PHOTOS:
Zac France-Miller goes on a burst
Man of the match Liam Brown takes a tackle
Scott Candler on his way to the try line

 

Feature Match:
 
Division Two:

 

Brown helps Blues battle to big win

Haverfordwest 22 - Tycroes 17

Two tries from winger Scott Candler helped Haverfordwest to a much-needed win over Tycroes where the Blues also earned a bonus point for scoring four tries, with second row Liam Brown staking a strong case for man of the match with his excellent all-round performance.

Brown dominated the linesout alongside Gareth Phillips, helped set up a couple of tries with typically powerful surges and score ‘the try that never was’ after an 80 yard gallop went unnoticed as referee Daniel Harries was focussing on a fight which had broken out at the other end!

Pushing him hard was Dewi Williams and Zac France-Miller, both try scorers, and this success was ample revenge for an17-18 defeat at Tycroes after they had conceded a last-second penalty try. The Blues also gave a penalty try away in the first period here but never gave up against opponents who clearly thought they knew the rules better than the match official.

Fortunes ebb and flow

The Blues took an early lead when a lineout error by Tycroes allowed flanker Moritz Neumann, normally a centre, to hack the ball through and win the race for the touchdown.

Back came the Blues with a second unconverted try from a lineout after Steve Williams kicked them into the left corner and Dewi Williams pounced on a loose ball.

But the lead was short lived as Tycroes showed why they were fifth in the table with a very good try by winger Scott Bowen, followed by a penalty try awarded for a scrum offence and converted by experienced outside half Dean Bromham.

The Blues added a cracking third try as Liam Brown’s industry gave Candler the chance to score and Steve Williams converted, but missed a couple of penalties as the home side lost other half chances through delayed passes and led 17-12 at half time.

Abrasive second half

The second half was equally abrasive and red cards were issued to home skipper Darren Salmon, who understandably took exception to a nasty gash above his eye, and Tycroes flanker Steffan Davies, with the visitors drawing level when skipper Dylan Cooper was driven over the line – but Bromham unluckily hit the post with his conversion attempt.

Liam Bowen’s enterprise put full back Scott James on a run to the line but he was hauled down an agonising metre from the line – but the vital fourth try came soon afterwards as play was spread wide and Candler finished off well in the right corner to earn the Blues a third win of the season and a move out of the bottom two in the table.

Haverfordwest:  Scott James: Darren Salmon (Capt); Dave O’Leary; Dan Birch; Scott Candler: Steve Williams; Danny Morgan: Hywel Davies; Zac France-Miller; Neil Phillips: Gareth Phillips; Liam Brown: Moritz Neumann; Dewi Williams; Ryan Banner. Replacements: Jamie Zambas; Rhys L Price; Brett Davies; Lawrence Hancock; Ollie Hughes.

Tycroes: Simon Cooper: Scott Bowen; Carwyn Richards; Stephen Roache; Jason Williams: Dean Bromham; Matthew James: Dylan Cooper (Capt); Owen Howells; Richie Williams: Luke Battison; Tim Rees: Steffan Davies; Charlie Randall; Aaron Price. Replacements: Aled Griffiths; Mike Hopkins.
 

Championship:

 

Otters mauled in North Wales

RGC 1404  60 - Narberth 7

When Narberth entertained RGC 1404 at the Lewis Lloyd Ground they eased home by 24-22 but it was a different kettle of fish when the otters made the long journey to North Wales and conceded no fewer than nine tries in their biggest defeat of the season, where they could muster just one converted try in the second period.

The Otters were 20-0 adrift by half time and things went from bad to worse afterwards as the North Walians seemed able to score at will.

Their tries came from Andy Baston, Kelvin Davies (2), Josh Leash (2), James Lang, Huw Gurney (2) and Ewan Yardley, with Lang notching six conversions and a penalty to amass a personal haul of 20 points, whilst the beleaguered Otters had a solitary try from prop Sean Lloyd, converted by No 10 Ianto Griffiths!

