It was a Barbarian-style game of 11 tries with Bargoed scoring eight of them. Though, Bryncoch never let their heads droop, they simply could not halt the pacy Bargoed threequarters and seven tries came from the back division.
Darren Humphries, who had a brief spell with Neath this season, and his brother Rhys at centre were a huge handful to halt and wings Lee Pearson and Lewis Prothero had great speed on the flanks. Fly half Jamie Howells started on the bench, but replaced the injured Danny Jones after 20 minutes, though by then it was already 21-6.
Fly half Jonathan Davies tried hard to stop the flow and finished with 15 points for Bryncoch, organising some good handling moves, but both sides were better in attack than in defence. After three minutes Darren Humphries raced clear from 40 metres for Jones to convert and soon afterwards scrum half Matthew Hutchings scored well and again Jones converted.
Davies pulled back a penalty for offside, but Darren Humphries, who had yet another brother in the pack, scored after former Ebbw Vale prop Ross Jones battered a hole. The try-scorer also converted.
Bryncoch came back as centre Craig Thomas was held illegally and a penalty try awarded that Davies converted, but Howells replied with a penalty before also crossing and converting after Darren Humphries had opened the defence up. Before the interval Rhys Humphries scored after Pearson had charged down a Davies kick.
At 36-13 it looked all over but Bryncoch fought back with a fine move from right to left come back right again and Davies crossed the corner before Thomas dashed over and Davies converted for 36-25. Bryncoch sniffed a chance but Bargoed moved it through several hands before Pearson was over and then the hard-working Prothero scrambled over under the crossbar and Howells converted.
Despite hard work by scrum half Jonathan Richards and No.8 Gareth Reynolds in particular, Bargoed struck again as replacement David Fortune took a lucky bounce to gain the final score of the match.
The winners now play a semi-final on April 16 against the winners of Wednesday’s quarter between Tonmawr and Nantyffyllon at Aberavon (7.15pm).
Scorers
Bargoed:
Tries: D Humphries (2), R Humphries, M Hutchings, J Howells, L Pearson, L Prothero, D Fortune
Cons: J Howells (2), D Jones (2), D Humphries
Pen: J Howells
Bryncoch:
Tries: J Davies, C Thomas, Penalty try
Cons: J Davies (2)
Pens: J Davies (2)
Bargoed: Scott Bessant; Lewis Prothero, Darren Humphries, Rhys Humphries, Lee Pearson; Danny Jones (Jamie Howells 20), Matthew Hutchings; Ross Jones, Stephen Rose (Capt), Ian Jenkins, Craig Lynch, Owen Swift, Ryan Humphries, Lewis Weyman, Gareth McCarthy
Bryncoch: Paul Jones; Richard Smith, Gary Clement, Craig Jones; Jonathan Davies, Jonathan Richards; Howell Lloyd, Adrian Lewis, Danny John, James Jenkins (Capt), Stuart Newton, Rhys Jones, Gareth Reynolds, Chris Grimes
Referee: Phil Harry (WRU)
