running that will have pleased new coach Steve Barnett – but opposite number Bruce Evans will have seen enough of his Wasps’ team in defeat to anticipate a better season than they had campaign.

Indeed, Llangwm made a decent start where No 8 Josh Hicks made a good break out of defence and minutes later almost scored at the other end after a Blues’ move had broken down in midfield and Wasps’ winger Will Ridge kicked ahead to put his side on the home line.

Luke Hayman, as solid as ever at outside half, opened the scoring with a penalty but the lead was to be short-lived as The Blues used their pacy backs to carve holes with some slick handling where Lee Summons Adam and Matthew Clark were involved before flanker Jack Clancy scored a try converted by Dan Richards.

Richards, making a welcome return after a year out with injury, added more points with two tries, one of them which he also converted, after good work by hooker Matthew Clayton, Liam Manwaring, Gareth Owen and Dave O’Leary were involved.

Then a touch-line burst from Manwaring  set up Haverfordwest’s fourth try, this time for  Manwaring in support.

But Llangwm kept plugging away as Hicks twice went close from a tapped penalty and there was sufficient pressure exerted that powerful prop Ieuan Power ploughed through for a deserved try which Hayman converted to reduce the home side’s lead to 24-10 at half time.

The Blues’ greater ball-winning capacity and solid defence made sure that they kept a clean sheet in the second half and they also added three more tries via Manwaring, who completed his hat-trick, and skipper Matthew Clark, alongside another Richards’ conversion.

The day was also shared by both teams in wearing training tops in support of ‘Get The Boys A Lift’, the local charity to help youngsters with mental health issues, and even had a joint picture – something that rarely happens in these local derbies!

 

Championship Division:

 

Otters win under real pressure

Beddau 17 - Narberth 20

Narberth started their new championship campaign with an excellent win at Beddau, where they had to resist some stern challenges from a physical home side alongside the vociferous home support for which Beddau are renowned.

Few sides win at Fortress Beddau and it was to The Otters' credit that they played well in a first half where they led 15-3 and resisted a strong comeback after the interval before recording a hard-fought victory.

Narberth took the lead after only five minutes with a cracking try rounded off by Nick Gale, who used his pace off the mark before also adding the extra points.

Beddau responded with a penalty from centre Hywel Chatham but Gale slotted a penalty before The Otters gained a second try from Sean Jenkins to give his side a 12-point interval lead.

In a torrid match Beddau scored first in the second period when Luke Jones crossed the whitewash - but Narberth responded well when classy centre Jack Price twisted out of a tackle and stayed composed to race in for an unconverted try from 40 metres.

In a dramatic finale Beddau reduced the deficit when The Otters were down to 14 men from a yellow card as James Davies scored and Chatham converted.

It left Narberth having to defend near their line in the agonising last minutes but defend they did to put a smile on the face of head coach Sean Gale!
 

PHOTO:
Nick Gale - vital points for Narberth

 

Division One (West):

 

Preseli Men win a one-point victory after clawing their way back

Crymych 20 - Tenby United 19

Crymych fought their way back from a 16-point interval deficit to edge home by a single point against Tenby United, leaving the Seasiders to collect just a losing bonus point as reward for their efforts.

But this Crymych outfit, coached by Randall Williams and with Rhys ‘Beaky’ Davies as an inspirational captain, are bonny battlers and after clawing their way back to trail by 17-19 their hard-grafting pack earned a late penalty where young fly half Jake Jenkins stayed composed and slotted the all-important three points that gave a relieved home team the narrowest of victories.

The Seasiders’ pack was very much in evidence early on and as well as setting the platform for their outside half Lloyd Thomas to control play they earned three penalties that Thomas landed alongside the conversion of a try by Luke Dedman.

But with Rhys Davies joined by scrum half Adam Foster alongside back rowers Sion Colella, Osian Davies and Aled Harries as players who caught the eye, Crymych grabbed tries by winger Alun Jenkins and No 8 Davies, one converted by Jenkins before The Seasiders fought back with another Thomas penalty.

It nicely set up a tense finale where The Preseli Men added another unconverted try by Foster – and then Jenkins put over that last-ditch three-pointer to score a come-back success for his relieved supporters to cheer!
 

