Brecon Rugby Club’s Senior and Youth teams delivered a festive hat-trick of home victories.

The Youth team set the tone with a commanding 33-14 win over Mumbles, securing a quarter-final spot in the WRU Shield. The Athletic team followed suit with a 24-13 victory over Penallta in a hard-fought Division 5 Cup battle, also earning a quarter-final place. Finally, the 1st XV rounded off the day with a dominant 46-14 win over Bonymaen, pushing Brecon up to fourth place in the Premiership, behind Pontypridd, Neath, and Merthyr.

The 1st XV’s performance was particularly significant after their disappointing loss to Narberth. They secured five league points, including a try bonus point, and showed much-improved form. Despite some issues, including pressure on the scrum in the first half and a dip in intensity after building a 34-0 lead, Brecon regained control and added two further tries to finish the match strong.

Brecon’s seven tries were a mix of long-range, multi-phase moves and patient, close-range forward play. The team’s work rate was impressive, with both forwards and backs working together at the breakdown and combining well in open play. The line-out was another positive, with Callum Bradbury, Tom Offa, and Alwyn Lee winning clean ball and stealing opposition throws. Additionally, the strength and depth of the Brecon squad were evident, with key substitutions making a significant impact on the game.

Several individual performances stood out. Tom Richards, returning from injury, played an excellent game, both in attack and defence. He scored a try and created opportunities for others. James Roberts, at number 8, had his best game for Brecon, carrying powerfully, tackling hard, and scoring a try. Other notable performances came from Jack Dixon, Sam Jones, Chad Davies, and Alwyn Lee, who were key in Brecon’s tries. The team’s overall cohesion and intensity were clear throughout the match.

Brecon’s first try came early, after a line-out on the Bonymaen 22. Bradbury won clean ball, and Richards drew the defence with a straight run, allowing Dixon to break through and score. Dixon added the conversion and then a penalty.

The second try came shortly after, following excellent interplay between wings Sam Jones and Chad Davies, Richards, and Bradbury. A penalty allowed Brecon to kick for the corner, and after two more penalties, a maul was set up off the line-out, with James Roberts barging over for the try, converted by Dixon.

The third try came after a quick counter from Bonymaen’s kick-off, with Lee stealing the line-out and quick hands moving the ball wide. Jake Newman passed to Sam Jones, who scored the try.

The bonus-point try came from a well-executed line-out on Bonymaen’s 10-metre line. The ball moved left, with Jones linking up with Newman to set up Davies for the score.

The fifth try came right after the break. Lee gathered the kick-off and carried the ball within five metres of the Bonymaen try line. After a series of powerful drives, Andy Nicholl powered over for a try, which Dixon converted.

Bonymaen capitalsed on a dip in Brecon’s intensity to score two tries from rolling mauls and pick-and-drives, but they couldn’t get back into the game.

Brecon refocused and added another try after excellent tackles from Cameron Cox and Matthew Williams to dislodge the ball. The ball was quickly moved downfield, and after a chip-and-chase, Sam Jones scored his second try.

The final try came after a run from Tomos Davies, with Logan McIntosh feeding Richards for the score, which Dixon converted to complete a satisfying 46-14 win.

This dominant performance from Brecon sets a positive tone as the club heads into the festive season.