Action Replay (Newport Programme Notes)
Aberavon 24-18 Carmarthen Quins
by Paul Williams
Aberavon’s first home game in the new SRC competition saw the moments of promise visible during the Wizards’ pre-season campaign and at Ebbw Vale a week earlier bring the more tangible reward of a well-deserved victory built on fitness, skill and enterprise.
Even though hit by injuries to seasoned campaigners such as Andrew Waite, Ben Gregory, Luke Davies and skipper Joe Gage, there is clear evidence that the club’s close-season recruitment drive, with the emphasis on young talent, is beginning to bear fruit.
Back row man Rhys Thomas took over the captaincy for this match and led by example superbly throughout. However, the early stages looked ominous for the home side as the visitors applied relentless pressure through their big pack and were eventually rewarded with two tries from hooker Lewis Morgan, with fly-half Osian Jones converting the first.
The response from the home side, however, was both immediate and devastating. From the restart after the second try, Ashton Evans was swiftly up to challenge for possession, and the ball was secured as support arrived a moment later. Scrum-half Liam Seaward swiftly got play moving across from the t-hand touchline, and Scott Delnevo appeared in midfield to put a perfectly weighted kick towards the visitors’ goalposts, with flanker Gwilym Evans following up to regather and touch down for Ed Dunford to convert making the score 7-12.
More of the same was soon to follow. The restart was claimed by Aberavon and Ashton Evans went charging at the heart of the Quins’ defence, scattering bodies all around before setting up the ruck. Quick ball saw Shay Smallman in typical fashion make a few more ‘hard yards’ before Seaward sent the ball out wide, with quick interpassing down the left wing that eventually saw Frankie Jones feed Cori Lewis-Jenkins. The big winger still had some work to do but made light of beating one defender before leaving another for dead as he crossed in the corner. Dunford again converted to make it 14-12.
Osian Jones landed a straightforward penalty to put the Quins ahead by a single point, but as half-time approached Delnevo once again made a telling contribution, fielding a loose clearance kick and showing both strength and pace to defeat several defenders before sending Lewis-Jenkins striding clear for his second try of the afternoon.
A Dunford penalty ten minutes into the second half extended the Wizards’ lead to 24-15, but thereafter it became a case of defensive heroics as the home side seemed to incur the displeasure of the referee. A stream of penalties followed, and the tension increased as the Quins piled on the pressure through their pack, but the home line was kept intact by a remarkable never-say-die display of chasing and tackling by the Wizards, limiting the further scoring to a single penalty before the final whistle ended a siege close to the Aberavon line that was frustrated by a home defence that had showed remarkable determination and an incredible level of fitness to ultimately claim the victory.