PHOTO:
Rhys 'Beaky' Davies - led Crymych fight back by example

Borderers fend off determined fight-back

Whitland 27 - Gorseinon 20

Whitland marked their return to Division One (West) with a morale-boosting victory over Gorseinon at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn but the increased quality of opposition was evident as the visitors clawed their way back from  some fine early play where The Borderers led 24-0.

In that excellent start the home side opened their account with a 12th-minute try from hooker Marc Jones which Nico Setaro converted  before slotting a penalty- and Setaro added his second conversion from his own try after he nipped across the line from close range.

Then his cousin Gino Setaro also got in on the scoring action and Nico converted so that the opposition looked dead and buried - but right on half time Gorseinon put their first points on Tony Bowen's board when Jack Gurney scored a try and conversion.

Gurney added two more penalties early in the second period and the Whitland alarm bells really started clanging when winger Nick Jenkins claimed another Gorseinon try and Gurney converted.

Nico Setaro missed a Borderers' penalty but found the target to widen the lead to seven points- and they stayed strong defensively in the opposition's late quest for points and Whitland sounded a call that their campaign is well and truly up and running!
 

PHOTO:
Marc Jones - good try for Whitland hooker

 

Division Two (West):

 

Seagulls miss out by the odd point in 63!

Loughor 32 - Fishguard & Goodwick 31

Fishguard and Goodwick came within a missed conversion attempt from a late try and in the final analysis had to settle for a losing bonus point after a real battle where they pushed Loughor all the way after trailing 14-7 in a tight first period.

The undoubted hero for ‘The Cocklemen’ was winger Rhys Llyr, still available for youth rugby but contributing a massive 22 points from two tries, three conversions and two penalties alongside further tries by hooker Simon Stoneman and outside half Peter Smiriglia.

For The Seagulls, tries came via second row Gwilym Evans,  centre Rhys Evans, winger Osian Lewis and scrum half Andrew Williams before that last ditch try by back rower Jack Evans.

Mark Jones chipped in with three conversions but sadly the final attempt drifted wide – but coach Nathan Jenkins at least knows he has a squad which can compete in this section as consolation.

 

PHOTO:
Gwilym Evans - opening try for Fishguard

 

Promoted Scarlets do well in new-section start

Pembroke 29 - St Clears 20

Pembroke marked the Division Two (West) debut with an excellent home win against St Clears where they did well to overcome some natural ring-rustiness after having no match practice other than one friendly game for their development squad.

Small wonder then that coach Geraint Lewis was pleased, especially with the bonus point awarded for their scoring of four tries.

St Clears certainly took advantage of The Scarlets' lack of game time as they claimed an early unconverted try  before home outside half Toby Smith responded with a Scarlets' try he also converted before Dom Colman, playing at tight head prop ploughed over from close range.

A Dan Griffiths' penalty kept The Saints in contention at half time but an unconverted score by skipper Scott Powell nudged Pembroke into a 17-8 lead before Colman put in a barn-storming run up the left flank to show why he also plays centre or back row.

The Scarlets had good performances by half backs Tom Lewis and Toby Smith, plus centres Dan Colley and Tom Kinnear, whilst Gareth Miller came in as second row and also showed his worth.

Sam Smith came on for the last 20 minutes and scored a try before St Clears, whose tries were claimed by Owain Davies, Will Davies and Daf Walters, alongside their single conversion and penalty by Griffiths made the scoreline a little more respectable but without any league points for the visitors to Crickmarren.
 

PHOTO:
Dom Colman - two tries for Pembroke's powerful prop

 

Division Three (West) A:

 

Griffiths-Dawes leads barnstorming Neyland to big Mid-Wales win

Tregaron 12 - Neyland 52

Luke Griffiths-Dawes was the toast of his Neyland colleagues as he scored four tries to help start their league season off with a real bang after making the long trek to Tregaron and staying in control throughout the match after they had led 26-7 at half time.

