Bridgend fell short at Carmarthen Park despite a much improved display, as Wales 7’s star Lee Williams ran in a hat trick.
Penalty goals were traded in the opening 10 minutes that saw Bridgend edge ahead 6-3. With 15 minutes on the clock, the Ravens were able to add to their early lead. Some concerted pressure following a strong maul set the visitors on the front foot. Dixon found a gap and was able to score the game’s first try. The fly half converted to take his, and the Ravens tally to 13.
Carmarthen’s Daniel Jones added another penalty as the hosts began to pile on the pressure. Multiple offences close to the line led to a yellow card for prop Gary Carpenter. Bridgend put their bodies on the line as the hosts remained camped five metres from the Bridgend line. A first try for Carmarthen was to come though, following a 10 minute spell inside the Ravens 22, as a wide move was finished in the corner by Williams. Jones missed the resulting conversion.
The Ravens notched their second score with a neat sweeping move, one side of the pitch to the other. It was top try scorer O’Flaherty who went over out wide. Dixon was unlucky to strike the upright with his conversion attempt. It was Carmarthen who would have the final say of the first half however, as Williams touched down for the second time. A fine move from the back of a scrum left some space out wide and the 7’s international went over in the corner. Jones missed with the conversion attempt to leave the Ravens hanging on to a two point half time lead.
Williams didn’t take long after the break to complete his hat trick. The flying winger finished under the posts following a loose kick and some weak tackling from the Ravens. Dixon added three more points before the Hosts scored the bonus point try with Centre Morgan Griffiths crashed over in the corner. A yellow card for Quins outside half Jones handed Bridgend an opportunity vs 14 men, however, the visitors were unable to capitalise. Dion Jones added another 3 points from the tee to give Carmarthen a 10 point lead.
With Bridgend chasing the game, they were attempting to run from deep. A handling error in a dangerous area, deep in their own half, handed the hosts another opportunity, which they took. Christopher Banfield was able to touch down out wide, the resulting conversion missed.
And now the viewpoint from Carmarthen Quins:
After three away defeats in as many weeks, the squad had a point to prove, not only to themselves, but to their supporters. Much was achieved to restore some kind of credibility to this blip in the team’s performances.
The Quins coaches were convinced that the type of game they wanted to play was what many preferred and there were reasons that the often brilliant form of last season and the early part of this term was interrupted.
The British & Irish Cup, as well as the World Sevens series certainly took its toll on the disruption of the squad and their preparation.
The Park was at its best and the playing conditions were near perfect. In the opening minute the Quins almost paid the price for their enterprise when Bridgend intercepted an attack only to be called back for being offside, and this gave Daniel Jones the chance to open the scoring with a 40 yard penalty.
More fast and furious play followed and two Quins mistakes gave former Quins player James Dixon the chance to put the Ravens ahead with accurate penalties. They were playing with confidence and from another raid into the home 22 slick passing gave Dixon the chance to find a gap and cross near the posts. His conversion put the Ravens ten points up with game just twenty minutes old.
The Quins continued to attack despite this deficit and took play into the visitors 22 and pegged them into the vicarage corner. The home half backs switched play to the left and swift handling gave Lee Williams the chance to cleverly use the space and cross for a brilliant try. Dan Jones narrowly missed the kick.
With the interval approaching, the Ravens put in an attack and wing Tom O’Flaherty was able to cross in the corner. Dixon missed the conversion.
After 4 minutes of injury time the Quins passing game clicked and after several players had handled, Lee Williams was again on hand to weave his magic to go over for his second try. Dan Jones pulled his kick left with the last touch of the first half.
With just two points separating the sides at 16 – 18 much was expected in the second half and the home support were not to be disappointed.
An early Quins penalty gave Keiran Hardy the chance to take a quick tap penalty and the alert Quins players moved the ball to Lee Williams who used all his speed to race through for his third try under the posts. Dan Jones conversion gave the home side a five point lead.
After 53 minutes Dixon reduced the gap to 2 points with a 45 yard penalty. Aidan Laxton, Will Boyde and Rory Gallagher were getting the better of exchanges with the Ravens pack and this gave the home side the edge needed to restrict Bridgend’s chances of getting back into the match.
