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Nuthall steps closer to another final appearance

Nuthall steps closer to another final appearance

Mathew Nuthall’s love affair with major finals at Principality Stadium is on course for a final act after he scored a try in Caerphilly’s quarter-final demolition of last season WRU National Bowl runners-up, Taffs Well.

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The 32-year-old has already picked up five winners medals in six appearances for Pontypridd and Neath in the WRU National Cup and is now looking forward to steering a third club to the home of Welsh rugby.

The former Wales Under 21 wing joined Caerphilly as a player-coach during the summer and has joined forces with his old Ponty team mate, Brett Davey, in turning the club into a potent force in Division 3 East A. In their pomp, Caerphilly were National Cup finalists in 2004 and European Shield finalists a year earlier under the captaincy of current director or rugby, Chris Ferris.

The Class of 2017 are currently sitting in fourth place in the league and moved into the semi-final of the National Bowl with a comprehensive win over the 2016 finalists, Taffs Well. They scored six unanswered tries to race into a 41-0 lead before Taffs Well grabbed two, late consolation scores to make it 41-14 in the end.

Chris Thomas, Connor Kawulock, Will Oliver and Mathew Hurley ran in first-half tries and Hurley added two conversions to make it 24-0 at the break. Matthew Williams and Nuthall added more tries in the second half and a third conversion from Hurley made it 41-0.

Reigning champions Burry Port came up against their nemesis, Amman United, and saw their run of 11 cup victories brought to an end with a 13-3 away defeat. It was their Division 3 West B title rivals Amman United who claimed the only other victory by any side against them this season in September, 25-6.

Amman United are now unbeaten in 20 league and cup ties this season and are now only 80 minutes away from their dream trip to Principality Stadium. The quality is so high in the final four this season that of the 73 league and cup games they have played they have won 67 and drawn one of them.

Amman United – P20 W20 L0
Caerphilly – P14 W16 L2
Cardigan – P 18 W16 D1 L1
Cilfynydd – P19 W 17 L2

Cilfynydd, who are second in Division 3 East Central A, reached the semi-finals thanks to a second successive away win in the tournament, 32-5 at high-flying Swansea Uplands.

HOW THEY REACHED THE SEMI-FINALS
Amman United

Rd1: Bye; Rd 2: Amman United w/o v Llandeilo; Rd3: Amman United 22, Hartridge 5; Rd4: St Alban’s 5, Amman United 39; Rd5: Amman United 18, Monmouth 7; QF: Amman United 13, Burry Port 3

Caerphilly
Rd 1: Caerphilly 48, Llandaff North 7; Rd 2: Caerphilly w/o v Whitchurch; Rd 3: Caerphilly 33, Markham 11; Rd4: Oakdale 5, Caerphilly 8; Rd5: Caerphilly 51, Wattstown 3; QF: Caerphilly 41, Taffs Well 14

Cardigan
Rd1: Cardigan 90, St David’s 7; Rd2: Cardigan 45, Laugharne 29; Rd3: Cardigan 10, Usk 7 (a.e.t); Rd4: Betws 8, Cardigan 13; Rd5: Cardigan 23, Denbigh 7; QF: Cardigan 16, Milford Haven 6

Cilfynydd
Rd1: Bye; Rd2: Uni of South Wales 17, Cilfynydd 40; Rd3: Cilfynydd 25, Porthcawl 19; Rd4: Cilfynydd 27, Machen 7; Rd5: Cambrian Welfare 15, Cilfynydd 18; QF: Swansea Uplands 5, Cilfynydd 32

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