Abercrave 0 Trebanos 34
Saturday 29th October 2011
SWALEC League Division 4 South West
'Banos bag bonus point as 'Hatman' grabs hat-trick
(match report by Roy Bowen)
On a dismal, wet and downright miserable afternoon, Trebanos travelled north to play Abercrave at the Plas y Ddol ground in the county of Powys. On a day like this Saturday, it makes you wonder why the 'Diva' Adelena Patti (Baroness Cederstrom) ever picked Graig–y-Nos to build a home. Apparently, her second marriage was to a French tenor called Ernest Nicholini who she married at Swansea in 1886 and was blessed by Rev Ganley at St Cynog's Church, Ystradgynlais. Her husband loved to hunt and fish for trout along the Tawe; so she spent £100,000 in the following years building the north & south towers at her Graig-y-Nos home. In fact she loved her home so much her car which went with her throughout the world was named
Graig-y-Nos.
Abercrave got the game started through outside half Williams and the ball was won by Luke Davies, up it went from Kristian Jones, but Abercrave sent it back with interest from the boot of Williams. Eventually Trebanos worked their way on to the Abercrave 22 metre line but were penalised for not releasing the ball in a tackle and Williams sent Trebanos back into their own half with a kick to touch on the Banos ten metre line. The game was not conducive to running rugby and handling mistakes by both sides made it a stop start affair. The first scoring opportunity came to Abercrave after 8 minutes, the visitors being penalised for not releasing the player in a tackle and, from 40 metres, out Williams pulled his penalty attempt wide of the uprights.
After 11 minutes Trebanos won a scrum 20 metres from the home line, Jones sent it out to Ross Jones to Gareth Hopkin who produced another 'barnstorming' run down the middle of the field only to be tackled a metre short of the line; recycled, the ball went to prop Chris Balfe who drove on only to be tackled on the try line under the posts; however, Abercrave retrieved the day through a pick up and drive by No8 Wright and a scrum went to Abercrave 15 metres out. Trebanos drove the scrum around and got a put in; Luke Davies picked up from the base of the scrum and drove on supported by Amer Hussain; the home team came in from the side and Trebanos's Matthew Edwards from 20 metres out in front of the posts booted it over with his eyes shut. Then came a series of attacking scrums from Trebanos with runs from centres Hopkin and Thomas; but the Abercrave defence was resolute especially when Trebanos Captain Thomas put in a deft grubber kick over the home try line; but the ever alert Abercrave scrum half Battebough, covering, picked up and kicked to touch in one action hence saving a certain try.
There were signs that Trebanos were getting to grips with the torrid conditions as their handling improved and less mistakes occurred. It was Kristian Jones who booted Trebanos down to the Abercrave 20 metre line; following up he tackled the winger into touch. From the line out Declan Bale won ball and the forwards drove it on to the front of the posts, out it went; first Chris Balfe; Rod Williams and Kristian Jones; they were all tackled a metre short of the line; eventually the visitors won a scum on the 5 metre line. Then four scrum’s to Trebanos occurred; the first two Abercrave took down; on the third scrum half Battenbough kicked the ball out of the scrum and referee Brace who had already been lenient in his treatment of the home side had no alternative but to send their talisman to the sin bin for ten minutes. At the fourth attempt James Davies picked up and the Trebanos forwards drove it on; Kristian 'Hatman' Jones seized the ball from his forwards and dived over for a try at the side of the posts. Winger Edwards added the extra two points making the score 10-0 to the visitors.
With only 4 minutes of the first half left we saw runs from Chris Balfe, Lee Danton, Cerith Edwards and Matthew Edwards; however; the next score came in the 39 minute; Trebanos were awarded a free kick from a scrum 40 metres from the Abercrave line; Kristian Jones took a short one to prop Chris Balfe; giving a dummy he went charging down field beating men, he went to ground recycled the ball and that man Jones sent out a lovely pass to Ross Jones; along the line it went Hopkins; Thomas; Cerith Edwards on to winger Matthew Edwards; the speedster beat his marker on the outside and run under the posts to score. He then added the conversion to his tally.
