By: Paul Hopkins
Swansea’s wait for a first Super Rygbi Cymru wait continues as they were well beaten by RGC 1404 in Colwyn Bay, thanks to a 24-point haul from fly half Billy McBryde.
In fairness it was the visitors who settled into the game better with a poor pass by scrum half Connor Dever putting McBryde under pressure near his own line. The fly half looked to have spilled the ball forward, but centre Delwyn Jones came to his rescue and was able to clear.
The home side stole the resulting lineout and Dever was able to clear long with a box kick, although his side gave away a penalty for failing to allow release after the tackle.
A poor lineout was pounced on by flanker Dan Owen and the visitors were caught offside at the kick. Backed by a strong wind, McBryde opted to kick at goal from inside his own half and his decision proved successful.
Owen rose superbly to tap back the restart and this time it was the home side who were penalised for offside. Fly half Josh Phillips opted to chip into the corner and lock Ben Roberts took the lineout, with the pack driving forward and hooker Jamie Cox claiming the try. Phillips curled the ball between the posts for a superb conversion.
Phillips chipped up to the 22 with a penalty touch finder, but his side lost the ball at the lineout. The home side looked to run the ball out of their own half, but number eight Sam Williams became isolated and held on after the tackle and Phillips found touch on the RGC 22 with the penalty.
Flanker Joe Greaves took the lineout, but the home side gave away yet another penalty with Dever and centre Danny Cross spoken to by referee Kristoff Young. Phillips chipped deep into the corner and lock Matt Dodd took the lineout, but was held up over the line, much to the protestations of his fellow teammates.
Roberts charged down a Dever box kick, and as a result McBryde was forced to kick out on the full, following a pass back into his own 22. Dodd took the lineout, but a mistake by the RGC men in defence gifted the visitors with an attacking scrum. The home side gave away a penalty at the set piece, so Phillips slotted the ball between the posts to extend Swansea’s lead to seven points.
Williams took a lineout on half way and a high kick by McBryde was superbly collected by the home side, who were awarded a penalty after the Whites’ were guilty of an offside offence.
McBryde opted to chip into the corner and lock Isaia Latawa took the lineout, to send hooker Jac Petch-Jones powering over for a try. McBryde hit the post with his conversion attempt.
Phillips found touch on the RGC 22 after the home side were penalised for offside at a kick. Greaves collected the lineout, with Roberts and prop Chris Davies both powering forward, but full back Lewis Edwards failed to take a potential scoring pass from scrum half Aron Hemmings.
A booming penalty touch finder by McBryde took the home side into the Swansea half and Latawa took the lineout with Dever darting forward, finding McBryde in support, but the fly half became isolated just short of the try line.
Dever made a break up to the Swansea 22 from a scrum, but the visitors were penalised for offside, prompting McBryde to kick his side back ahead with a three pointer.
Williams superbly took the restart, but McBryde’s clearance kick was well taken by Lewis Edwards, but the Whites kicked possession away.
The RGC front row were penalised for not driving in straight at the scrum, so Phillips found touch just shy of the 22. Greaves took the lineout, and the home pack drove forward at the maul, with a great move by the backs resulting in the ball spread wide through Lewis Edwards to winger Ieuan Cornelius, with opposite number Sam Stoddard penalised and yellow carded for deliberate offside.
The visitors failed to make him pay though as they were penalised soon after for obstruction at the lineout. Instead, McBryde was able to clear long to give RGC one final attacking chance of the half.
Williams powered forward with Delwyn Jones taking a crash ball, forcing the visitors offside. Sensing the interval approaching, McBryde opted to kick for the posts and took his side four points clear at the break.
Half-time:- RGC 1404 14-10 Swansea
The home side were awarded a penalty immediately after the restart after the visitors’ pack crept offside at the maul. McBryde stepped up to kick the three pointer.
With the entire Swansea backline all caught offside, McBryde chose to kick at goal again and his effort was successful to extend the RGC lead to 10 points.
A clever restart by the home side saw winger Brandon Wood tap the ball back into the hands of an All White player, except winger Ieuan Cornelius was unable to gather Phillips’ grubber kick into the corner.
The visitors then struck out of nowhere with a scintillating try as Phillips sprinted through the middle, side stepping past a would-be tackler and handing a pass to Cornelius, who used his pace to score. Phillips missed the conversion.