 
Division One (West):

 

James earns Borderers a bonus point

Amman United 19 - Whitland 13

A late try by Steffan James, who recently celebrated his 18^thbirthday, helped soften the disappointment of Whitland’s defeat at Amman United as it earned the Borderers a welcome bonus point.

James, who came on a replacement at full back cut through for his try and Jonathan Thomas added the extra points but it couldn’t stop Amman gaining revenge for a 20-15 loss when they travelled to Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn earlier in the season.

Flanker Jack Mason continued his excellent recent form for Whitland alongside Thomas but they conceded an early unconverted try to Amman centre Ryan Williams before Thomas reduced the deficit with a penalty.
And that is the way the scoreline stayed until the last move of the first half when the Otters lost focus for long enough for centre Liam Smith to score a try which he also converted to put his side 12-3 ahead.

Winger Dean Williams scored a third try for Amman United which Smith goaled and all the Borderers could muster in return was a second Thomas penalty – until Steffan James struck late on and Thomas converted to at least give the Whitland faithful something to be cheerful about in their eighth defeat from 14 starts.
 
 

Preseli Men play well against league leaders

Kidwelly 23 - Crymych 17

Crymych played well against section leaders but were unable to turn some periods of pressure into points and in the final analysis had to concede defeat but were at least able to pouch a bonus point for losing by only six points.
 
The Preseli Men trailed 17-10 at the interval as prop Iwan James scored their try, which was converted by outside half Sam Phillips to go with a penalty, whilst Kidwelly tries were scored by wingers Jamie Evans and Luke Marshall, whilst No 10 Steffan Marshall converted both and notched a penalty.

Steffan Marshall also landed two other kicks on target in the second period but they were unable to crack open the excellent Crymych cover defence and the Preseli Men had the final word with a try scored by full back Dyfan Dafydd and converted by Phillips – but it couldn’t stop Kidwelly claiming the double since they had already won 34-8 earlier in the season at Parc Lloyd Thomas.
 

Seasiders still on a losing streak

Tenby United 19 - Llangennech 31

Tenby United’s recent disappointing run of form continued as they lost at Heywood Lane to opponents they had previously beaten in Llangennech by 29-27.

The Seasiders have a number of key players out injured or unavailable and the writing was on the wall for Gareth Thomas’s Men at half time as they were already 19-5 in arrears.

Flanker  Luke Hansford, who played well alongside second row Rob Weston, prop Rob Clark and centre Jordan Aspinall, scored an unconverted Tenby try but by then Llangennech were 19 points to the good thanks to tries by winger Tom Barnes, outside half Jamie Herbert and winger Gethin Lang, two of them converted by Herbert.

The Seasiders did manage further scores by No 10 Toby Smith and replacement winger Luke Conbeer, both converted by Smith, but Llangennech made sure of victory with further tries by second row Phil White and scrum half Gareth Davies, one of them converted, as they moved into fourth place and Tenby United now find themselves in sixth place after looking promotion favourites earlier in the campaign.

Luke Hansford crosses for Tenby’s first try
Picture by Susan McKehon

 

Division Two (West): 

 

Cardis lose to ‘well drilled’ Penlan

Cardigan 6 - Penlan 25

Cardigan found it hard going against a physical and well-drilled Penlan side at the King George Vth ground and could only muster two successful penalties from scrum half Iestyn Crompton, one in each half as the visitors led 13-3 at half time and kept control for much of the second period.

Flanker Robert Green opened Penlan’s account with an unconverted try as reward for his excellent support play and after Crompton’s first three-pointer had boosted the Teifisiders it was the visitors who added a penalty by outside half Scott Davies which they followed up with another unconverted try right on the interval by winger Luke Davies.

Cardigan had good performances by hooker Aled Meredith and second rower Tristan Lewis as they restarted brightly with Crompton’s second penalty but then they conceded a penalty try which Scott Davies converted.

Penlan also had the final word when flanker Green crossed for his second try to help earn his side the double over the Teifisiders because they had already won 35-3 at home.