Half time: Abercrave 0 Trebanos 17
After two minutes of the second half Trebanos won a scrum ten yards from the Abercrave line and with No 8 Luke Davies in charge at the set piece:the Trebanos forwards cleverly turned the scrum away from the home side’s back row; scrum half Jones picked up and darted down the narrow side diving over the try line in between the defending full back and winger for a good try. Matthew Edwards narrowly failed with the conversion. Back came Abercrave at Trebanos with a forward drive; the big lock leading the way; Rod Williams tackled him; the ball went loose and Dai Davies was on it in a flash recycling it to Kris Jones; he booted it 50 metres down the tram lines; speedster Edwards beat everybody to the ball and kicked on just short of the Abercrave line; again a little kick on by Edwards; but; the ball went away from him and a despairing dive by the covering Abercrave centre Price saved the day, the ball was played to Williams and he put in a lovely clearing kick into touch on the half way. Ross Jones with the wind and the rain at his back kept Trebanos going forward with deft kicks into the corners and generally keeping the forwards happy; indeed with 12 minutes of the game gone Abercrave had not been out of their own half. On 13 minutes it was Matthew Edwards that placed a neat kick into the Abercrave corner and the full back had no alternative but to tap it into touch 5 metres out giving the throw in to Trebanos. Luke Davies won ball in the middle of the lineout and the forwards drove it on; turning it from the touchline towards the posts; across the field they went rumbling on until Kristian Jones took the ball off the forwards; darted around the narrow side and scored again; diving over for his third try of the game. Edwards narrowly missed the conversion.
Abercrave attacked the Trebanos line through Wright; Thomas and Ashby; but good tackling by Dai Davies, Rod Williams and Lee Danton gave Trebanos a turnover and Kristian Jones playing good sensible rugby booted a 50 metre kick down field, Daniel Docherty on as sub and playing on the left wing chased the kick and tackled the opposing winger and Carney on for Amer Hussain was there; he fly hacked the ball into touch 10 metres from the Abercrave line. From the lineout Trebanos won ball and a deft little grubber kick narrowly went out of play at the dead ball line before Docherty could touch down. From the drop out Kris Jones gathered and sent a pass to Carney; out it went to Speedster Hopkins coming inside from his wing looking for work; he straightened up and made a run down the middle beating three players; he sent a pass back to Rhys Carney and the Trebanos forwards drove on; but; Abercrave were caught offside and up stepped Ross Jones; he kicked it to touch six metres from the home team's try line. Trebanos won ball at the front of the line but good work by the Abercave forwards forced Trebanos into touch. The Abercrave throw in was won by Chris Balfe in the middle of the line; he quickly recycled ball; Kristian Jones sent it out to Ross Jones to Gareth Hopkin; he drew two men and offloaded a back of the hand pass to Rod Thomas who straightened up and scored a well worked try under the posts. Matthew Edwards added the extra two points.
Trebanos played some quality rugby for the remaining minutes; it was good to see Damien Blake back in action at tight head prop and he made some powerful runs, one along the touch line and it needed three defenders to put him into touch. Speedster Hopkins gave us a glimpse of his talents with another 30 metre run down the middle beating four players and offloading good ball in the tackle and yet another quality performance by Luke Davies at No 8. He was replaced by Ceri Davies who gave an excellent display at wing forward in his limited time on the pitch. I'm sure both coaches would be pleased with the players performances in this game. There were no further scores and Mr Brace blew for full time
Full time: Abercrave 0 Trebanos 34
| Trebanos RFC | Abercrave RFC | |
| Cerith Edwards | 15 | T. Price |
| Matthew Edwards | 14 | H. Thomas |
| Rhodri Thomas (Capt.) | 13 | L. Price |
| Gareth Hopkins | 12 | J. Davies |
| Jordan Hopkins | 11 | A. Holland |
| Rhoss Jones | 10 | B. Williams |
| Kristian Jones | 9 | L. Battenbough |
| Dai Davies | 1 | B. Gregory |
| Jonathan Harding | 2 | N. Thomas |
| Chris Balfe | 3 | M. Thomas |
| Declan Bale | 4 | L. Hopkins |
| Lee Danton | 5 | A. Thomas |
| Amer Hussain | 6 | K. Ashby |
| Luke Davies | 8 | A. Wright |
| Rhodri Williams | 7 | J. Leyshon Griffiths |
| Replacements | Replacements | |
| Daniel Docherty for Cerith Edwards (66 mins) | C. Williams | |
| Rhys Carney for Amer Hussain (55 mins) | R. Pyart | |
| Ceri Davies for Luke Davies (76 mins) | R. Hughes | |
| Damien Blake for Jonathan Harding (55 mins) | ||
| Referee: Mr. Richard Brace, Maesteg. |
Today's other SWALEC League Division 4 SW Results:
Cwmavon 52 Briton Ferry 5
Glyncorrwg 10 Neath Athletic 10
Nantyffyllon 21 Pyle 18
Pontardawe 7 Maesteg Celtic 29
Resolven 29 Birchgrove 0