Rugby round-up

2:05pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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BLACKWOOD ended their excellent season with an entertaining 33-17 win over visitors Llanharan.

The Dairy Men had a lot of early possession, but their handling let them down. Blackwood found it hard to get into the game in the first quarter, but all the visitors had to show was a Gethin Worgan penalty.

Paul Emmanuelli responded in kind, but the home side's flow was being stifled by a string of penalty decisions.

Luke Knight was yellow carded and Llan pressed, but a spiralling kick by second row Gareth Short eased the pressure.

Even though Llanharan had the better of the first half, their frustration was growing and Lloyd Thomas got sin bined for handling in the ruck.

Emmanuelli kicked the penalty.

It got worse for them, as a movement created by Lewis Hamer and Stuart Vokes finished in a try for Mark Gwilt, Emmanuelli converted to give a half-time score of 13-3.

Emmanuelli completed his hat trick of penalties before Justin Jones narrowed the gap with a try under the posts, Worgan converted.

Blackwood's pack was well on top, with Gwilt winning a string of line out ball and when Llan's scrum disintegrated, Emmanuelli kicked yet another penalty.

Knight was, as ever, strong in the tackle and he held the ball well to work Owen Williams, in his last game before transferring to Pontypridd, clear to score. Once again Emmanuelli converted.

The game was sewn up when skipper Gavin Rees caught his own chip ahead for an excellent try, Emmanuelli completed a flawless kicking display with his third conversion.

Stuart Vokes was yellow carded for handling in the ruck and James Harris made the most of the extra man to score a consolation try. Ross Pearce converted.

Blackwood are happy with third place in the table after last season's relegation battle.

TRINANT travelled the short distance to local rivals CRUMLIN in a game that held no significance except the pride of wearing the club jersey.

Crumlin were already promoted and Trinant unable to accomplish the same feat.

Trinant with a young side and without five first team players started the game well with a fairly strong wind at their backs.

Trinant were just shading the opening exchanges with some encouraging breaks by young 20-year-old wing Chris Meyrick and centres Lee Pidgeon and Ryan Jones.

Trinant also took a couple of scrums against the head and were asserting themselves in the contact and breakdown areas.

However Crumlin were showing dominance in the lineout with some well drilled catch and drives.

With about 15 minutes gone an infringement at the ruck by Crumlin resulted in a penalty which outside-half, Jamie Lyons converted. Following the restart Crumlin were awarded a penalty on half way which they plugged deep into the Troggs' half. Crumlin in only their first visit into the Trinant 22 took advantage of their only weapon, the lineout to drive over the Trinant line and open their account.

Trinant then continued as they started taking the game to Crumlin at every opportunity with Lyons adding a further three penalties from distance and Crumlin adding one of their own to make the score 12-8 in Trinant's favour.

With half-time fast approaching, a loose pass from Crumlin went straight into the hands of young 19-year-old wing, Ryan Price.

Despite carrying an injury from the previous week, Price showed good pace to out sprint his opposing number to score out wide. Lyons added the conversion to make it 19-8.

In the last play of the half, Lyons, who was in form with the boot, dislocated his finger and needed urgent attention during the interval from physio Paul Connett in an attempt to put the joint back into place. This gave the coaches some cause for concern with Lyons clearly in some discomfort.

Despite the injury, Lyons started the second half.

Pressure from Pidgeon in defence saw Crumlin spill the ball.

He then scooped up the loose ball before making major in roads and offloading to fellow centre Jones who was in the clear.

He was able to out race the scattered Crumlin defence to score under the posts with Lyons completing the extras to give Trinant a 26-8 lead.

This try was shortly followed by another from flanker Lee Jones which was arguably one of the best tries of the season.

The try, which started deep in the Trinant half, was moved through nearly every player in the team who showed exceptional awareness and skill in taking the right options and passing the ball out of the tackle.

The ball was eventually fed inside to Jones by full-back, David Morgan who raced the final 20 metres unopposed to score again under the posts. Lyons again converted.

The game then became a little scrappy with a couple of skirmishes breaking out that resulted in three yellow cards - two for Trinant players, Chris Finch who had been excellent in taking the restarts and captain Craig Maddock.

Trinant then also lost the reliable boot of Lyons, replaced by Jason Lovell.

With a further injury to young wing, Meyrick and with Trinant not having a recognised hooker on the field, another youth product Gareth Jones took to the field.

He put in some big hits at the ruck and tackle areas.

However Crumlin with the extra man advantage began putting some pressure on the weakened Trinant pack again utilising their effective driving lineout.

With about 15 minutes left, the Trinant defence was sucked in to prevent the driving maul and Crumlin moved the ball right for their winger to run in unopposed to score their second try of the match and take the score to 31-13.

TREDEGAR completed their league programme with a convincing 35-8 away victory at Rhydefelin, scoring another four tries to claim a winning bonus point to finish fourth overall in Division Two East.

Having comprehensively beaten Rhydefelin at home, Tredegar struggled in the first half to gain any superiority and with handling errors and wrong options again the norm, allowed Rhydefelin to go ahead by three points.

With nothing much separating both sides, a Matt Taylor sniping try converted by Greg Jones was soon cancelled out when the home open side crashed over with the village team leading 8-7 at the interval.

Tredegar missed Stuart Jarman's control at the base of the scrum and the midfield thrusts of veteran centre Dai Davies, both sidelined for this game.

Gareth Kearney on the wing gave the visitors the breathing space they needed finishing off one of the best movements in the game.

Greg Jones conversion and his three penalties showed what an asset he is to the team effort and provided the cushion needed, and with home heads down, Jamie Noble capped a man of the match performance to score Tredegar's third try.

James Atwill never took a backward step and Ian Marsh's barnstorming runs look to have solved Tredegar's centre selection problem.

Matthew Taylor's second try was the icing on the cake and Greg Jones' final conversion saw Tredegar run out comfortable winners.

With the season now finished, Tredegar can take great satisfaction to have finished so high up in the league.

RISCA finished a great second half of the season with a walk in the park at ABERTILLERY.

The 19-13 win by Risca looked close but not a bit of it.

Risca had two tries disallowed in the first half and one try disallowed after the break. The gap was so wide that it could have and could have been 30 or 40 points.

From the off it was all Risca.

Some great play up front wore the Abertillery pack down but after 35 minutes Tyron Morris, Richard Evans and Rob Talbot drove through and John Hodges got the ball away to Martin Williams, who crashed in under the posts.

Jason Evans added the extras. Just on half-time Risca struck with Andrew Fraser chasing a long kick by Mathew Johnson, closed down Darren Miles and charged his clearance kick down. Miles recovered the ball but Fraser charged his kick down again.

Quickly followed up by captain Steve Barnes who ran in for a great try.

Once again, Evans converted.

Abertillery worked hard to get back into the game and five minutes into the second half they got a try from a five metre lineout via a rolling maul.

But Risca still got most of the game and played some cracking rugby to score wide out with Chad Bushell getting over but but the referee adjudged a forward pass.

The build-up to Risca's next try was started by Owain Cooper when he picked up a loose pass in the outside half position, dummied and a great run of about 40 metres took Risca into Abertillery's 22 where their pack obtained quick ball to Hodges who again fed Williams who stretched over for his second try.

With 42 tries scored since January and ten wins, Risca are looking to keep most of their players for next season.

They travel to Newcastle on tour this weekend.

The players' presentation dinner takes place on Friday, May 16. Rick O'Shea is the guest speaker.