Trebanos 14 Glais 12
Saturday 1st September 2007
This first league game of the season, proved to be a game of two halves with the experienced and rugged pack of the visitors in control of the ball and most of the territory for much of the first forty minutes. Trebanos were however leading three nil thanks to a penalty goal kicked by Rhodri Thomas, when the visitors made the most of their forward’s domination and scored about fifteen metres from the touchline.
The visitors then made the most of pressurising the home team, who were trying to run scrappy ball from close to their tryline and subsequently lost the ball. The Glais forwards exerting ever more pressure, the referee Mr Martin Edwards, awarding a penalty try as a result of the home team illegally killing the ball. Trebanos were somewhat relieved to hear the halftime whistle and went into the break 3 points to 12 behind.
Coach Chris Loader had obviously chosen the words for his half time talk carefully, because after the break, the home team and in particular the young Trebanos forwards, with ex youth forwards, Luke Davies and Nathan Bartlett following the examples of experienced Simon Knight and Rhodri Jones, rattling the visitors. The home side played a higher tempo game in the second half and continually asked questions of an increasingly shaky Glais defence.
Rhodri Thomas reduced the deficit with another well struck penalty and then the home supporters were rewarded with a dazzling run from left wing Lee Pickman, who benefited from swift passing, received the ball on the Glais 22m line. He then turned his opposite number inside and then out before rounding the full back and touching down wide out. Rhodri Thomas was just wide with the conversion attempt.
This score inspired the home side who continued to play a high tempo game and were rewarded when Rhodri Thomas kicked his side into the lead with his third penalty. It was now Trebanos’s turn to withstand the pressure as Glais sensed that they had to score quickly to get the result that their supporters thought they deserved.
On the stroke of full time Mr Edwards penalised flanker Mal Whiteman for breaking from the scrum too early, much to the disbelief and bewilderment of the home support on that side of the pitch. They clearly thought that the ball had 
shot out between the Glais No 8 and blindside flanker’s feet and that their alert flanker had been harshly penalised for doing what every good flanker should do. Despite their incredulity at the penalty award the home supporters gave the Glais kicker due respect as he prepared to slot over the kick, which would win the game for his side. Justice was seen to be done by the ‘banos faithful as the penalty sailed wide of the posts, the ball going dead and Mr Edwards final whistle.
Team
C Edwards, L PicKman, A Hussein (Capt), R Thomas, A Penhale, K Windsor,
O George, N Bartlett, J Davies, S Knight, L Jones, L Davies, M Evans, R Jones, M Whiteman. Sub used J Harding for J Davies.
Referee Mr Martin Edwards WRU (Blaenau Gwent)