By: Paul Hopkins
Swansea survived a late North Walian onslaught to run out 38-31 winners in a thrilling encounter at Parc Eirias.
It was almost a perfect start for the home side when lock James Brown rose high to collect fly half Billy McBryde’s kick off, but he couldn’t gather possession and Swansea were able to clear.
Full back Dion Jones did well to catch a high ball, with number eight Celt Ffransis-Roberts playing the role of protector, but fly half Josh Phillips cleanly caught scrum half Tudur Jones’ box kick, although he was penalised for holding on after the tackle. McBryde kicked the first points of the match.
Brown spilled the restart into touch to gift Swansea an attacking lineout, but the home side were awarded a relieving penalty.
Phillips found touch on the RGC 22 with a penalty and lock Cai Arnold took the lineout, with the pack driving forward five metres, before number eight Jacob Hopkins picked up a loose ball to score the game’s opening try. Phillips converted.
A calamitous error by the home side almost let centre Delwyn Jones in for a soft try, but to the credit of the Whites’ defence, the centre was held up over the line.
The visitors gave away a penalty on half way for an offside offence and McBryde chipped deep into the corner with his touch finder. Ffransis-Roberts collected the lineout and hooker Jac Petch-Jones was driven over from a rolling maul for the home side’s first try. McBryde converted.
Phillips kicked deep with a penalty, and lock Ben Roberts rose high to collect the lineout, before the ball was fed out wide to full back Lewis Edwards, but the supporting winger Iwan Glynn was crowded into touch just short of the line, although the ball went out off an RGC player. It mattered little though as the lineout throw was poor.
Swansea were awarded another penalty, and they were handed another 10 metres after some choice words from an RGC player. Phillips chipped to the corner and Roberts took the lineout, and although the RGC defence stayed firm at first, prop Cameron Jones used his pace to stretch over for a try. Phillips converted.
A poor pass by centre Callum Carson went into touch inside his own 22 to give RGC an attacking platform. Prop Gareth Parry powered forward, but support was slow to arrive, giving the Whites a let off. Showing some fantastic enterprise, Phillips took a quick tap penalty, and the visitors’ backs made it up to the opposing 22, but a mistake brought an end to the move.
Winger Caio Parry danced past a few Swansea tacklers but was brought down on half way, and as the support was too slow, the visitors were handed a penalty, which Phillips chipped into the 22.
Arnold took the lineout, but the home pack superbly defended the maul, forcing the Whites to commit an offside infringement, so McBryde cleared up to half way.
Brown took the lineout, and Edwards failed to deal with McBryde’s awkward grubber kick, and it bounced off his foot into touch on his own 22. Lock Billy McQueeney took the lineout, but his side gave away a penalty at the maul.
Caio Parry was forced to ground the ball dead after the Whites’ backs cut loose, but he dealt with Edwards’ grubber kick that was meant for the chasing Glynn.
Phillips took a quick lineout to Edwards, to allow centre Jack Hoskins to stretch his legs, although he was tackled. Referee Matthew Leon brought play back for a penalty and replacement hooker Osian Burt was sent to the sin-bin, leaving his side down to 13 men.
The visitors opted for an uncontested scrum on the 22 and the decision paid off as the Whites sucked in the defence and threw a pass out wide for Glynn to touch down in the corner. Phillips converted.
Half-time:- RGC 1404 10-21 Swansea
Swansea continued where they left off after the interval with winger Ieuan Cornelius making a break on the wing, but his chip ahead was deflected into touch. The visitors collected the lineout with hooker Rhodri King mauling his way over for a try. Phillips converted.
Gareth Parry did well to earn a turnover and a superb pass out wide by Brown was taken by Dion Jones, but the supporting winger Louis Williams dropped the ball backwards. The home side came again through centres Gethin O’Callaghan and Delwyn Jones, before the former was bundled into touch.
Play was brought back for a penalty and prop Patrick Nelson took a regulation tap and go, before another penalty followed, which flanker Dafydd Thirsk took quickly, but opposite number Callum Bowden superbly gained a turnover. A fight then ensued with McQueeney and Carson both yellow carded.
Phillips almost broke through the middle but he was held on half way, before an outstanding 50/22 gave the visitors an attacking lineout, although Brown stole the ball.
McBryde chipped deep inside the Swansea 22 with a penalty, and Brown took the lineout, with the home side awarded a penalty, which McBryde again dinked into the corner. Thirsk took the lineout and the pack drove Burt over for a try. McBryde converted.
