WRU National League Division 1 East

This clash saw second placed Brecon, defending an unbeaten record against last year’s league champions and WRU Plate Winners.

With Brynmawr having lost twice to date, once at home to Brecon, this was a make or break league match for them. The match was equally important for Brecon who have a game in hand on Penallta who lead the divsion on points despite their one loss to date.

The two teams served up a classic in front of a large crowd of partisan Brecon and Brynmawr supporters. The game had it all. Big hits in defence, great creative play, hard forward drives and a total of eight tries. Although the final scored looked like a comfortable victory for the home side nothing could be further from the truth. With 70 minutes gone Brynmawr led by 19 points to 13 and Brecon needed to respond if they were to maintain their unbeaten record. Brynmawr failed to live with the final intensity as Brecon scored three tries in the final ten minutes to claim the win, a bonus point and deny Brynmawr the consolation of a losing bonus.

The whole squad deserves credit for a magnificent performance against opponents who’ve built an enviable reputation over the past two years. Five players were selected to share the Man of the Match Award.

They included captain Ewan Williams whose handling and carrying throughout caused Brynmawr no end of problems. Alongside him was centre Sam Campell whose defence during periods of intense pressure was faultless and to add to that he made valuable ground in attack and finished with a flourish to score the final try. Richie Davies again was one of the stars. He showed great strength in the front row of Elgan Lewis and Andy Nicholl to blunt the visitor’s aggressive, powerful scrum. In addition to his tight work he still had the energy and ability, to carry the ball brilliantly even at the end of a long passage of play just as he did to score a try which gave Brecon a match winning lead.

Lewys Cooke who filled the role of wing and then scrum half also had an outstanding game. His running on the wing caused panic in the visitors’ defence and for his try he showed awareness and pace. When he later filled-in at scrum half he looked lively and drew attention. The final member of the group was Jon James. His try on 70 minutes, when Brecon finally breached the Brynmawr defence to take the lead, was critical. That, however, was not his only contribution as he oozed power in all that he did, whether through big hits or strong carries.

While the five were magnificent they were closely followed by the rest of the squad. Eifion Jones at full back was a real handful on the counter and rock solid in defence. Jake Crockett, back after a spell out with injury, always looked dangerous and Cameron Gardner was as always rock solid in defence and threatening in attack.

Brynmawr started with intensity. Their scrum looked strong and their powerful forwards ran hard. They were also well supported by a hard running outside half and backs who looked far more eager and capable of taking up the challenge compared with the previous encounter earlier in the season. It took some great defence to keep them at bay and it took a typical Jon James drive through the visitors defence to put Brecon on the front foot for the first time. Once on the offensive Brecon looked dangerous. Hooker Lewis brilliantly carried the ball after a well worked loop around the tail of a line out and the move ended with Brecon being awarded with a scrum five metres out and 10 metres infield. Brynmawr drove hard and it looked as if they may disrupt the scrum possession but Ewan Williams tidied up brilliantly and fed scrum half Geraint Workman on the blindside. He used wing Cooke as a foil and dummied his way through to the line for an opening score.

That spurred the visitors and they put Brecon under considerable pressure following an impressive driving maul that led to them levelling the scores with a try in the corner.

Brecon’s response was impressive and fly half Dean Gunter kicked wide over the flat defence for Cooke to gather and score to put the host back in front at the half.

Now playing into a strengthening breeze, they carried the game to Brynmawr but a missed penalty to touch resulted in a massive set back. Brynmawr scrum half soon scored under the posts and ensure that the conversion would give Brynmawr their first lead. Gunter restored a single point lead with a penalty.

Potential tragedy then struck when a sloppy pass was easily read and picked off by the Brynmawr centre who raced away from half way to score under the posts. With the conversion Brynmawr had a six-point lead with 20 minutes to play.

The reverse could easily have caused Brecon to drop their heads but instead it galvanised the team. They upped the tempo to an even higher level and with forwards and backs combining they put Brynmawr under severe pressure. Brynmawr found it difficult to live with the pace of the game and visibly began to wilt.

For ten minutes they took a battering but held out and as the minutes ticked away so the home support became anxious. Fresh legs were brought on and finally, after a series of drives near the line had been repulsed, Jon James bundled his way over. Jake Crockett’s conversion gave Brecon a slender lead with ten minutes to play. Everyone anticipated another fight back from the visitors but by now they were finding it difficult to live with Brecon’s intensity. Brecon extended their lead when Dafydd Edwards made a crunching tackle and the ball fell loose. Prop Davies picked up and ran in the last 22 metres to score a try which virtually decided the match as Gunter’s conversion put Brecon two scores ahead. Brynmawr still had sights on two possible bonus points but the door was slammed in their faces. From the re-start Brecon attacked and Sam Campbell dived over for the final try.

Gunter converted and when the final whistle came Brecon celebrated an outstanding victory against a top-quality side which had given its all.

The second’s defeated Bargoed by 40-12.