Another Quins surge took play into the visitors half and the ever improving Morgan Griffiths used his strength to power through for a well taken try. The conversion hit the post and stayed out, but the bonus point had been secured.
Minutes later the Quins were awarded a penalty on the half way line Dion Jones confidently stepped up and saw his kick sail between the up posts with a mighty effort to make the score 31-21.
This 10 point lead had knocked the fight out the Bridgend side and the Quins backs were once again able to control things giving the reliable Chris Banfield the opportunity to waltz over for the fifth try to finish the game at 36-21.
Aberavon 19 Llandovery 18
Once again it was a nail-biter that went to the final seconds but this week saw victory go to Aberavon after being beaten in injury time last week at Cross Keys.
A last minute Ian Brooks penalty went wide for the Drovers and the Wizards had gained four vital and valuable points to jump over Newport into tenth place.
The Aberavon pack were the heroes, outplaying their opponents for more than an hour of the game, yet once again the backs could not finish it off.
There was no questioning the effort put in by the Wizards however and particularly by the bench, while Nathan Brown, watched by his father, ended up in hospital.
Sam Williams led well and had a fine game and he must be the strength of the pack in the seasons to come. Gareth Harvey tackled everyone as did Darren Ryan when he came on and Rowan Jenkins, as usual, tucked up his opponent.
The Drovers took the lead with a slick try from Richard Williams and James Garland added the conversion and two penalties against two by Matthew Jarvis for 13-6 at the break.
Then came a rare Aberavon try as centre Matthew Jenkins was held well short, but used his old forward skill to drive hard with Lee Purnell in attendance and make the line with half-time replacement Cameron Clement converting.
However, Llandovery took only a minute before a snap try by scrum half Lee Rees took them ahead at 18-13, though Garland missed the conversion.
Clement again played neatly and it was his point-blank penalty that put Aberavon within two points and after 77 minutes he hit over another to put Aberavon ahead for the first time in the match.
Llandovery fought back, foolishly scorning a penalty, but with 30 seconds remaining they had another which Ian Brooks missed badly. Play restarted until Clement kicked out and the joy of the players was there to see.
A word too for referee Robert Price, who drove down early from Andover in Hampshire for his first game at the Talbot Athletic Ground and he gave a very good performance. Incidentally, he is the son of former Wales hurdling ace, Berwyn Price.
Bedwas 37 Cross Keys 31
Bedwas earned a second successive bonus point victory after a hard fought battle over local rivals Cross Keys.
Bedwas got off to a great start as with barely two minutes on the clock winger Rory Budina intercepted a stray Keys pass to sprint away for a try, Richard Powell converted. Keys fought back and were rewarded with a try from back rower Scott Matthews, Ethan Davies missing the conversion.
Keys upped the ante and Bedwas’s Matthew Pettit was adjudged guilty of pulling down a Keys maul and was sin-binned, the referee awarding Keys a penalty try converted by Davies. Shortly afterwards Keys were also down to fourteen men as prop forward Anthony Lott was sin binned after an off the ball incident.
Once Bedwas were back to a full complement they struck back via a well worked try under the posts by Luke Crane, Powell again added the extras but the lead did not last long as Keys winger Poli Uhi crashed through for a try, Davies again missed the conversion.
The lead changed hands again seven minutes into the second half as Bedwas winger Lewis Hudd found some space to score a try, Powell again added the conversion. Once again Keys did not lie down and Nathan Trowbridge ran through for their fourth and bonus point earning try, Davies successfully converting on this occasion.
Bedwas hit back with a well worked try through Richard Wilkes to earn a bonus point, converted by Powell as the lead changed again for the seventh time. Bedwas went for the jugular and thought they had scored a fifth try but the referee ruled Josh Walker had made a double movement.
Powell extended the Bedwas lead with the first penalty goal of the afternoon after 63 minutes, before adding a second goal with two minutes remaining. Keys were not finished and a quickly taken line out culminated in a try for replacement prop Richard Cornock, converted by Davies to close the gap to three points.
Powell’s third penalty goal with the clock running down after Keys played the ball from an offside position following a knock on eased Bedwas nerves, the final whistle following the kick.
