Fixture

Kidwelly RFC | 1st Team 7 - 41 Aberystwyth RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
15 April 2019 / Team News

Top Half of the Table

Kidwelly 7 v  41 Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth were forced to make several changes in their line-up for last Saturday’s game against Kidwelly. With two of their backs playing for Llandovery and a number of other players injured or on holiday, it took some time for the new-look team to gel sufficiently for the team to play their usual free-flowing brand of rugby.

Kidwelly are lying one place from the bottom of Division 1 West and fielded a young team whose pack was short on height and weight. Yet they were well-drilled and competed fiercely, especially in the first half of the game.

The hosts kicked off and Aber immediately went on the attack, working their way downfield with Daniel Havard and Tom Evans making powerful surges towards the Kidwelly try line. Arwel Lloyd scored the first of Aber’s tries as he forced his way over the line taking a few opposition players with him. The difficult conversion rebounded off the post but at 0 – 5, Aber were off the mark.

Llyr Thomas added a penalty a few minutes later and the visitors looked comfortable at 0 – 8 ahead. However, they also became more careless as handling errors crept into their game, forced in part, by Kidwelly’s stout defence. It was from a careless Aber pass that the host’s centre Stephen Hewitt made an interception in their own half and raced away downfield. He was well supported by scrum half Robin Davies who scored under the posts. Hewitt added a simple conversion to close the gap to 7 – 8 after twenty minutes.

During this opening period Kidwelly had shown that their lowly league position belies their ability and competitiveness. Their scrum was tight and low and denied the Aber eight any easy ball. In the lineouts too they were astute enough to secure their own ball and compete on Aber’s throw in. Behind the scrum their passing was fluent and accurate and their defence was sound. With their oldest player just 24 years of age, they more than made up for their lack of experience with efficient teamwork.    

But it was Aber who looked the more threatening in the first half and won over 60% possession. Despite careless handling the visitors created a number of good scoring opportunities. It was outside centre Dylan Evans who seized the first of these as he supported and finished a break down the right wing to score Aber’s second try. Thomas converted to take the score to 7 – 15 at half-time.

The second half started with Aber again giving away too many penalties and making handling errors; but as they were winning most of the possession, more scoring chances were bound to come their way. From an excellent turnover and break by Aber replacement Carwyn Thomas, 40 metres from the hosts’ line, the ball was fed out to Dylan Evans to score his second try. Thomas added the conversion to increase Aber’s lead to 7 – 22.

With their tails up Aber went back on the attack and from a ruck near the half way line the ball was fed to Carwyn Thomas on the burst. It then passed through several pairs of hands before Ifan Thomas crossed in the corner for the visitors’ bonus point try and moved the score to 7 - 27. Aber then brought on more of their substitutes.

Kidwelly kept up their attacking intent but were tiring in the scrummages as Aber’s strength and weight superiority began to tell. A dropped pass by Kidwelly near the half way line was seized on by ever-alert Dan Binks who hacked through for Dylan Evans to race on to score under the posts completing an impressive hat-trick of tries and a very good all-round performance. Thomas added the conversion and Aber were 7 – 34 ahead. They rounded off their scoring when they won a scrum 20 metres from the hosts’ line. The ball was fed out to winger Jack Rees who raced over in the corner. The try was superbly converted from the touchline by Llyr Thomas and Aber had won by 7 – 41 and gained maximum bonus points.

This win takes Aber up to 56 points and into the top half of Division 1 West for the first time this season, at sixth place. The middle of this table will be closely fought right to the end and Aber’s aim should now be to stay up in that half. They have two difficult games remaining – against fifth placed Dunvant at home on 20rd April, and against fourth placed Gorseinon away  on 27th April . For both games Aber will need to be at their strongest and good attendance by supporters would be much appreciated.

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