WRU Division 4 East

GWERNYFED 23  CRUMLIN 20

On a great day for rugby, a good crowd enjoyed a marvellous game of rugby played in the best of spirits. Crumlin arrived as league leaders and while the Ebbw Valley side scored first, the lead then changed four times with Gwernyfed’s third try ten minutes from the final whistle seeing the table-toppers return south with only a single losing bonus point.

It didn’t take long for Crumlin to illustrate why they are having a successful season. When forcing a defender into touch within Gwernyfed’s 22, the visitors were quicker of thought and deed, took the line out swiftly and touched down in the corner before five minutes had elapsed.

Zack Snape reduced the lead with a penalty, the visitors straying offside when faced with a series of drives led by skipper Sam Stephens, ably supported as always by Lewis Bowen, Craig Parry and Prys Eckley. However, the impetus swung to and fro, and as the first quarter ticked past, Crumlin added a try from close quarters, the conversion extending the visitors’ lead.

Play swung back to the other end and, with the green, white and blacks just having the better of the forward battle, half backs Luke Eckley and Snape released the backs from quick ruck ball. Both wingers, Johnny Rees and Matty Price, made headway and full back Will Lloyd caused consternation every time he came into the line. However, it was centres Jack Williams and Tom Morgan who were the real danger, Morgan celebrating his return from a lengthy period in Australia by breaking the line to touch down near the posts, Snape’s conversion a formality.

The vociferous home support expected Gwernyfed to take advantage of the slight slope at The Brian Jones Memorial Field in the second period. Events rewarded the crowd when Snape pushed the ball into touch deep in the visitors’ 22 from a penalty. The throw was plucked out of the air by joint man of the match Tom Lloyd and the rest was inevitable, Cellan Skyrme getting the final touch from the back of the maul.

Home support was quietened, though also impressed, by the delivery of a sweeping move that saw Crumlin put the ball through several hands in a move from forty metres out, one of their own superb centres getting the try to open up a two-point lead.

Snape restored the lead with a penalty but the compliment was returned when Gwernyfed were too eager in defence, the three points penalising the offside decision and putting the visitors back in front. With fifteen minutes to go Gwernyfed had it all to do.

A couple of successful burglaries applied to the Crumlin line-out by Sam Stephens put the home side very much on the front foot. When Crumlin tried to break out. James Holmes-Powell and Jack Williams, the second achieving joint man of the match status, in particular, were instrumental in turning the ball over with some superb ‘jacaling’.

The initiative was with the green, white and blacks. When Snape once again put his forwards on the five-metre line with the throw, history repeated itself with a Lloyd take initiating an unstoppable rolling maul, Cellan Skyrme touching down for his second.

Crumlin were great value throughout and threw everything at Gwernyfed for the last ten minutes. However, the defence was sound and action was largely outside the 22. Excellent referee Owen Stone, allowing the game to flow throughout and making his decisions crystal clear, policed the final frenzy calmly. When the final whistle went it was greeted by a huge roar from a crowd treated to the very best of community rugby.

Local rugby stands down next week as Wales take on Italy, after which Gwernyfed head south to visit Whiteheads. Coaches Dodd, East, Lewis and Thomas will be looking to build upon this win with the benefit of a few training runs before the trip to Newport.