WRU DIVISION 3A EAST CENTRAL

During what can only be described as a disappointing start to the campaign, those who follow the green, white and blacks will not have wanted for commitment or effort – rather a little bit of luck by way of reward. On this occasion luck was not required as an excellent performance was rewarded by six tries and a bonus point

In each of their last four games Gwernyfed’s pack has been so dominant as to force the opposition to opt for passive scrums, neutralising the Talgarth men’s advantage. The sequence extended itself after 65 minutes when an injury forced off a beleaguered Cardiff prop by which time the die was cast.

Early pressure up front yielded two tries within the first ten minutes. Front rowers Craig Parry, James Brute and Aaron Nicholls carried all before them, setting up plenty of opportunity in conditions that lent themselves to forward play. First Brute himself ploughed over following a line-out and maul and then no 8 Ben Barrell controlled the ball in the scrum, marched his pack forward and touched down.

In a rare foray into home territory Llandaff wing Grimes touched down courtesy of a superb cross kick when the defence appeared to have everything covered. However, Gwernyfed struck right back when a long clearance was chased down by Lewys Cooke who cleverly stood guard over the sprawling defender until he regained his feet, bundling him over for a five-metre line-out. Andy Hill’s forwards made no mistake, Jordan Curran applying the final touch to the successful maul.

Llandaff were under pressure but were also admirably defiant. They launched a series of attacks as the second period opened and it was Grimes again who squeezed into the corner for a try which, when converted, gave the scoreboard a rather unrepresentative look given Gwernyfed’s dominance.

There was little for the home support to worry about as the green, white and blacks tore back into attack, turning positional advantage into points with tries by first Craig Fuller and then right wing Keiron Jones, the latter a well taken effort requiring speed and dexterity.

Once the scrum was neutralised the game was over as a spectacle but there was still time for centre Haydn Murphy to illustrate what a good player he is when spotting that his opposite number was about to kick into the corner. Murphy not only stopped the kick but caught it clean and outpaced the defence for fifty metres, offering Gerwyn Williams a simple conversion to break his ‘duck’ on an afternoon not designed to offer kickers a form footing.

Head coach Chay Billen was delighted with the win but disappointed that next week’s opponents have opted to stop at home to watch the Wales game rather than travel to Talgarth, causing a three week break in the campaign that Gwernyfed will enter with renewed confidence.

Llandaff were bolstered by the presence of a huge lock forward, Mike Connor, who normally plays at much more exalted levels and demonstrated just why by showing speed, strength and elusiveness in the loose throughout the game in which he was very much the stand out player.

It was Connor who opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, taking a good line down the left for a try that Nathan Rees enhanced by potting the conversion.

Gwernyfed were stung into life and put their pack to work to good effect. As has happened so many times this term, the home eight were completely dominant, boosted by the return of skipper Craig Fuller for the first time since the opening game of the season, albeit in the back row to test out progress with his shoulder. Fuller was prominent in mauls that took Gwernyfed close to the line and supported stand-in skipper Sam Stephens who reduced the arrears with a well-deserved try.

The scrum was going very much Gwernyfed’s way, Craig Parry and his props having very much the better of exchanges with their bigger opposition. A strong push from ten metres out looked likely to be converted by Barrell at number eight but when the shove was stopped a maul ensued that Llandaff could only snuff out by dragging the attackers down. The referee was close at hand and awarded a penalty try that Gareth Dodd converted to open up a lead.

Before half-time Connor struck once again, this one-man team illustrating the value of an outstanding player, his try heralding the end of the first period with scores and prospects at level pegging.

Gwernyfed started well in the second half and looked likely to score on the left through Keiron Jones until a stray pass, very much the story of the season, spoiled the opportunity.

That error was penalised by the visitors when Nathan Rees put a penalty over, one that was to signal a period when Gwernyfed were starved of ball and, whilst Llandaff were hardly threatening, the play was contained in the hosts’ half and a score was elusive.

With ten minutes to go some good play in the loose by Sam Stephens earned Gwernyfed a penalty on the half way line, Gareth Dodd put the ball into the corner and a mini-siege ensued.

Several players went close but it took that old fox Steve Harley, playing at nine, to see a gap in the defence and touch down in the corner to seal a hard-fought victory that the Talgarth men just about deserved.

Three games to go and another win is vital.

Next weekend’s visit to Fairwater may provide that and coaches Billen and Skyrme will be working hard on the training paddock to deliver just that.