WRU Championship.
Newcastle Emlyn 32 Bedlinog 12
Newcastle Emlyn returned to league action at Ddol Wiber after a very long absence but they soon found their rhythm and were outstanding in the first half.
The reds played with a great deal of authority and skill under the blue skies and dominated a Bedlinog side who responded extremely well in the second half. The forwards dominated the set pieces, drove well in the loose and recycled the ball expertly. The three quarters attacked accurately, linking well with the rampaging Emlyn forwards in the loose. All this combined pressure forced the visitors into a number of handling errors when they had possession which meant Emlyn gained a fourth bonus point try by the half hour mark.
There were a number of stand-out individual performances allied with the efforts of the whole side. Man of the match flanker, Owain Powell, was outstanding and showed what the red and whites have missed this season because of his injury problems. Inside centre Richard Hope pushed Powell hard for the man of the match award with his distribution skills and solid defending whilst second row Dan Havard was also impressive along with second row partner Ryan Morgans.
Emlyn could not have had a better start to the match when, from the kick off, Bedlinog dropped the ball in their twenty two and it was then handled by one of their players in an offside position. The excellent referee Dewi Phillips had no option but to award a penalty to Emlyn. Skipper Alex Williams opted to kick for the corner and, although Bedlinog managed to halt the first couple of drives from the line out, eventually Williams himself was driven over the line for the opening score after just two minutes play.
The next score followed shortly afterwards and owed a great deal to the confidence beginning to run through the side. Ryan Morgans took a good line out catch in the Bedlinog half. The pack, led superbly by skipper Williams, made good metres from a series of drives and when Havard was stopped some ten metres from the line Emlyn again recycled the ball. Richard Hope executed a lovely run around after passing the ball and timed his final pass to perfection, allowing winger Llyr Davies to squeeze over in the corner for an excellent try.
As often happens, Bedlinog came back at the red and whites and when they were awarded a penalty some thirty metres out, outside half Ian Smerdon was unlucky to see his kick strike the post. Emlyn responded in the best possible fashion and with Havard, Morgans, and number eight Brynmor Jones working effectively at the line out and Emlyn’s powerful scrum driving Bedlinog back, the visitors struggled for any worthwhile possession. When they did attempt to move the ball they found outside half Barry Thomas marshalling his defence and Hope and fellow centre Llyr Jones continually forced Bedlinog into errors.
It was just a matter of time before the next score came and when it did it was due to a huge series of drives by the forwards followed by some excellent heads up rugby. Led by Williams, a series of carries by all the Emlyn forwards took play deep into the Bedlinog twenty two. Showing great composure the ball was eventually released to the three quarters, centre Richard Hope saw that the Bedlinog defence had been drawn in and passed a lovely overhead pass, missing out two players, to winger Dan Davies who was completely unmarked. The winger caught the pass and crossed unopposed for a try which he then converted to extend Emlyn’s lead.
Under constant pressure now, Bedlinog had at this stage no answer to the control and drive of the Emlyn forwards and Davies increased Emlyn’s lead with a well struck penalty.
The bonus point try came just after the half hour mark when some excellent work by the Emlyn flankers Powell and James led to yet another turnover at a ruck for the home side. Again the vision of Thomas and Hope saw the ball transferred quickly to the speedy Dan Davies who was faced by a second row. Davies rounded the second row and cut inside the covering full back to score a try which he converted.
Half time saw powerful Emlyn tight head prop Gethin Davies having to leave the field with a suspected broken arm and this had a huge effect on the second half. With normal tight head Neil Elworthy also injured Emlyn only had loose head prop Jack Parry as a replacement prop forward and the home side had to opt for non-contested scrums. Bedlinog, prompted by their half backs Soanes and Smerdon began to run the ball well at Emlyn and tested the home defence which at times this season has been found wanting.
Bedlinog’s first try of the half came after some seven minutes when replacement prop Nathan Evans crashed over in the corner from a line out. Some fine defensive work by the Emlyn back row and midfield kept Bedlinog at bay for long periods and it took until the twenty eighth minute before scrum half James Soanes crossed for a try which Smerdon converted.
This did wake Emlyn up and they went back to playing some basic, no frills rugby. A kick ahead by Leonard was caught by the full back, recycled by the pack for Alex Williams to once again drive forward. From that resultant ruck the ball went into the hands of number eight Brynmor Jones just outside the Bedlinog twenty two. Showing some quick feet the number eight side stepped a would be tackler and out- paced any covering defence to cross for an excellent individual try in the corner to round off the scoring for the day and push Emlyn up into fifth place.
