The casual reader looking at the scoreline would be entitled to assume that this was an entirely one-sided affair, but that was not quite the case.

Clearly the Gwernyfed attack was in the ascendancy, but that was built upon a rock solid and impregnable defence marshalled by man of the match Geraint Powell, ably supported by the whole pack, not least Toms Millington and Powell and flanker Will Pugh who chopped down the massive men from Garndiffaith with mesmeric regularity.

WRU Division 3 East

Report by Peter Weavers

A huge crowd, two deep around the touchline, enjoyed the luxury of watching the first and second outfits from the two clubs on adjacent pitches, Gwernyfed’s Athletic XV also producing some fine attacking rugby in a 37-34 victory to complete the double. In the meantime, the sun and vociferous support helped Joe Winfield’s side to their eighth successive league win this campaign, extending their unbeaten league record to 27 games.

From the start the green, white and blacks were on the front foot. Several charges from Lloydd and Tom Powell and Kelly Davies tested the defence which was resolute around the breakdown. However, as soon as scrum-half Luke Eckley let his backs go it became clear that the accuracy and speed of passing and great footwork shown through the afternoon was too much for the men from Pontypool, skipper Winfield the scorer out wide with Tyler Morris, Will Lloyd and Gethin Davies to thank for opening up the defence.

The opening score inevitably saw the Pontypool men fight back, but when a score threatened it was swiftly and effectively snuffed out, Winfield testing the fortitude of the visiting pack with lengthy clearance kicks. The second try came after 13 minutes and was a product of the defence, Will Pugh collecting a loose ball close to his own line to make thirty metres before Gethin Davies sent a long pass out to Joe Winfield on the left wing. A 50-metre run was stopped in panic mode, but the resultant line-out was beautifully crafted with Pugh taking the ball at the rear, Millington collecting and producing the perfect pass for Gethin Davies, unstoppable from five metres.

If the home support had waited 10 minutes for the second try, matters moved rather more quickly for the third. Geraint Powell collected the restart on the 22-metre line, laying the ball back for Gethin Davies who simply intimidated his way past five defenders over 60 metres to cross under the posts, Tyler Morris converting both Davies five-pointers to open up a 19-point lead.

After the inevitable surge upfield, with the sizeable visiting pack unsuccessfully attempting to bludgeon their way to a score for five minutes, play returned to the visitors’ end courtesy of a long kick by Winfield. All three Powells, Tom, Geraint and Lloydd in succession, went close but when ‘Fridge’ Cellan Skyrme lined up, his mobility belying the prop’s size, he took three defenders over for the bonus point try, Morris’s conversion a formality.

Two more tries were recorded before the break, the first a gem finished by Calum Fergusson after a great break and pass by outside centre Rhodri Williams, the second a statement of the power that Lloydd Powell has in spades, picking up from the base of the scrum and carrying a host of defenders over for a well-deserved try. Morris’s conversions meant that Garndiffaith, a side that played in the division above last season and are challenging for a return, turned around 38-0 down.

The second half had Gwernyfed defending a line-out inside their own 22 which the visitors gathered and looked to maul over. The home pack had other ideas. Geraint Powell burrowed through to wrestle the ball away from the attackers, handing over to fellow lock Will Eckley. For the second time this season the Glasbury forward ran the ball in from fully 60 metres to resounding cheers.

If anything is designed to demoralise a side it’s a 60-metre try by a lock, and while the visitors continued to show spirit, when the impressive Gwernyfed bench appeared, bringing fresh legs and no little talent, more scores looked inevitable, and so it proved.

Next to score was scrum-half Luke Eckley, not to be outdone by his brother, completing a ranging move from defence with Gethin Davies and Lloydd Powell involved several times, before Winfield chipped through for Eckley, the try bringing up the half century. That was soon followed by another Winfield score, the architect Ryan Davies, coming in off the bench after a lengthy injury spell, his pass to Will Lloyd opening up the defence, Lloyd then giving his skipper a run in.

Will Lloyd was prominent throughout, coming in off his wing to add speed and variety to the attack. However, it was as a conventional winger that the Clyro man was at the end of sweeping move that involved Gethin and Ryan Davies and Calum Fergusson before Lloyd plunged into the corner.

Gethin Davies bullied his way to his hat trick and Gwernyfed’s eleventh try. Will Lloyd made it a dozen, fielding a long pass from Gethin Davies on the run, then completing a 30-metre dash into the corner.

If Garndiffaith’s bus wasn’t already warming up for the trip back south, the sight of Ryan Davies taking the ball 40 metres out at breakneck speed must have woken the driver. Unfortunately, the defence was not quite as alert and Davies signalled his return to the green,white and black jersey with a wonderful try.

As a fitting finale to mark what was a marvellous exhibition of attacking play by Gwernyfed’s backs, of course courtesy of their excellent pack, Rhodri Williams touched down the 14th try to make certain that every one of Gwernyfed’s backs had his name on the scoresheet.

Regular watchers knew that at some stage everything would click and an opponent would really suffer, on this occasion the valiant men from Garndiffaith. The win and the manner of the win owed much to the dedicated and impressive coaching team of Messrs Lee Thomas, Alun Phillips, Tomi and Matthew Lewis and Jordan Curran. A three-week break while Wales look to take on the Southern hemisphere giants beckons. Gwernyfed take an unbeaten record into December... and the supporters can’t wait.