Abertillery used a rather unusual tactic to win their semi-final against Lampeter Town, opting for a scrum in front of the posts with the scores tied at 17-17 and the game hanging in the balance. At that stage they were down to 14 men with second row Dan Crandon on the sidelines having received a red card for a high tackle.
Powered by Dafydd Cripps, who was making his 150th appearance for the club, the ‘Tillery scrum had been in good shape all game. Twice the penalty scrum went down and as they drove Lampeter back at the third they earned a penalty try that won them the game 24-17.
Joining the post-match celebrations in the dressing room after the game was club legend Roger Clarke. He played more than 200 games for the club in the 70s and 80s before keeping the club afloat as chairman in the 90s after it fell from the heights of being a first-class club to plunging to the bottom of the league structure.
He tragically passed away the next day and the players will wear black arm bands as a mark of respect at Principality Stadium on finals day. He would be especially proud of the fact no fewer than 25 out of the 27 players and team management involved in the game against Vardre have all come through the club’s mini and junior system.
Vardre are no strangers to ending unbeaten records having brought St Clear’s proud 16 match run to a crashing halt in the semi-finals. With full back Richard Brunton kicking 13 points they ran out 23-13 victors to reach Principality Stadium.
Vardre after their semi-final win
Brunton, a veteran of more than 150 games for the West Central club, is the leading scorer this season with more than a century of points, while skipper Adam Humphreys is the leading try scorer from the back row.
Having lost their opening game of the season, 29-22 at home to Nantymoel, Humphreys has led his side to 15 successive victories in league and cup. They are in the hunt for both promotion and the title in Division 3 West Central, and face two massive matches next week when they head to fourth placed Cwmafon on Tuesday night and then host second placed Swansea Uplands four days later.
DIVISION 3 CUP FINAL TEAMS
Abertillery BG: Mike Williams; Nathan Corlett, Kurtis Haile, Lewis Bates, Aled Penn; Dan Haile, Shaun Gwillam; Daffydd Cripps, Jordan Legge, Callum Kelly, Joe Hassall, Mathew Catlin, Jack Summers, Robbie Creed, Joe Phelps
Reps: Ryan Mahoney, Jevon Griffiths, Dan Crandon, Lewis Prosser, Joel Wright, Dan Croft, Aaron Humpries, Ieuan Taylor
Vardre: Richard Brunton; Callum Roche, Shane Davies, Tom Bevan, Luke Curtis; Lewis Humphreys, Liam Garland; Hayden Manorek, Liam Thomas, Nathan Hills, Jack Sterio, Josh Collier, Dylan Hills, Adam Humphreys (captain), Dan Llewellyn
Reps: Luke Jones, Ben Williams Jones, James Garland, Chris Collier, Lewis Thomas, Jonathan Griffiths, Joe Davies, Liam Cording
FORM GUIDE
Abertillery BG
Division: 3 East
Place: 1st
Record: P 13 W 13 D 0 L 0 Pts 63
Road To Final
25 March – Semi Final
Lampeter Town 17 – 24 Abertillery BG
18 February – Quarter Final
Tylorstown 0 – 14 Abertillery BG
28 January – Round 2
Abertillery BG 20 – 14 Fairwater
3 December – Round 1
Nantymoel 3 – 33 Abertillery B G
Pool Stage
Machen 7 – 47 Abertillery BG
Cardiff Quins 21 – 38 Abertillery BG
Abertillery BG 22 – 19 St Albans
Vardre
Division: 3 West Central
Place: 3rd
Record: P 9 W 8 D 0 L 1 Pts 37
Road To Final
25 March – Semi Final
St Clears 13 – 23 Vardre
18 February – Quarter Final
Abercrave 17 – 29 Vardre
21 January – Round 2
Vardre 16 – 13 Haverfordwest
3 December – Round 1
Vardre 21 – 7 Swansea Uplands
Pool Stage
Vardre 20 – 0 Bynea
Tonmawr 0 – 20 Vardre
Vardre 50 – 22 Pembroke Dock Quins
