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24 September 2016 / Team News

Emlyn crushed by Beddau

BEDDAU 69 NEWCASTLE EMLYN 3

Last year, on their first ever trip to Beddau, Emlyn were given a harsh lesson in the physicality needed to play Championship rugby. They learnt that lesson quickly and managed to beat Beddau in the return fixture at the end of the season in one of the best performances of the season. Emlyn returned there on Saturday and put in one of the worst performances by an Emlyn side for a very long time. Granted the red and whites were minus fourteen players whether through injury, or work commitments, including six potential back row players, but their commitment to defend on occasions left a great deal to be desired as the home side ran in a total of ten tries.

Emlyn’s success over the last few seasons has been based on their speedy backs and a tremendous team spirit which has led to them winning games they should have lost. There were many in the red and whites camp who thought at the start of the season that the coaches would be able to build on last year’s play and develop a side capable of competing at the top of the Championship. Unless there is a rapid improvement Emlyn will find themselves battling to avoid relegation.

Every team has games where nothing seems to be going right and this was definitely the case on Saturday. When an Emlyn player managed to make a break it was inevitable that the next pass would be knocked on, or in some cases passed into touch. Emlyn’s problems began at the contact area where the home side dominated proceedings due more than anything to the propensity of a number of Emlyn forwards not committing themselves to helping to win the ball, preferring to stand off and hope to get a run. Flanker Bedwyr Davies, one of Emlyn’s few stars, worked incredibly hard in the loose but found himself all too often fighting a lone battle. Too often an Emlyn forward was seen with the ball in his hands in the centre position, and instead of committing tacklers just passed the ball out for the wings to be tackled.

Beddau were quick, decisive and totally unselfish in their play. Some of their tries were absolute classics and a lesson to Emlyn in drawing the defender and passing to someone free outside them and then running hard in support. Their pack worked hard to supply their backs with a steady stream of quality ball which they made the most of.

The first half hour brought no hint of the carnage to come as Emlyn started positively and nearly opened the scoring when Dan Davies just pushed a penalty wide of the posts. Beddau quickly worked their way into the Emlyn half and outside half Hywel Chatham opened their account with a well struck penalty and increased their lead a few minutes later with another kick.

Their first try soon followed and possibly, as a sign of things to come, it came as a result of an Emlyn dropped pass in attack. Beddau counter attacked and powerful winger, Cody Baker, crossed for a try which Chatham converted. Emlyn came back at the home side and Dan Davies kicked a penalty goal for Emlyn. They then had their best period of the game and managed to put together a series of attacks but found the home defence difficult to penetrate.

Outside half Nico Setaro was on the receiving end of a crunching tackle metres from the line, as he had to reach above his head to catch an off load which, if he had been able to hold on to it, might have led to a try. The Emlyn turned the ball over on the Beddau ten metre line and flanker Gethin Davies picked up the ball and kicked it down field instead of passing. Unfortunately for Davies he was not playing at Dol WIber and the in goal area in Beddau is only five metres wide and his kick thundered into the fence behind the dead ball line.

On the stroke of half time, slightly against the run of play, Beddau scrum half Carl Lewis increased his side’s lead with a try from a ruck wide out which Chatham converted.

There is very little from an Emlyn perspective that one can say of the second half as Beddau, when they wanted to, ran riot and ran in a total of seven more tries, all of them converted by outside half Hywel Chatham, who walked off the field with a personal total of twenty nine points including a try and two penalties. Further tries for the home side came from full back Callum Wheeler, a second for winger Baker, two for fellow winger Joe Casella, second row James Cashin, and replacement Owen Cotton.

One positive for the red and whites was the return to action of club captain Alex Williams who came on for the last ten minutes, and his leadership skills will be needed as Emlyn look to re-gather and prepare for the visit of Newbridge next week.    

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