Builth Wells 12 Skewen 19..
IN dire conditions, Builth entertained run away league leaders Skewen last Saturday.
The Bulls started brightly and were the dominant side early on with Seb Barrett opening their account with a kick at goal after eight minutes and doubled his points shortly after.
From the restart, Skewen earned a put in at the scrum when the ball was knocked on by Builth deep in their 22.
After what had been all Builth, the visitors took full advantage of possession and territory, crossing the line for their first try in the corner which went unconverted.
Within minutes a second try followed. A loose ball skilfully kicked on by Skewen found the try line under the posts which was easily converted. Builth however kept the deficit in points narrow with another penalty from the reliable boot of Barrett just before the half time whistle. Half time score 9-12.
After the break, Skewen demonstrated why they are table toppers, pinning Builth in their own half for large periods. With the pitch deteriorating underfoot and tackles missed, Skewen extended their lead with a third converted try 20 minutes in.
This was where the points tally for the visitors ended. A come back for Builth looked increasingly unlikely though, when fly half Gavin Jones received marching orders 10 minutes later.
Both teams made full use of their squads, making wholesale changes for the final quarter. With a man down, Builth rallied and their heroic defence held firm, man of the match Gethin Lewis putting in an impressive performance.
A rare foray up field for the Bulls rattled Skewen. A yellow card shown to a Skewen forward levelled the player numbers moments from full time.
This presented Barrett with a difficult penalty kick for goal, which the youngster competently slotted, bringing the score within seven points and earning the Bulls a valuable losing bonus point against a team who’ve regularly put 40 plus points on their opposition this season.
The Bulls next game is rearranged fixture at home to bottom of the table Tondu this Saturday.