Fixture

Nant Conwy RFC | 1st Team 10 - 16 Pwllheli RFC | 1st Team
Delwyn Jones
Conversion 1
Penalty 1
Trystan Ap Hywel
Try 1
Elgan Davies
1 Try
Osian Jones
2 Penalty
Robin Jones
1 Try

Match Report
12 March 2015 / Team News

Nant Conwy RFC 10 Pwllheli RFC 16

This long awaited clash lived up to its billing. The two premier North Wales Division one sides had met earlier in the season with the Lleyn team edging a close encounter. All the betting favoured the formidable Nant XV while Pwllheli had gradually but inexorably cut the deficit between the teams. The large crowd included a substantial Pwllheli contingent who matched the home support both in numbers and voice. 

Playing against a strong wind in the first period Pwllheli gambled that Nant would still opt for the running game. Pwllheli kept the ball tight. In the first scrum of the match Pwllheli got the nudge and this facet of the game gave Pwllheli an advantage throughout the game.With both teams fully committed structure and discipline were key. After six minutes Pwllheli went through a dozen phases as they drove towards the Nant line.It was ex Nant Captian Elgan Davies who crashed over for the first score of the match. The conversion missed in the swirling wind. Pwllheli's defence held the upper hand and their cohesive and organised commitment rebuffed any Nant forays. With Pwllheli's tight five more than holding their own it allowed their excellent back row both to break up Nant attacks and instigate their own. Nant reduced their arrears with a thirty fourth minute penalty by scrum half Delwyn Jones .Half time came with Pwllheli holding a slender five to three lead.

Now with the wind at their backs Pwllheli used the wind effectively. After four minutes an Osian P.Jones penalty increased their lead and he added another after nine minutes.Back rower Harri Parri came off injured on ten minutes to be replaced by Robat Williams. Pwllheli were in control of the game but they were always aware of the threat Nant posed. The defining moment of the game was on twenty six minutes. Winning a strike against the head on the half way line Pwllheli switched the ball left to wing Robin Hughes Jones. His pace and strength took him over for a top drawer try which gave his side a sixteen to three lead. Another back row change on twenty eight minutes saw Chris Studt come on for Dafydd Anwyl. An enforced change on thirty one minutes saw scrum half Butterworth forced off with an injury. The last of Pwllheli's replacements saw Danial Glyn take his place. Nant sensed an opportunity but the visitors defence held. However on thirty seven minutes full back Deio Brunelli also had to leave the pitch  with a nasty injury. Nant broke through right on full time when centre Carwyn ap Myrddin was the beneficiary of a big overlap to score under the posts. Though Delwyn Jones added the two points it was too little too late as Pwllheli took the game.

This was an important result for Pwllheli. Not only was it our second consecutive away win against one of the best Club's in North Wales but it was the manner of the win that impressed. Pwllheli were missing key players for the match and with the squad being relatively small this resulted in the team travelling with only three substitutes. The coach could have insisted on denuding Pwllheli Seconds even further but that is not the Pwllheli way. As it was Pwllheli were the better side for the bulk of the match and being able to say that demonstrates the progress being made at the Club. The fact that Nant were only able to score a try in the last minutes when Pwllheli were down to thirteen men as they lost full back Brunelli and scrum half Butterworth through injuries with ten minutes to go and with no subs left on the bench. Pwllheli will certainly rue the bonus point Nant earned at the death but nothing will detract from the satisfaction of beating a very fine side and - for now at least - taking over at the top of League Division One North.

For once the two week enforced Six Nations break is a Godsend as the Club works to get their players fit for yet another tough away match against Mold on March 28.

The young and inexperienced Pwllheli seconds side lost away to Nant by forty points to seven  but it is to the great credit of manager Euron Jones that they were able to fulfil their fixture.They too will be far stronger in the Seconds Cup match being played at Pwllheli on Friday 20 March. This game has a 7.30 kick off.

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