Saturday’s double-header at Parc de Pugh began with a minute’s silence as Brecon Athletic, Llandrindod, Brecon 1st XV, and Beddau gathered with spectators to pay tribute to Gordon Prosser, grandfather of Athletic captain Will Prosser.

Following the moment of reflection and memorial, Will led his side against county rivals Llandrindod, aiming to maintain their perfect league record. The task was accomplished emphatically as Brecon swept to a 51-3 bonus-point victory, cementing their place at the top of the Division 5 East Central League.

In the second match, Brecon 1st XV faced a formidable Beddau side. The contrast between the teams was stark: Brecon entered the contest on the back of eight consecutive league defeats, while Beddau had suffered just one loss in nine outings, a 22-15 reverse against Merthyr. Expectations were low, but the game proved more competitive than the scoreline ultimately suggested.

Brecon started brightly, and after seven minutes took the lead with a well-worked try. Full-back Jake Newman executed a perfectly judged 50/22 kick, earning a line-out in the Beddau 22. Quick hands saw hooker Joe Lyons brought down after making ground, but Rhys Davies broke through with a strong hand-off before passing to Tom Richards, who cut through the defence to score. Newman’s conversion put Brecon 7-0 ahead.

For the next 20 minutes, the contest was balanced. Brecon earned penalties through intelligent play, while Beddau responded with attacking pressure from line-outs and mauls, testing the home pack, who showed marked improvement in defence. Eventually, a Brecon error allowed Beddau to score, and the teams were level.

Brecon regained a slender lead through a long-range penalty from Davies, only for Beddau to strike back with a maul try.

With only minutes to play it looked as if Brecon would go in at half-time just two points in arrears. But a last-minute break from Beddau saw Ewan Roberts score in open space, giving the visitors a nine-point interval lead.

The second half saw Brecon regroup. The front row of Joe Lyons, Levi Davies, and Joe Liddiatt imposed themselves, winning penalties and creating attacking opportunities. Newman kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to six points.

At this point the game became fractious and referee, Jess Kavanagh, sent a player from each side to the bin.

But Brecon continued to push and, on 60 minutes, restored their lead with a fine try. From a solid scrum platform, they went wide, with quick hands creating space for Chad Davies. Using his power and pace, Davies crossed for the score, which Newman converted from the touchline.

But the slender lead did not last long. A familiar pattern re-emerged. Beddau kicked a penalty to touch on the Brecon 22. Their maul was unstoppable as it ground its way to the try line for a converted try.

In the final 10 minutes, Brecon’s resistance was broken. Beddau ran in two further maul tries and an easy run in with the last play of the game.

Brecon’s Head Coach Kristian Dacey said: “We played consistently for 69 minutes but the last ten minutes let us down. We know what we have to work on but we also know that some of the work we are doing in training has set us in good stead and we go again next week at Bargoed.”