Cross Keys 15 v 11 Whites
02 Dec 2006 - Away
Cross Keys proved too strong for Swansea at a wet Pandy Park. The home side dominated the opening quarter, scoring two tries, a period which effectively won the game as Swansea were unable to break through a determined Keys defence. In truth, there was very little between the sides for the remaining sixty minutes but the damage was complete early on as the Gwent side raced into a 12-0 lead. There were quality individual performances from the Swansea side, most notably Habir Singh in the pack and Rhys Jones in the three-quarters, but they were unable to stop a workmanlike Cross Keys side.
The home side began well with David Tovey, Rhys Williams and Owen Jones combining well to set up a near score, but scrum half Jones spilled the ball forward to the relief of a stretched Whites defence. Three minutes later, Williams was held up over the line as the home side continued to press hard.
Finally the Whites defence was beaten as Leigh Bevan fumbled the ball near his own tryline to allow full back Jonathan Williams in for a try. Scott Mitchell converted. Lock Grant Wilson came very close to adding a second try but he was held up over the line.
However, from the resulting scrum, the home side set up an attacking ruck with Rhys Williams peeling off to score in the corner. Mitchell missed the conversion. Swansea nearly hit back a few minutes later though after good work by Ricky Williams and Michael Collins, but Bevan was crowded out in the corner and forced into touch.
Swansea finally scored their first points on 33 minutes after Ricky Williams was tackled late. Stuart Thomas duly converted the penalty goal. On the stroke of half time, the home side restored their twelve points lead with a Mitchell penalty after the Swansea defence crept offside.
Half-Time:- Cross Keys 15 Swansea 3
Stuart Thomas cut into the Cross Keys lead just two minutes after the interval as the home side were offside. He missed another attempt soon after when the Keys chasers were in front of the kicker.
Winger Rhys Jones scored a superb opportunist try as he took a loose drop out from Mitchell and powered his way past two defenders to score in the corner. Stuart Thomas missed the conversion.
Ill-discipline began to creep into the Cross Keys ranks and they were punished by referee Simon Harris for backchat, allowing Swansea to mount another attack. Nothing came of the lineout though.
With the Whites unable to break through the Keys defence, the home side's kicking game worked to perfection as they pinned Swansea back inside their own twenty-two. Offside in the lineout gave Jonathan Williams a penalty chance but he struck it wide.
Swansea's second half display was certainly encouraging but the match will go down as yet another that they were in touching distance of a win. Anthony Clement commented after the game, "We can't be all doom and gloom about this result and we have to be a side that take the positives out of a game. I felt that our attitude was first class and our defence solid. In the end they were hanging on."
Full-Time:- Cross Keys 15 Swansea 11
Venue:- Pandy Park, Cross Keys
Weather:- Showers, 6C
Competition:- Principality Premiership
Cross Keys Scorers:- J. Williams (Try), Mitchell (Con, Pen), R. Williams (Try)
Swansea Scorers:- S. Thomas (2 Pens), Rhys Jones (Try)
Swansea Team:- 15 R. Williams 14 Rhys Jones 13 C. Shelmerdine 12 R. Payne 11 L. Bevan 10 S. Thomas 9 J. Hooper (rep: D. Pittard) 1 L. May (rep: C. Williams) 2 D. Colclough 3 M. Jones 4 D. Lloyd-Jones 5 M. Collins (rep: I. Evans) 6 D. Blyth (rep: R. Gallagher) 7 H. Singh 8 G. Newman
By Paul Hopkins
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