Second row Griffiths-Dawes' support play saw him claim the All Blacks’ first three tries, two of them converted by No 10 Mark Riley, before young scrum half George Evans picked up at the base of scrum and crashed over the line and Riley converted - and all Tregaron could muster in response was a try by Steve Roberts which Rhys Jones goaled.

It was a similar story after the break as Tregaron could only muster a second try, this time from Gary Rees - as The All Blacks looked strong up front and sharp at the back as Griffiths-Dawes added his fourth score alongside tight head prop Jack Harries, which was converted by South African full back Dillen McGiffen.

Winger Henry Macbeth also got in on the scoring whilst replacement prop Ben James added his name to the scoresheet before Alex Codd created a terrific try from a back of the hand scoring pass for Patrick Bellerby, which McGiffen superbly converted.

Owain Evans was outstanding alongside brother Iestyn in the back row and there was a nice moment when 50 year old father Steve joined them as a breakaway trio and used his experience alongside another old hand in second row Mark James.
 

PHOTO:
Luke Griffiths-Dawes - four-try haul in big Neyland win

 

Two-try Mikey makes Laugharne tick

Laugharne 22 - Cardigan 10

Laugharne were good value for victory against visiting Cardigan as they outscored the opposition by four tries to one and earned a bonus point in the process - but coach Colin Davies will take some consolation from the way that his Cardigan side stuck to their task.

In fact, The Teifisiders took the lead through new skipper John Lumb as he cut through and also added the conversion - and they were still 7-5 in front at the oranges as Laugharne's only response was an unconverted try by the influential Mikey Williams.

The homesters took a lead they were never to lose when they were awarded a penalty try for a scrum offence and although Lumb also landed a penalty it was Laugharne who finished the stronger as Williams ploughed over for his second try and Carl Smith also crossed, both unconverted - but with Laugharne pleased to have got their league season off to a successful start!
 

PHOTO:
Mike Williams - another two tries for Laugharne

 

Mariners make a winning start at Bierspool

Pembroke Dock Harlequins 3 - Milford Haven 41

Milford Haven kicked off life under new head coach Nathan ‘Gully’ Williams with a bonus point win against Pembroke Dock Harlequins.

But Neil Machin and Ian Osbourne, newly installed at the Quins themselves, could take positives from their young side’s first half display as they trailed just 12-3 in a fast-paced first 40 minutes.

The Mariners broke the deadlock with a neat wrap-around move that created a try for Dan Birch, and Dan McClelland converted.

Home outside half Rhys Bradney responded with a penalty, but the visitors crossed again when some slick interplay was rounded off by Dan Jenkins.

That made it 12-3 and after home No 8 Stef Halwood and Milford hooker Luke Ryan both saw yellow– Bradney was just off target with another long range penalty.

But in the second half Milford wore the young home side down, as Efan Morgan evaded several tackles on his way to the line, and veteran No 8 Mark Wonnacott secured the bonus point from a 5-metre scrum.
Second row Brandon Cooper then powered over for two tries and with the Quins tiring, Morgan rounded things off with his second try that winger James Trueman converted.

The second half was delayed for some time following a nasty head injury to Milford full back Joseph Kiff, but Pembrokeshire Sport is pleased to report he is ok and hope to see him back on the field soon!

Pembroke Dock Harlequins: Adam Cookson, Ben Gibby, Jake Griffiths, Thomas Doyle, Matthew Lawrence, Rhys Bradney, Elliot Lewis, Jack Davies, George Belmaine, Rob Hearne, Liam Scourfield, Martin Cully, Alex Pearce, Jordan Palmer, Stef Halwood. Replacements: Ellis Williams, Sean Willington, Aran Treweeks, Gary Burns, Rhys Marchant.
Milford Haven: Joseph Kiff, Craig Thomas, Dan Jenkins, Dan Birch, James Trueman, Efan Morgan, Dan McClelland, Darren Lewis, Luke Ryan, Adam Rees, Brandon Cooper, Chris Hall, Ben Groves, Ryan Mansell, Mark Wonnacott. Replacements: Mike Cockburn, Dewi Williams, Tristan McSparron, Dai Sweeny, Steve Martin.

PHOTO:
Mark Wonnacott - good try for Milford back rower