A superb chip ahead by Glynn forced Dion Jones to defend on his own line, and the visitors were awarded an attacking scrum five. Scrum half Matthew Aubrey tried to snipe over the line, but the supporting Bowden powered over for a try at the next phase. Phillips converted.
The North Walian side were awarded a penalty on the RGC 22, with McBryde chipping into the corner. Ffransis-Roberts took the lineout and a clever move saw the ball swept out wide to Caio Parry for a try. McBryde converted.
Brown took a lineout on the 22, with Delwyn Jones powering forward, before flanker Ethan Fackrell nipped in for a turnover, and Phillips was able to clear long.
A misfired lineout by Burt was taken by opposite number Jamie Cox, who fed replacement prop Daf Davies, before Hoskins powered forward on the wing, but the Whites were unable to control the ball and gave away a penalty.
McBryde tried a chip ahead but the chaser was deemed in front of the kicker. Phillips chose to calm proceedings by taking a shot at goal, which he successfully converted.
But the home side collected the restart inside the Swansea 22 to set up another attack, and Delwyn Jones nipped in to score under the posts. McBryde converted.
Carson was penalised for a deliberate tap down as RGC tried to counterattack and McBryde chipped up to half way. Then replacement backs Osian Llewelyn and Sam Jones made yards on the wing, but Delwyn Jones crucially lost the ball forward.
Phillips chipped out on the full with a clearance kick to gift RGC a lineout inside the Swansea 22. Replacement lock Tal Taylor took the lineout, and the visitors gave away an offside penalty, which McBryde chipped to the corner.
Ffransis-Roberts took the lineout, but an outstanding counter maul by the visitors turned over possession. Phillips initially cleared, but Dion Jones took a quick lineout to himself to keep up the momentum. The full back then almost broke through a tackle out wide, but the supporting Thirsk dropped the ball.
In the dying seconds Carson gave away a penalty for an infringement on the ground and McBryde chipped inside the Swansea 22, but Ffransis-Roberts spilled the lineout forward.
The visitors were out on their feet at the final whistle, but thoroughly deserved their third win in a row. Next up for RGC 1404 is a trip to Aberavon, while Swansea host Carmarthen Quins.
Full-time:- RGC 1404 31-38 Swansea
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Jac Petch-Jones (13), Osian Burt (55), Caio Parry (62)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (14, 56, 63)
Pens:- Billy McBryde (3)
Yellow cards:- Osian Burt (38), Billy McQueeney (48)
Swansea:
Tries:- Jacob Hopkins (8), Cameron Jones (23), Iwan Glynn (40+3), Rhodri King (43), Callum Bowden (59)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (9, 24, 40+4, 44, 60)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (68)
Match facts:
Venue:- Stadiwm CSM, Colwyn Bay
Weather:- Cloudy, 13C
Man of the match:- Callum Bowden
Referee:- Matthew Leon
Attendance:- 1,000
RGC 1404 team:
15 Dion Jones
14 Caio Parry
13 Gethin O’Callaghan
12 Delwyn Jones (rep: Osian Llewelyn 68)
11 Louis Williams
10 Billy McBryde
9 Tudur Jones (rep: Connor Dever 51)
1 Gareth Parry (rep: Christian Hone 56)
2 Jac Patch-Jones (rep: Osian Burt 22)
3 Patrick Nelson (rep: Scott Bullock 56)
4 Billy McQueeney (rep: Tal Taylor 60)
5 James Brown
6 Dafydd Thirsk
7 Charlie Probert
8 Celt Ffransis-Roberts (rep: Christian Hone 38-51) (rep: Emyr Jones 68)
Replacements:
16 Osian Burt
17 Christian Hone
18 Scott Bullock
19 Tal Taylor
20 Emyr Jones
21 Connor Dever
22 Osian Llewelyn
23 Sam Jones
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Ieuan Cornelius
13 Callum Carson (rep: Liam Lloyd 60-64)
12 Jack Hoskins
11 Iwan Glynn
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey
1 Cameron Jones (rep: Daf Davies 63)
2 Rhodri King (rep: Jamie Cox 63)
3 Tom Crockett (rep: Ed Thompson 63)
4 Cai Arnold (rep: Chris Thompson 71)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Callum Bowden (cc)
7 Ethan Fackrell
8 Jacob Hopkins (rep: Luca Giannini 71)
Replacements:
16 Jamie Cox
17 Daf Davies
18 Ed Thompson
19 Chris Thompson
20 Luca Giannini
21 Iwan Temblett
22 James Price
23 Liam Lloyd