It is still early days in the race for the title, and Ceri Jones’ side have played two games more than some sides around them, but their brand of rugby is winning hearts, minds and matches.
“We were fortunate in the first half and we capitalised on their errors. We lacked energy and the penalty count was far too high in that opening period from our perspective,” admitted Jones.
“We aren’t a team that likes to win ugly, as we like to play with the ball in hand, so for us to play the conditions was positive. Our game control was better in the second half, but our performance wasn’t where I wanted it to be.”
The home side drew first blood when the Swansea defence was unable to deal with a Jones chip and chase. Zach Clow broke down the wing and sent Rhodri King over for a try in the corner.
Despite enjoying the best of the territory and possession playing with the wind, Swansea coughed up a ball that gave Harri Evans the chance to pounce and chip ahead for Matt Buchanan to score against the run of play.
The turning point of the half came when Iestyn Hopkins was bundled into touch on the 22 with Jordan Scott yellow carded for his part in the melee that followed. Swansea made immediate use of the man advantage as Cameron Jones crashed over for a try from a maul.
The All Whites took the lead when from a line-out take in the home 22 by Matthew Dodd a chance for Connor Tantum to race over on the blindside for a try that Cai Evans once again converted. That made it 14-12, but the Gogs had the wind at their backs in the second half.
⛔️ TRY, TRY & TRY AGAIN ⛔️
6⃣ of the best tries from last weekend’s @IndigoGroupPrem
Select your favourite ✔️#IndigoPrem | @WelshRugbyUnion pic.twitter.com/Y793eozdvF
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 22, 2022
A fantastic 50-22 kick by Dion Jones earned the home side a lineout two metres from the line and a simple lineout saw Rhodri King power over for a try from an unstoppable maul. Brodie Coghlan added the bonus point try to complete the scoring.
“It was a classic tale of two halves – we were leading at half time, but in the second half we couldn’t get out of our 22 as RGC had all the possession and territory,” said Swansea head coach Hugh Gustafson.
“A few silly errors cost us points and they really punished us after the interval. We had a few players coming back who hadn’t played for a while, but we had enough energy and attitude to have won.
“RGC controlled and dominated the game in the second half and I was very disappointed with our lack of game control. It meant we couldn’t exit our own territory.”
Drovers head coach Euros Evans was a very relieved man at the end of an 11 try thriller at The Wern and more than happy to hear the final whistle to signal a 43-36 win for Llandovery over Merthyr.
Having seen his side run rings around the Ironmen in the first half, the boot was on the other foot with the wind against them in the second half. Having seen his side change ends 33-12 to the good thanks to five great tries, he was even happier when they extended their lead to 28 points with a sixth try shortly after the re-start.
Game over, everyone thought, but Craig Locke’s home side had other ideas. They battled their way back into a great contest and eventually got to within one score to ensure they emerged with two bonus-points thanks to a great fightback.
“I didn’t have many fingernails left to chew by the end. Our players had only played once in two months and they were cramping up in the final quarter,” said Evans.
“They loved playing on the artificial surface and that allowed our backs to showcase what they can do. There were some great tries and we thought we were well on our way at half-time.
“But Merthyr are a very strong team and they are full of pride. They really came back at us and I was pretty nervous when they got back to within one score with that late penalty.”
Tries from right wing Tomi Lewis and full back Will Thomas, both converted by Kristian Jones, made it 14 points in as many minutes for the wind-assisted visitors as they threw down the gauntlet to Locke and co. The home skipper then powered over from a line-out for a try that Gareth Thompson improved.
The Drovers hit back immediately when lock Jack Jones drove through for his side’s third converted try. Williams then made the running for Thomas’s second try to clinch the bonus-point. A minute later centre Rhodri Jones ran in a fifth try.
A yellow card for Llandovery lock Osian Davies at a line out gave the Ironmen the chance to flex their muscles again up front and hooker Rhys Williams picked up a second close range score to make it 33-12 at the break.
That scoreline soon went out to 40-12 after Williams swept over wide out, with Jones once again converting, to leave Merthyr with a mountain to climb. They almost reached the summit as replacement Alex Webber got a converted try back and centre Aaron Pinches ran the bonus-point score.
Jones kicked a penalty for Llandovery before replacement Dafydd Stonelake got a fifth try for the home side. With time running out, Thompson kicked a penalty to clinch a second bonus-point and bring to an end a game of beautiful madness.
Cardiff ran in five tries to maintain their challenge at the top end of the Indigo Group Premiership as they ruined their former back row man Zach O’Driscoll’s 100th game for the Ravens.
But while it was another five-pointer on the road for the Blue & Blacks, head coach Steve Law wasn’t entirely happy with his side’s performance against a Bridgend side yet to win in the Premiership this season.
“I was very frustrated. Yes, we are in a results business and we got five points out of the game with what on the scoreboard at least was a comfortable victory,” said Law.
“The game was summed up for me in the events of our last try, when we lost a line-out close to their line, but made up for it by pushing them off their own scrum and scoring.
“We set high standards and I was hoping for a higher quality performance from the side. We have good players and a good team, but we need to be better than that.
“It has been a difficult season for many of the players and we’ve had little continuity. Now we have a game at Llanelli on Friday night to look forward to and a chance to improve.”
Playing into the wind in the first half at the Brewery Field the visitors piled on the pressure from the start and managed to draw first blood from a scrum in the home 22. They moved the ball wide to the right and Theo Cabanago was able to go over in the corner.
The second try for the visitors came midway through the half when Wales U20 full back Jacob Beetham burst through and went over for a try that he converted. To their credit, the Ravens fought back and cut the deficit to one score just before the interval when Dewi Cross broke clear to score.
There was a lot of kicking at the start of the second half and Cardiff profited from it when Max Llewellyn crossed for their third try with a cutting counter attack. Bridgend held their line for another 20 minutes before flanker Gwilym Bradley got the bonus-point try for the visitors.
Once again the Ravens hit back with a try from Harvey Nash, which Matthew Jones converted, but Cardiff ended on a high with a fifth try from replacement scrum half Rory Harries which Beetham improved.