Following an equally superb spell of passing by the home backs, full back Dion Jones made a break down the wing but was unable to get his pass away, although RGC retained possession, with Delwyn Jones taking a crash ball, before McBryde was knocked back in the tackle.
The North Walian side hit back soon after when a well worked move from the scrum saw Williams pick up and dive over for a try, which McBryde converted.
Petch-Jones stole a malfunctioned lineout throw by hooker Llew Phillips-Taylor moments after he graced the field as a substitute, but replacement scrum half Iwan Temblett was able to clear long.
Dion Jones picked up the ball and superbly handed off Phillips, with Owen making a superb break down the wing, causing panic in the Whites defence, and allowing McBryde to crash over for a try under the posts. He also converted.
The home side inched up towards the Swansea 22 and a high tackle saw them awarded a penalty, which McBryde chipped to the corner. The RGC pack kept the ball tight until Dever looked to have scored, but it was disallowed, although his side were awarded a penalty.
McBryde again kicked into the corner, and a powerful rolling maul saw Petch-Jones held up over the line as the home side came desperately close to adding a further score.
Stoddard made a mistake when the visitors chipped clear, and with that the North Walian side made an incredible eight substitutes at the same time!
The home side gave away a penalty at the scrum, which Phillips kicked deep into the corner. From the lineout replacement lock Liam Edwards took the ball, but the Whites were unable to release play from the maul and therefore surrendered possession.
Cross intercepted a Temblett pass and found Dion Jones, who stretched his legs past four weak tackles, although poor handling by the home side spared the visitors’ blushes.
Replacement number eight Geraint Powell took a lineout on the RGC 22, and the Whites spread play wide, but a superb tackle by substitute fly half Sam Earl-Jones on Cornelius prevented a certain try in the corner.
Swansea had the final say though when the RGC backs over complicated a move and were penalised for crossing in midfield. Flanker Dan Gemine made a break through the middle and sent a scoring pass out wide to Temblett for a consolation try. Phillips missed the conversion to complete a miserable afternoon for the All Whites.
Next up for RGC 1404 is a trip to lowly Aberavon, while Swansea host high flying Ebbw Vale.
Full-time:- RGC 1404 34-20 Swansea
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Jac Petch-Jones (28), Sam Williams (59), Billy McBryde (63)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (60, 64)
Pens:- Billy McBryde (6, 38, 40+7, 43, 47)
Yellow cards:- Sam Stoddard (40+4)
Swansea:
Tries:- Jamie Cox (8), Ieuan Cornelius (51), Iwan Temblett (80+4)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (9)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (24)
Match facts:
Venue:- Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay
Weather:- Cloudy, 14C
Referee:- Kristoff Young
Man of the match:- Billy McBryde
Attendance:- 932
RGC 1404 team:
15 Dion Jones
14 Rhys Tudor
13 Danny Cross
12 Delwyn Jones
11 Sam Stoddard
10 Billy McBryde (rep: Sam Earl-Jones 72)
9 Connor Dever (rep: Dan Roderick 72)
1 Gareth Parry (rep: Christian Hone 72)
2 Jac Petch-Jones (rep: Gruff John-Morris 72)
3 Pedr Jones (rep: Patrick Nelson 72)
4 Dylan Alford (rep: Tal Taylor 19-26, 40+2-41)
5 Isaia Lotawa (rep: Tal Taylor 72)
6 Dan Owen (rep: Charlie Probert 72)
7 Ethan Fackrell (rep: Celt Ffransis-Roberts 72)
8 Sam Williams
Replacements:
16 Gruff John-Morris
17 Christian Hone
18 Patrick Nelson
19 Tal Taylor
20 Charlie Probert
21 Celt Ffransis-Roberts
22 Dan Roderick
23 Sam Earl-Jones
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards (rep: Harri Williams 79)
14 Ieuan Cornelius
13 Callum Dodd
12 Callum Carson
11 Brandon Wood
10 Josh Phillips
9 Aron Hemmings (rep: Iwan Temblett 60)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Freddie Chapman 68)
2 Jamie Cox (rep: Llew Phillips-Taylor 60)
3 Chris Davies (rep: Ellis Fackrell 64)
4 Matt Dodd © (rep: Liam Edwards 68)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Joe Greaves
7 Dan Gemine
8 Cai Davies (rep: Geraint Powell 68)
Replacements:
16 Llew Phillips-Taylor
17 Freddie Chapman
18 Ellis Fackrell
19 Liam Edwards
20 Geraint Powell
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Harri Williams
23 Marcus Brown