WRU Championship
Newcastle Emlyn 14 Ystrad Rhondda 28
A late try sealed a hard fought win for the championship high fliers but the red and whites were in contention right until the final few minutes.
A Shaun Leonard penalty with fifteen minutes to go had brought the red and whites within reach of a losing bonus point and so it remained until the final play of the game when the visitors moved the ball across their three quarter line for centre Sion Simmons to juggle with the ball and just retain possession sufficiently to cross for the visitors bonus point try.
Probably on the balance of play the visitors were the better side, but there was very little to choose between the teams. Emlyn were unfortunate to have a try by replacement scrum half Mike Jones ruled out by the excellent referee Gavin Roberts and the hosts had two other scoring opportunities in the first half which could have changed the course of the game.
In the first ten minutes a break by lively second row Osian Davies. Inside the Ystrad twenty two, saw him feed hard working prop Lewys Jonathan. The prop looked as if he might score only to be tackled short of the line. The resultant ruck was won quickly by Emlyn, unfortunately with the line at his mercy and only five metres to go flanker Callum Evans knocked the ball on.
Emlyn started off positively and took the lead when the hard working flanker Jon Hill was awarded a penalty at a ruck for full back Leonard to convert to open the scoring. Both sides looked to attack each other with some excellent handling and it was the red and whites who came the closest to scoring when the ball was unfortunately knocked on. Ystrad soon settled and a lovely break by scrum half Foulkes took play deep into the Emlyn twenty two. When tackled short of the line the ball was quickly recycled by them and moved to the opposite wing where Jay Harris managed to outstrip the Emlyn defence to score in the corner for a try converted by full back Shephard.
The rest of the half territorially, was dominated by the visitors but the hosts reduced the deficit to a single point on the half hour when Leonard kicked a penalty.
Ystrad responded though with a try when outside half Truelove put in a lovely kick behind the Emlyn defence and speedy winger Kurtis Williams won the race for the touchdown and this was converted by Shephard.
Things looked ominous for the home side as Ystrad dominated the opening period of the second half and they extended their lead when a missed tackle allowed centre Adam Lewis to cross for a try converted by Shephard. Emlyn then had to dig deep and they responded in some style when from a flowing move wing Llyr Davies sped over the line for an unconverted try.
This inspired the home side and with fresh legs being introduced in the form of props Emrys Davies and Ifan James along with scrum half Mike Jones it was the turn of the home team to exert pressure on the visitors.
With quarter of an hour to go Leonard brought Emlyn within seven points of the visitors and a potential deserved bonus point. With Osian Davies winning some useful line out ball and his fellow second row Bleddyn Davies carrying powerfully the red and whites looked to have taken some control of the game. The visitors were not to be denied as they also looked for their fourth bonus point try. With time running out they launched one last attack and with the last play of the game centre Sion Summer just managed to control a juggling ball and crossed wide out for a try converted by Shephard to bring the game to a conclusion.
Pics by Julie John.
