On a glorious day, a good crowd gathered at The Brian Jones Memorial Field to see whether Gwernyfed’s winning run in the higher division would continue and who would win bragging rights as the Brecon Youth XV played their Talgarth counterparts on the adjoining pitch. Home support was rewarded with a brace of victories for Gwernyfed.

GWERNYFED 47 - USK 19

On the senior pitch, Usk fielded a sizeable pack and, with Gwernyfed missing a couple of front rowers, the early stages suggested that it would be a tough afternoon. However, props Prys Eckley and Craig Parry and hooker Kelly Davies soon took to the task, allowing a decent platform for the green, white and black backs, who went on to dominate their counterparts to deliver another bonus point win.

The early exchanges saw Usk look to capitalise upon their size up front, while Gwernyfed showed ample resilience, with Lloydd Powell picking up at the base of the scrum and crossing the gain line, while Tom Lloyd stole Usk line-out ball, frustrating the visitors’ progress.

A midfield arm wrestle ensued during which Geraint Powell was given a yellow card. One man down, the Gwernyfed support feared the worst, but Will Eckley’s men had other ideas. A break featuring Luke Eckley and Rhodri Williams took the hosts into the Usk 22. The defenders conceded a penalty, allowing Tyler Morris to deliver a five-metre line-out. Tom Lloyd did the honours, scrum-half Eckley passed to Gethin Davies, the mighty centre bouncing off two erstwhile defenders to go over under the posts for Morris to add the two-point spoils.

With Geraint Powell still on the touchline, the lead was extended courtesy of a marvellous try by number eight Lloydd Powell. Usk were on the attack when Gwernyfed smuggled the ball back in their own 22. Powell collected, battered his way through the advancing attackers and proceeded to outpace the covering back three to score under the posts after a 70-metre run.

The irony of Geraint Powell’s return was that Usk got themselves on to the scoreboard with a try that owed itself to a number of drives close to the line, eventually reaping a dividend. That success was repeated a few minutes later when a more expansive move put the right wing Gethin Thomas into the corner, Tom Welford converting to reduce the home side’s lead to two points.

With half-time approaching, the next score looked to be critical and it was Gwernyfed that seized the initiative with a well-worked try finished with aplomb by Tom Morgan, courtesy of swift ball through half-backs Eckley and Morris via Gethin Davies, timing his pass to perfection. Morris converted from the touchline to allow Gwernyfed a nine-point cushion as they turned around.

The first 20 minutes of the second period had Gwernyfed almost totally dominant, clearly fitter than their opponents. However, what Usk lacked in fitness they made up with determination and held out any number of challenges from a series of five-metre line-outs delivered by some fine Tyler Morris kicking. The dam was bound to break. On the hour, another line-out throw by Kelly Davies found Tom Lloyd unerringly, replacement scrum-half Aled Skyrme used Gethin Davies to ferry the ball to Rhodri Williams, whose long pass to Dylan Skyrme gave the wing plenty to do. Skyrme completed the task with speed and power to go into the corner, taking two men with him for the green, white and blacks’ bonus point try.

Usk had hardly got over the halfway line in the second period, but when they did so, the Gwent side reduced the arrears with a try from a maul five metres out, Welford converting to offer the travelling support grounds for optimism. However, the prospect of a comeback was dashed within minutes as Gwernyfed scored three converted tries to put the matter beyond doubt.

The first of the trio came by way of a prod forward by fly-half Tyler Morris after a scrum on the Usk 22-metre line. Right wing Will Lloyd followed up to gather and touch down. The next followed swiftly, a great run from well inside the Gwernyfed half seeing Rhodri Williams make ground before being hauled down 25 metres out. First to the ruck was Lloydd Powell, who picked up, stepped over the prone defenders and ran in without being touched, a testimony to the big number eight’s fitness.

From the restart, Geraint Powell fielded the kick-off and released his backs. Tyler Morris linked by way of Lloydd Powell to in-form centre Williams, who once again made ground before releasing Dylan Skyrme, crossing from the left wing to complete the task with a great run-in from 25 metres. Morris completed a fine afternoon with his sixth conversion, this time from the touchline.

Gwernyfed head the table with the only unbeaten record in the division after three games. No doubt there are tough challenges ahead, but the coaching team, Lee Thomas, Matthew Lewis, Jordan Curran and Geraint Powell, profess themselves to be well pleased with a very positive start to life in the higher echelons.

Meanwhile, on the adjoining pitch, Gwernyfed’s Youth XV hosted Brecon in a hard-fought league fixture marked by end-to-end play. Strong backline performances helped Gwernyfed claim the local derby 34–20, a brace from Ted Bird and tries from Archie Webb, Edwin Powell and Ellis Davies cementing the win. The club completed a clean sweep for the afternoon as the Athletic XV travelled to Chepstow and returned with a 60-point victory.