News

AMMANFORD 16  NEWCASTLE EMLYN 24

Out of all the victories achieved by Emlyn during this season away from Dol Wiber this perhaps was the most significant. Minus a number of regular players Gethin Greves, Brynmor Jones, Jac Parry and Teifion Davies through injury, Gareth Patterson, Daniel Davies and Luke Kendall through work commitments and in the case of Shaun Leonard his Premiership debut for Llanelli, it was a much changed Emlyn side that travelled to Ammanford. The home side smarting from the heavy defeat inflicted upon them in the previous encounter had made the most of Llandovery’s inactivity in the Premiership and fielded four permit players in their quest for revenge.

It was no surprise therefore to find the home side who started the game at 100mph, running the ball from deep and making the most of the powerful direct running of powerful Llandovery centre Mike Evans. The Emlyn defence was not as watertight as it normally is and the home side carried the ball well in the loose continually breaking through the first line of defence. Ammanford opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour when after a series of rucks on the Emlyn line winger Gary Stephens joined his forwards and sneaked over for an unconverted try.

Emlyn then began to settle down and managed to go through a series of rucks leading to the home side being penalised at a ruck for Dan Davies, playing at full back, to open Emlyn’s account. The game was being played at a frantic pace with both sides prepared to run the ball from any part of the field. At this stage it looked as if the home side would run out as eventual winners as their direct style was still creating problems for the Emlyn defence. However the red and whites, through at time some pretty last gasp tackling managed to keep Ammanford at bay.

On the half hour the visitors just managed to get into the home half and were awarded another penalty for Davies to convert and surprisingly give the visitors the lead. This proved to be the inspiration the red and whites needed and they began to play with far greater fluency and penetration, and it was the turn of the home side to defend desperately.

A sweeping attack by Emlyn as half time approached saw scrum half Mike Jones make a break from inside his own half, the move was carried on by prop Emrys Davies and then centre Alun Howells. When the centre was brought down inches from the line the ever alert Owain Powell was on hand to pick up the loose ball and cross for Emlyn’s opening try. Unfortunately for the visitors full back Dan Davies found the breeze blowing directly across the field difficult to cope with and missed the conversion.

The start of the second half saw Emlyn extend their lead in a quite unexpected fashion. From a lineout on the home sides twenty two metre line second row Arwel Davies, who had another excellent game, took a two handed catch. The ball was then slipped to prop Gethin Davies who charged through the middle of the lineout galloped some twenty metres, and with three men on his back crossed for Emlyn’s second unconverted try.

Ammanford were not deterred and continued to run the ball back at the red and whites and gradually worked their way downfield. From a ruck just inside the Emlyn twenty two livewire scrum half Aled Parry took advantage of some poor Emlyn defence and broke around the side of a ruck and ran some twenty metres to score an unconverted try without a hand being laid on him.

The game really opened up now with both sides taking advantage of the excellent surface and winter sunshine. Emlyn were forced to make a couple of changes when flanker Powell had to leave the field with a hamstring injury and acting captain Alex Williams damaged his wrist. The loss of these two outstanding players seemed to spur on the red and whites and replacement hooker/flanker Bedwyr Davies and prop Dai Jones had telling influences on the final outcome.

Emlyn should have extended their lead when another sweeping move instigated by a powerful run by Bedwyr Davies saw the ball moved out to the left only for the normally reliable Alun Howells to inexplicably drop the ball with a two man overlap outside him.

Two well struck long range penalties by Ammanford outside half Rhydian Morris brought the scores level. But from both restarts Bedwyr Davies took advantage of Rhidian Harries pin point kick to win the ball back for Emlyn and drive deep into the home sides twenty two. With the sustained pressure on them Ammanford eventually transgressed and Davies kicked another penalty to put the red and whites in the lead once again.

The final ten minutes was all Emlyn with second row Arwel Davies dominating the lineouts, and the revamped front row of Dai Jones, Bedwyr Davies and Gethin Davies scrummaging effectively this allowed Bleddyn Davies, Dyfed Morgan and Gareth Thomson to run hard at the home defence. Thomson in fact had an excellent game as number eight and then on the flank and last year’s Youth captain is developing into an excellent back row forward.

A desperate kick out of defence by Ammanford saw winger Llyr Jones keep the ball in play, pass infield to Dan Davies who immediately looked to counter attack. He linked with left winger Owen Francis who went on a mazy fifty metre run, when he was brought down in the twenty two, the ball was moved wide. A loose pass was picked up by second row Arwel Davies who showed all his sevens skill and pace by beating three defenders only to be brought down just short of the line. From the resultant ruck the ball was moved to the short side and Dan Davies scored the try in the corner to give Emlyn a vital eight point lead with only a couple of minutes left.

This was the final score in what was an excellent win for the red and whites who now have a week off after what has been a very hard few weeks for this young side. The next game will be on the 21^st February when Amman United will be the visitors to Dol Wiber.