WRU Championship
RHYDYFELIN 20 NEWCASTLE EMLYN 27
Newcastle Emlyn produced some of their best rugby of the season in the second half of this entertaining encounter to secure a very important win against Rhydyfelin.
The red and whites who were sloppy at times in the opening forty were far better after the interval and cut loose and played some excellent attacking rugby which left the home team defending desperately as wave after wave of Emlyn attackers came at them.
From the first whistle it was the visitors who had most of the early play, and left winger Llyr Freeman nearly crossed for a try in the corner only to be halted by a high tackle. Excellent referee Gavin Roberts only awarded Emlyn a penalty rather than a possible penalty try. Emlyn declined to kick for goal and opted for a scrum five metres out, having already driven the home pack backwards at a previous scrum. From the scrum the home side managed to halt the Emlyn drive, and Emlyn had to go through a series of rucks. Prop Gethin Davies looked to have forced his way over for a try but referee Roberts ruled he was held up over the line and awarded Emlyn a penalty which outside half Mitchell Jones converted to open the scoring.
The rest of the half belonged to the home side as the visiting forwards struggled to get any meaningful possession. The front row of props Gethin and Emrys Davies along with skipper Alex Williams were dominant at the scrum, driving the home side back metres at a time. However, some excellent work at the base of the scrum by home number eight Lewis James ensured that his lively scrum half Garyn Lucas always had quality ball to use.
It was Lucas who bagged the opening try , following a period of sustained pressure, he spotted the smallest of gaps by the side of a ruck and crossed for a score upgraded by full back David Gratton. Lucas’s speed from the base of the scrum was exceptional and time and again he broke from the base of a scrum and put his left winger Gavin Close away. It was Close who scored the rest of the homes sides’ points in the first half with two unconverted tries.
Half time saw veteran prop Dai Bryant replacing Gethin Davies, and soon after Dai Jones came on instead of Emrys Davies and Dan Havard replaced second row Bleddyn Davies. This greatly increased the mobility of the Emlyn side and the tempo of the game was greatly increased. After quarter of an hour a break from the half way line, by hard working flanker Callum Evans, took play up to the twenty two metre line. A couple of quick rucks later the ball was moved along the line and full back Ashley Sutton entered the line, off loaded to Steffan Evans who fed his centre partner Teifion Davies who crossed for a try converted by Jones.
From the restart Emlyn ran the ball straight back at their opponents and the home side struggled to contain a rampant side. Powerful runs by Callum Evans, Dyfed Morgan, and Dan Havard took play into the home side’s twenty two. From a line out inside the twenty two, Morgan drove hard for the line, when he was stopped the ball was swiftly moved along the line and Sutton entered at pace and side stepped his way over for a try which Mitchell Jones converted to bring the scores level.
The third Emlyn try was an absolute peach when Rhydfelin kicked long to clear their lines and full back Ashley Sutton gathered the ball inside his own twenty two and set off on a counter attack. He evaded a few would be tacklers and linked with number eight Brynmor Jones, who eventually found Alex Williams with a well-timed pass and he crossed for an excellent try converted by Jones. The home side were then penalised at the restart but Mitchell Jones, who had another fine game at outside half, saw his penalty effort at goal fall just short.
The red and whites extended their lead to ten points when, once again, the home side were penalised at the ruck and Jones converted a fairly simple penalty goal. Desperate to get at least a losing bonus point the hosts looked to run the ball out of defence rather than kick and, as time was running out, they eventually reached the Emlyn twenty two where they were awarded a penalty, which Gratton converted to bring them within seven points.
This was a well deserved win and Williams and co will need to reproduce this form in a fortnight’s time when Newbridge are the visitors to Dôl Wiber.
