WRU DIVISION 3 EAST CENTRAL A

Gwernyfed 24

Abercwmboi 37

THIS match should have been played in March but the Beast from the East intervened and a thick blanket of snow caused the postponement. With the cricket season in full swing and under a blazing sun it would have been forgivable had both sides settled for playing out time.

Instead they served up a feast of running rugby for a good-sized crowd.

Abercwmboi had already secured the championship and Gwernyfed’s mid-table position was set in aspic but from the kick-off attack was the watchword. Supported by a healthy travelling contingent, the visitors took the lead with a converted try and then in potting a penalty looked to run away with the game.

Gerwyn Williams reduced the arrears with a penalty of his own but from the kick-off the excellent Cynon Valley scrum half scampered through some half-hearted defending to release his supporting centre to touch down and then convert his own try. Gwernyfed struck back immediately, Aaron Nicholls getting the touch down after Sam Stephens took good line-out ball. Once again Williams converted, narrowing the deficit to seven points by half-time.

Immediately into the second period the travellers added a third try, once again converted, and then took a three-pointer to secure their position. At this juncture Gwernyfed tore back at the opposition, taking them by surprise to score two tries, first by scrum half Cooke, sniping as all good number 9s do, then by flanker Andrew ‘Chuck’ Norris who touched down after another line-out move. Williams turned both into seven-pointers from wide out and it was game on.

Once again, the Abercwmboi scrum half showed his class with a scything run with only minutes left, brought down just short he was supported by his no 8 who tanked over, allowing a simple conversion to close out the scoring and the result.

An entertaining game at the end of a season punctuated for Gwernyfed by poor weather and the growing curse of the passive scrum. Nevertheless, skipper Andy Hill and coach Chay Billen professed themselves to be pleased with progress, a number of younger players coming into the squad and showing promise.

With a new batch of Youth XV players making the step up to senior rugby next term, preparations for 2018-19 are already underway at The Old Malthouse.