Brecon travelled west to Newcastle Emlyn looking to record their first victory of 2025.

In the previous two matches they had recorded a creditable draw at Neath, followed by a disappointing defeat at Parc de Pugh where Cross Keys were the visitors.

Facing basement club, Newcastle Emlyn, provided the opportunity for the team to get back into winning ways. However, during the build-up to the game the omens were not good. Selection had been difficult, with the team suffering from a long injury list which was compounded by a number of players who were unavailable for the long journey west.

That journey then took its toll as diversions on the M4 resulted in the team arriving later than planned.

Then as the team started their warm up, influential second row Callum Bradbury pulled up and out of the team with a back spasm. It was not an easy build-up to the game but with Newcastle Emlyn generously agreeing to a 20-minute delay to the kick-off in order to allow Brecon to prepare for the match on a good surface and in dry calm conditions, there could be no excuses for the way that Brecon surrendered the match to their opponents.

Without any disrespect towards their opponents, who showed great character to come from behind and to dominate a large chunk of the second half, this was a poor Brecon performance.

There could have been little indication of what was to come during a first half in which Brecon dominated territory and led by 14 points to 3 at half-time. The only disappointment, from a Brecon perspective, was that they had not taken their chances to take a greater lead into the break. Two straightforward penalties were missed and twice penalty kicks to touch failed to cross the touch line and possession was given away. Then on three occasions Brecon allowed Newcastle Emlyn to relieve pressure when Brecon kicked in attack, rather than retaining possession in hand, only to see the ball run into the dead ball area for a simple minor and drop out on the try line. These factors, combined with the lack of clinical finishing and the determination and character of a stretched Newcastle defence, ensured that, at the break, the home side were still in the match.

Emlyn had taken the lead with a well-struck early penalty but Brecon hit back almost immediately. Tom Offa won good line-out possession on the home 10-metre line. Centre Tomos Davies crashed over the gain line. Hooker, Aneurin James, carried almost to the 22 and delivered quick ball at the breakdown. With left wing Huw Jones popping up on the right, space was created for full back Sam Jones. He exchanged passes with the wing and ran in for a try which Jake Newman converted.

Time and again, Brecon put themselves in great positions to enable them to extend their lead but it took a third attempt at a driving maul before they finally finished off a move when prop, Lewis Smout, drove over off the back of the maul. Again, Newman converted and Brecon went into the half time talk with an 11-point advantage.

In spite of that lead the half-time talk, led by backs coach Gavin Dacey, accurately summed up the frustrations felt during what had been a dominant half that was not reflected on the scoreboard. In his summary he clearly laid out what he expected of his players: “Too often we are taking the ball standing still and not moving onto it at pace. We need to shorten our passes and be tighter on the first receiver and get off the line at pace. Our pattern should be: square, low and with pace. Heads up and nothing stupid that will allow frustration to creep into our play and allow them to lift their game.”

His summary was accurate and had the directions been taken on board and implemented, Brecon could have embarked on the long journey home with a win under their belts. However, that wasn’t to be.

From the kick-off Newcastle Emlyn had their first period of real pressure. Worryingly, for Brecon, the defence, which has been good throughout the season, suddenly looked suspect as a few tackles were missed and Emlyn made ground. After just two minutes of play their scrum-half made a short dart off a ruck, popped the ball back inside to his number 8 who broke through some weak defence to score under the posts for a try which was converted.

The score bolstered the belief of the home team and Brecon lost any of the control they had in the first half. They kicked away possession in attack and gave away penalties and territory. When their scrum disintegrated seven minutes into the half, the lead was reduced to a single point with a well struck Emlyn penalty.

Any fluency Brecon had was now totally lost. 12 minutes into the half, Newcastle took the lead with a very well worked try. Off a scrum near the touch line just inside the Brecon half they went wide. The blind side wing popped up in midfield and cut through a yawning gap before feeding his full back who went over, untouched, for a converted try.

Worse was to follow. Newcastle were now playing with belief as Brecon continued to make mistakes and were punished. More missed tackles on half way allowed Emlyn to break deep into Brecon’s 22. There they patiently went through phases until they crossed for their third converted try and a 13-point lead.

With 15 minutes still to go, Brecon still had just enough time and at last they got onto the offensive for the first time in this half. Geraint Clarke, Logan McIntosh, Huw Jones and Sam Jones put in a few telling runs but they came to nothing until with five minutes to go McIntosh put Matthew Williams in a gap. He broke through on the 22 only for a great tackle to dislodge the ball from his grasp with the try line two metres away. That chance went but with the final play Brecon scored. Logan McIntosh broke on the 22 and popped the ball out of the tackle to Ioan Edwards who ran in to score with Newman converting and claiming a losing bonus point which hardly disguised the disappointment of Brecon, supports, players, and coaches.