On a beautiful afternoon in Newport, Gwernyfed’s performance added sparkle to the occasion. Rarely is a side dominant throughout the game, but the green, white and blacks attacked from every part of the field, recording 16 tries before the referee brought the game to an early end with three figures against the visiting side’s name on the scoreboard.

PILL HARRIERS 7 - GWERNYFED 102

Pill, always a robust side, fielded a big front five and obviously looked to keep the game tight by driving forward to make progress. Gwernyfed’s more mobile pack sucked up the first few drives, showing themselves to be quicker in foot and thought. That advantage was turned to points when Tom Lloyd secured a line-out on his own 22, scrum half Luke Eckley finding Lloydd Powell in the fly half slot, the number 8 then outmuscling and outpacing the defence to run in from sixty metres.

From the restart Gwernyfed were denied a second five-pointer when Will Lloyd was adjudged to be offside when chasing a kick forward by Gethin Davies who had collected the kick-off and gone on a fifty-metre run. The decision was marginal, but it allowed Pill to clear deep into Gwernyfed territory by way of a couple of good kicks. The resultant line-out was secured by Gwernyfed close to their own line but the clearance kick was charged down by flanker Gavin Herbert who followed up to touch down, fly half Bradley Williams converting to give Pill a lead that was to prove to be the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal afternoon for the home team.

Pill’s case wasn’t helped by the succession of penalties awarded against them for both technical infringements and rather too vigorous play. In the latter category, centre Dewi Billingham’s intervention on fifteen minutes to bring a Geraint Powell run to an end earned him a red card which was to prove disastrous in leaving the home back line thin in the face of incessant attacks from the Talgarth backs.

The next score came courtesy of a great break by Gethin Davies, the centre selfless in releasing full back Calum Fergusson, this effort built upon minutes later when Fergusson made the running down the right, Will Lloyd linked back to Luke Eckley who was tackled just short but offloaded back to Lloyd who touched down for his second of the afternoon.

Injuries to wing Tom Morgan and scrum half Luke Eckley forced changes, though that did not stem the tide flowing towards the Pill try line. As half-time beckoned a scrum thirty metres out allowed replacement scrum half Aled Skyrme to pick up and outrun the defence to go into the corner for his first senior try in green, white and black, this followed shortly by a Rhodri Williams try courtesy of a smart inside pass from Will Lloyd built upon a ruck delivered following a strong run by prop Tom Powell.

The half time break looked to allow the hosts an opportunity to re-group and try to reduce the 27-point deficit. The opportunity was not taken with Gwernyfed running in ten tries in the second period when on the offensive throughout.

The critical difference between the sides was that Gwernyfed were clinical in exploiting their attacking strength whereas the hosts relied upon the bludgeon.Gethin Davies was so often the architect of the scores, breaking the line from halfway five minutes into the second period before timing his pass to outside centre Rhodri Williams to touch his second down. Davies himself added the eighth by way of a carbon copy break from the halfway line, this time beating the defence without resort to teammates.

Tries came with metronomic regularity, the next from the restart when Tyler Morris made headway before finding Geraint Powell on the right touchline, the rangy lock running in from thirty metres, the Hay man repeating the exercise on the opposite wing for his second when fed by Aled Skryme minutes later.

Next a try line drop out by Pill only served to tee up Will Lloyd’s hat trick as the ball was moved through the hands of Dylan and Aled Skyrme, Jack Williams and the inevitable Gethin Davies who delivered Lloyd’s treble on a plate.

Replacement Dylan Skyrme exploited a threadbare defence to join the scoring roster before the biggest cheer of the afternoon was launched for indefatigable prop Prys Eckley who, receiving the ball from Kelly Davies on his own ten metre line, covered fifty metres, outstripping defending backs with aplomb.

Once again Lloydd Powell demonstrated his strength and speed when collecting from the restart on the 22-metre line, running back at the defence and then outpacing the back three to score yet another long range try.

Jack Williams ran in the fifteenth courtesy of a long-range pass from Aled Skyrmeand the last honours went to Dylan Skyrme who finished a move when Aled Skyrme collected from the restart, the ball going through the hands of Tyler Morris and Gethin Davies before Skyrme took advantage of a tired and dispirited defence to rack up 100 points for the green, white and blacks. Tyler Morris added his tenth conversion at which point the referee brought events to an early close.

The travelling support returned to Talgarth in excellent spirit having set out expecting a tough challenge and returning having witnessed a rout. However, no matter the great start to life in Division 2, tougher games lie ahead, not least the visit of second placed Pontypool United to The Brian Jones Memorial Field next Saturday.

The news that the Athletic XV had enjoyed a 28-12 win at Dowlais and that the Youth had won 43-17 at Cefn Coed made the evening all the more enjoyable.