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Principality Premiership Round-Up

Principality Premiership Round-Up

Aberavon proved their title-credentials with a hard-earned 22-11 victory in the top-of-the-table clash against RGC 1404 in Colwyn Bay.

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Both sides had won all four of their opening games ahead of this highly-anticipated encounter at Parc Eirias but it was the Wizards who managed to extend that run one more week.

David Pritchard, Morgan Williams and Steffan Andrews scored the tries with Steffen Williams adding seven points from the tee. Jacob Botica replied with a penalty for RGC in a fiery-encounter that saw RGC’s Afon Bagshaw and Aberavon’s Chris Davies shown yellow cards.

RGC capitalised with their 500th league try from Ross Davies before Andrews put the game out of reach with a late score in the corner. The Wizards were able to hold on despite Rheon James’ late sin-bin for a high tackle.

Bedwas are up to third with their fourth win in a row after twice coming from behind to beat Llandovery 28-20 at the Dairy Field.

Tries from Pat Lewis, Harley Thompson and Dan Preece were enough to secure the win despite a brace of tries by Drovers wing Aaron Warren.

Jack Maynard and Richard Powell traded early penalties before Llandovery centre Craig Woodall crossed on 26 minutes for a 10-3 lead. However, the visitors hit back through Lewis and the boot of Powell before Warren looked to have put Llandovery in charge, only for Thompson to cross three minutes from time.

A drop goal in the 78th minute from Steffan Marshall gave Carmarthen Quins a dramatic 19-17 comeback victory at home to Cross Keys.

Quins trailed 17-6 at half-time after Keys took charge through Dan Hodge, Rhys Jones and Ieuan Jones. But Tom Williams’ try and five points from the leg of Dan Jones set up the tense finale before young fly-half Marshall held his nerve to secure the pulsating last-ditch win for Quins.

Llanelli kickstarted their season with a vital 16-5 win at Bargoed thanks to early scores from Dion Jones and Rhodri Cole. Bargoed prop David Evans kept the hosts in contention but Jones kept his cool to kick a vital penalty to give the West Walians a second victory of the season.

Bridgend’s poor start to the season continued with a 15-13 defeat at home to Pontypridd. Fly-halves Joseph Scrivens and Ceri Sweeney traded early penalties in a cagey start before centre Bradley Coombes won the foot race after kicking ahead to score Pontypridd’s first try.

Scrivens missed a penalty just before half-time and Bridgend hooker Jordan Liney was then sin-binned early in the second half, allowing Ponty No8 Owen Sheppeard to cross.

Scrivens kicked a penalty and set up a try for wing Tom O’Flaherty to touch down to narrow the lead to two points, only to lose hit footing with a late attack at Ponty held out.

Defending champions Ebbw Vale made it three wins in a row but only after grinding out a hard-fought 14-8 victory over Neath at The Gnoll.

In challenging conditions, tries from Dawid Rubasniak and Ronny Kynes, converted by Josh Lewis were enough for the Steelman. But they were made to sweat in the closing stages by a determined Neath side, who registered a late try through Charlie Davies to add to Luke Price’s penalty.

Swansea secured their first win of the season at the fifth attempt but remain bottom of the league despite a narrow 12-8 victory over Cardiff at St. Helen’s.

Cardiff looked set to heap more misery on the winless Whites when Joe Tomlinson powered over on 13 minutes.
But Swansea flanker Jack Perkins sent the hosts surging up-field where centre Jedd Evans finished a sweeping attack and Josh Martin converted.

Swansea added a second try after half an hour after the impressive Tudor Hughes battled through three defenders and wing Richard Williams surged over to extend the lead

Merthyr are second in the league after condemning Newport to their fourth defeat of the season, 50-26 at Rodney Parade in the week’s early game.

Kyle Evans’ hat-trick saw Merthyr keep the pressure on league leaders Aberavon despite Elliott Frewen scoring the first try for the Black & Ambers.

Merthyr hit back from close-range through flanker Osian Davies, a powerful surge by Arron Pinches sent wing Evans under the posts for his first and strong counter-rucking allowed scrum-half Rhys Downes to find Evans with a clever cross-kick for the wing’s second before half-time.

Flanker Ed Siggery barged over from another Pinches break to claim the bonus point just five minutes into the second half. The Rodney Parade faithful feared the worse when former home favourite Downes crossed and Newport’s Frewen was binned.

Yet Newport rallied with tries by replacement prop Chris Coleman and a sumptuous effort by utility back Llywarch Ap Myrddin to make it 36-19 with quarter of an hour left.

That stirred former Scarlets wing Evans into completing his hat-trick. Flanker Davies scored Merthyr’s seventh but only after Geraint O’Driscoll earned a consolation bonus with Newport’s fourth try.

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