By: Paul Hopkins
Swansea produced an outstanding display of rugby as they recorded a surprise victory over RGC 1404 at Stadiwm Zip World.
It was a perfect start for Richard Lancaster’s men when offside at the ruck by lock Beau Williams gave the Whites an early penalty and scrum half Matthew Aubrey opted to chip deep into the corner. From the close range lineout lock Will Griffiths rose high to collect the ball, before hooker Dewi Lake became detached from the maul to crash over for a try. Fly half J Rhys Williams converted.
The home side looked to hit back immediately with centre Tom Hughes and winger Iolo Evans linking up to send scrum half Efan Jones into the twenty-two. However, the Whites managed to secure an important turnover on their try line.
A second try followed when flanker Morgan Morris capitalised on a visitors’ error to start an attack and full back R Rhys Williams superbly dummied past a tackler, before firing out a pass for the pacey winger Ben Cambriani to touch down in the corner. J Rhys Williams converted.
Full back Dion Jones dropped a high ball on his own twenty-two, but this time the visitors weren’t able to punish RGC following a mistake of their own.
Efan Jones made a break through the middle, but support was slow to arrive and an error meant the Whites were able to clear.
Beau Williams was penalised for diving over the top of a ruck and Aubrey found touch inside the RGC twenty-two. Morris charged through the middle and spread the ball wide, but Cambriani was well wrapped up in the tackle. Number eight Jon Fox was stopped on the line, before Lake dived over for a try under the posts. J Rhys Williams converted.
R Rhys Williams brushed off Dion Jones to collect a high ball and Cambriani chased down a chip through, forcing RGC into a hurried clearance to touch deep inside their own twenty-two. Swansea got the ball out wide for Cambriani to score his second try and clinch a bonus point. J Rhys Williams missed the conversion.
Fly half Billy McBryde turned down a kickable penalty and found touch a couple of metres from the line. Beau Williams caught the lineout, but the home maul was held up on the line.
The RGC forwards tried their best to get through a dogged Swansea defence, but were forced in an error, allowing J Rhys Williams to clear. Prop Jordan Scott almost stole the lineout, but the ball came to him as a surprise and he spilled it forward.
The home side got their first points on the board through an Evans try in the corner after a well worked move at the scrum. McBryde converted.
On the stroke of half time centre Danny Cross tried to make an impossible pass, which was intercepted by centre Tom Williams, who sprinted clear to score in the corner. J Rhys Williams missed the conversion.
Half-time:- RGC 1404 7 Swansea 31
Efan Jones took a quick tap penalty as his side injected some pace into their game after the interval, but the home side were penalised for holding on after the tackle.
Cambriani made a promising run down the win, but was tackled and the move broke down when Swansea tried to spread play to the other wing.
After a period of pressure Hughes showed great power and pace to batter his way to the line on the crash ball. McBryde hooked the conversion wide.
Evans sprinted down the wing, but was stopped in his tracks. Number eight Tim Grey then tried to muscle through the defence, but came up against a brick wall and a mistake by replacement scrum half Cam Davies gave Swansea some much needed respite.
Instead it was the visitors who were back on the attack, but Tom Williams’ grubber kick evaded the chasing Cambriani into touch.
Davies made a break into the twenty-two, but tried to force a pass and lost possession, allowing the Whites to clear long.
Replacement flanker Mei Parry looked to have scored when he raced clear from a ruck, but play was brought back for obstruction.
Aubrey found touch inside the RGC twenty-two after a powerful scrum pushed the home pack off the ball. The Whites were penalised for crossing though as the move broke down.
Hughes made a break through the middle and found McBryde who used his pace to hold off two defenders to squeeze over for a try in the corner. He missed the conversion.
An infringement at the scrum by the Swansea pack handed RGC a free kick inside the attacking twenty-two and replacement number eight Charlie Davies was yellow carded for killing the ball, but it mattered little as the Whites were able to celebrate a huge victory.
Full-time:- RGC 1404 17 Swansea 31
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Iolo Evans (40+3), Tom Hughes (55), Billy McBryde (80)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (40+4)
Swansea:
Tries:- Dewi Lake (5, 19), Ben Cambriani (9, 34), Tom Williams (40+6)
Cons:- J Rhys Williams (6, 10, 20)
Yellow cards:- Charlie Davies (80+7)
Match facts:
Venue:- Parc Eirias (Stadiwm Zipworld)
Referee:- Dewi Phillips
Weather:- Partly cloudy, 12C
Man of the match:- Ben Cambriani
Attendance:- 1,200
RGC 1404 team:
15 Dion Jones
14 Iolo Evans
13 Tom Hughes ©
12 Danny Cross (rep: Delwyn Jones 73)
11 Sam Jones
10 Billy McBryde
9 Efan Jones (rep: Cam Davies 57)
1 Joe Simpson (rep: Curtis Reynolds 44)
2 George Roberts (rep: Evan Yardley 54)
3 Jordan Scott (rep: Sam Wainwright 67)
4 Robin Williams (rep: Ilan Rowlands 54)
5 Beau Williams
6 Andrew Williams (rep: Bryn Jones 41)
7 Dan Owen (rep: Mei Parry (24)
8 Tim Grey
Replacements:
16 Evan Yardley
17 Curtis Reynolds
18 Sam Wainwright
19 Bryn Jones
20 Mei Parry
21 Ilan Rowlands
22 Cam Davies
23 Delwyn Jones
Swansea team:
15 R Rhys Williams
14 Ryan Griffiths
13 Tom Williams
12 Jedd Evans (rep: Luke Griffiths 75)
11 Ben Cambriani
10 J Rhys Williams
9 Matthew Aubrey
1 Rhys Davies (rep: Jack Powell 58)
2 Dewi Lake (rep: Paul John 76)
3 Mitchell Walsh (rep: Greg Cunniffe 67)
4 James Ratti (rep: Matt Dodd (38)
5 Will Griffiths
6 Morgan Morris
7 Callum Bowden
8 Jon Fox © (rep: Charlie Davies 25)
Replacements:
16 Paul John
17 Jack Powell
18 Greg Cunniffe
19 Matt Dodd
20 Charlie Davies
21 Chris Morgans
22 Kieran Charles
23 Luke Griffiths