WRU Division 4 East

GWERNYFED 78 WHITEHEADS 14  

As the intense run in to the end of the season continues, Gwernyfed cantered in for their third win in eight days, scoring twelve tries against a tenacious Whiteheads side coached by Wales star Aaron Wainwright. Skipper Jack ‘Sol’ Williams put the cherry on top of the cake when touching down for the tenth try which was also Gwernyfed’s 100^th  five-pointer in only their thirteenth league game.

The afternoon’s direction of travel was established immediately when fly half Joe Winfield prodded a penalty conceded from the kick-off into the corner. Increasingly impressive Tom Millington plucked the ball out of the air. The pack trundled towards the line, but scrum half Tom Griffiths looked to speed things up, taking the ball, feinting, and plunging over. Winfield added the afters.

The first ten minutes were one way traffic, a second try scored from thirty metres out owing much to centre Tyler Morris who weaved a path through, offloading five metres out to right wing Will Lloyd whose instinct for the five-pointer is unfailing.

Notwithstanding the score, Whiteheads were never less than determined and did reduce the arrears when the Newport side’s speedy centre took a great line to slice open the defence and run under the posts from 30 metres. However, normal service was resumed immediately, the home pack taking up the cudgel, lock Ollie Rose, having a really good spell in green, white and black, the man to get his name on the score sheet.

The second quarter started as did the first with a try, this time a Joe Winfield special from forty metres, speed of foot and thinking and a bewitching sidestep allowing the ten to go under the posts virtually untouched, securing the bonus point. The next try came from broken play with Craig Parry and Lloyd Powell tidying up to good effect before Winfield timed his pass to Dylan Skyrme to perfection.

Centre Dylan Skyrme supported by jack Williams and Wil Lloyd.

As if to rub it in, the next score originated from a scrum deep in Gwernyfed’s 22. Winfield carried the ball and then chipped the defence. Tyler Morris chased and collected, tom Griffiths and Winfield combined to release Lloyd Powell who in turn found full back Ryan Davies on his shoulder. It was no contest, the first of Davies’s hat-trick scored from 30 metres leaving a trail of failed tacklers on the floor.

The dogged visitors did get another converted try on the board before the break, but at 40-17 as the oranges came out, the die was cast.

Upon resumption, the sizeable crowd was treated to a Ryan Davies special. Receiving the ball from a ruck half-way on the right-hand touch line, Davies drew and then chipped the defence, winning the foot race to the line by metres for a great touchdown

There had been a wholesale change of personnel at the break. One feature of recent weeks when games have come thick and fast is the role that replacements and player rotation is playing in the unbeaten run. One great example is Kyle Davies who never fails to make an impression whether starting or coming on later. On this occasion Davies at six had an outstanding game and capped the display with a try out wide for the eighth score.

Skipper Jack Williams celebrates scoring Gwernyfed’s 100^th league try.

Ryan Davies’s second was a peach. Receiving the ball from Will Lloyd inside his own half on the right-hand touch line, Davies drew and then chipped the defence, winning the foot race to the line by metres for a great touchdown.

Centre Gethin Davies had come off the bench at the break and Tyler Morris had given Winfield a well-earned 40 minutes’ respite, moving to ten. The changes did nothing for Whiteheads hopes of stopping the torrent of tries with Gethin Davies the creator for a Tyler Morris try.

The tenth score was memorable in more ways than one. It was Gwernyfed’s hundredth in league action this term – but its architecture was almost as impressive. A strong scrum on Gwernyfed’s five metre line allowed replacement nine Luke Eckley to release the backs, the balled passed through the hands of Morris, Ryan Davies, Dylan Skyrme and Tom Millington, the flanker’s deft pass allowing captain Jack Williams to trot in unattended.

Whiteheads spirit was far from broken and it took some determined defence from Gwernyfed, replacements Rhys Price and Scott Rees shining, to hold the Newport men. However, normal service was resumed with two tries run out from defence, the first courtesy of a fine run by Gethin Davies who selflessly passed to Dylan Skyrme for the touchdown, the second and final after a great run by Skyrme, Jack Williams linking to release Will Lloyd for the touch down. Tyler Morris converted, he and Winfield sharing nine two-pointers.

The caravan moves to Blaenavon on Wednesday evening where Forgeside are the hosts and then to Llanhilleth next weekend. Replacement and rotation to the fore as Gwernyfed’s unbeaten season heads towards the denouement