After a disappointing start to the New Year with a return of one draw and two defeats, Brecon were pleased to see the end of January.

The start of the new month saw Brecon facing Ystrad Rhondda at Parc de Pugh on a heavy ground.

Everyone involved with the club knew that there was a lot of pressure on the team, which needed to start rebuilding confidence and post the first win of 2025.

The game was also an opportunity to climb in the league with visitors Ystrad standing in sixth place, just ahead of Brecon in seventh and with a single point advantage.

A close, tense game was predicted as in the reciprocal fixture, at Gelligaled Parc back in October, Brecon won a closely fought match by 22 points to 14 on the back of a run of victories. What emerged, however, certainly didn’t follow that script.

After just 18 minutes, Brecon had claimed their fourth try, thus earning a bonus point and held a comfortable 24-5 lead. Any tension among home supporters at the first whistle had already been quelled. By half-time Brecon had a commanding 31-5 lead and the game finished with Brecon having scored seven tries.

The omens were good right from the start. After an initial kicking duel, Brecon launched an attack from a line-out on the Ystrad 10-metre line. Logan McIntosh won good ball and Thomas Richards made the initial break across the gain line. Off quick breakdown ball, outside-half James Dixon popped up a lovely inside ball to Callum Bradbury who fed centre Tomos Davies as he cut through the Ystrad defence on a lovely angled run. He then timed his pass perfectly to full-back Jake Newman who ran in for the try.

On eight minutes Brecon extended their lead. Wing Sam Jones featured in a great counter-attack that led up to the try. After his initial break put Brecon on the offensive, he then benefitted from some great interplay between flankers Kristian Dacey and Ioan Edwards. Jones received Edwards’ pass in a tight space. That space was all that he needed to weave through defenders and score.

The next score had a touch of pantomime about it. Brecon drove off a line-out on the visitors’ 22. The maul slowly made ground but was then held and collapsed 10 metres short of the line. Ystrad started to celebrate, thinking they had won a scrum, only then to realise that Kristian Dacey had already broken out of the heart of the maul and raced in unopposed and unnoticed to score.

Ystrad did hit back from the kick-off when scrum-half Lewis Jones’ kick was charged down and the loose ball was hacked forward towards the try line and finally dotted down for a try.

Any thought of an Ystrad revival was, however, quickly extinguished.

Brecon chased and Ioan Edwards competed for the ball at the kick-off. The ball broke loose and Chad Davies picked up, passed inside to Edwards and he was in for the try near the posts, making James Dixon’s second successful conversion kick a formality. A fifth try came before half-time when hooker Christian Clarke touched down at the back of a rolling maul and Dixon again added the conversion.

Brecon went into the break with a comfortable lead based on some clinical finishing and a great focussed team effort. A large number of players had put their hands up and taken responsibility. James Dixon controlled the game well at 10 with some great link play and sensible controlled kicking. Tomos Davies in the centre was also an important link player, making room for others outside him. His co-centre, Tom Richards, had proved himself to be a constant threat to the Ystrad midfield defence and went on to post a superb second half performance. At full-back, Jake Newman was not called on to do too much in defence but showed up well in attack as he timed his entries into the line beautifully, while Chad Davies, with limited attacking chances, marshalled his dangerous opposite number Chris Webber effectively.

It was the forwards, however, who laid the platform. Hooker Christian Clarke was powerful in defence and when carrying. Chris Phillips at loose head did his work in the tight and time and again carried the ball hard with well-timed runs around the fringes of rucks and mauls, while Owen Ford did his job well at tight head. In the second row, Callum Bradbury had another superb game in the line-out, the loose, and as the prime receiver. His young partner, Tom Offa, was also prominent and is developing into a reliable and valued member of the team. The back row of Kristian Dacey, captain Ioan Edwards, and Logan McIntosh all had good games in both attack and defence.

After such an uplifting first half the second was slightly less compelling to watch. The game was already won and the edge was blunted. It took Brecon 10 minutes to score again and that came from a Dixon penalty. The next try was another bizarre affair. Brecon pressed and by now Ystrad were desperate. When they grounded the ball they raced to take a quick drop out on the goal line. The kick was fluffed and went straight into the arms of Tom Richards who dived in for his first try, which again Dixon converted. Dixon then added a drop goal to his tally before Ystrad hit back with a try of their own off a line-out maul and drive.

Brecon though had the final word. After some great continuity in attack, Dixon laid off a short pass to Tom Richards, on a straight, powerful run. He stepped and brushed off would-be defenders to score under the posts and Dixon added his fifth successful conversion to add to his drop goal and penalty.

Brecon now have a break for the remainder of February before facing fourth-placed Bargoed at Parc de Pugh on Saturday, March 1.