Fixture

Tuesday, May, 8^th, 2018

Maesteg Quins 38 – 10 Resolfen

Division One West Central

With matches coming thick and fast, Quins changed the entire team for the second of four matches in eight days. Although some are no strangers to 1^st XV rugby, eight of Saturday’s second XV Barry Morris Plate winners started this match against Resolfen making their inaugural visit to South Parade.

Resolfen possess an experienced pack and it proved a stern first forty minutes for the coal black and blood reds. It was a full-blooded start. Some cracking Quins movements were thwarted by strong competition at the breakdown. Visiting flanker Lee, second-row Owens and hooker Davies fervently fought to regain possession. Along with skipper Adams they never shied away from a carry or five.

When the ball was suitably presented, Quins’ half-backs Ben Davies and skipper for the day Siôn King combined wonderfully well. Their passing crisp and accurate, the midfield backs benefited. Passing was the order of the day, but play needed to be varied. The gain line needed to be breached and phases built.

Midway through the half a strong visiting scrum put the Quins under pressure close to the home line. It got messy and the referee went under the posts.

Responding well, the Quins stuck to their adventurous guns. Finally some elaborate play left Resolfen bereft of defenders and Rhydian Jenkins showed a clean pair of heels at a forte allegro pace to dab down at the posts. King converted.

Steals, counter rucks and turnovers were commonplace. In the final act of the half, a needless offside handed a simple penalty opportunity to the Neath valley club and out-half Evans put his team back in front.

Quins quickly got into their stride in the second half. The result was an unanswered thirty-one points haul. While still trying to run, the hosts kicked intelligently. King, Davies, George and Ieuan Evans all pinned their guests back with a sound display of line-kicking.

Rhydian Jenkins found himself in possession of the ball and singing from the same hymn sheet as the forwards in front of him, when a driving maul crossed the line and he scored his second. A King con put the hosts in front for the first time in the match, five minutes into the second period.

Ryan George and Geraint Evans marshalled the midfield defence to great effect. George was also carrying with a devastating ferocity that needed several Resolfen defenders to bring him down. His thumping tackles brought the opposition to a dead stop and he was also leading counter-rucks.

Burridge, Shearan, Josh Mines and Aled Evans were embroiled in the thick of the forward action. During a series of breakdown skirmishes, Burridge burrowed over to extend the Quins lead beyond seven.

A powerful Quins scrum drive on half-way pinned the visitors back. Ben Davies was off on a run. Andrew Healy and Lewis Tutt added extra high speed impetus for Rhodri Thomas to be put away.

Although many of the passing movements came to nothing, they were excellent to watch. Quins altered their play to foil Resolfen’s flat, rush defence with a perfectly executed chip from Rhodri Davies. Given just the precise amount of air and weight, the ball bounced perfectly for Ryan George to outpace all comers and touchdown. King converted.

Moving the ball, once more Ben Davies’ speed and eye for a gap blew open Resolfen’s defence. Taking out two defenders with a change of angle and pass that was superb in its simplicity, he put away Rhydian Jenkins who was accompanying the scrum-half on the outside. The duet hit the high notes as Jenkins completed a hat-trick with the last movement of the game.

Bearing in mind try scoring phenomenon Lee Sparrow never completed a hat-trick when playing in the front-row, it’s quite a feat. Can anyone name the other two front-row hat-trick heroes? Then the opponents!