Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photo by: Riley Sports Photography
The All Whites turned the form book on its head to claim their first win of the season in a titanic battle at St Helen’s.
It looked as though the Wizards were set to carry on where they left off last week when lock Ross Fox charged down a Iwan Temblett box kick inside the Swansea 22, but the scrum half was spared his blushes after referee Ben Whitehouse awarded a relieving penalty.
Aberavon stole the lineout and number eight Ashton Evans drove through the middle, forcing the Swansea defence offside. Fly half Ed Dunford dragged his effort at goal wide of the posts though.
Winger Callum Dodd shrugged off a visitors’ tackle as he looked to run out of defence, but the Aberavon men regrouped to dump him into touch.
Scrum half Elis Horgan chased down a grubber kick, and a difficult bounce almost caught out full back Lewis Edwards, but he managed ground the ball date.
The home side were awarded a penalty after the Aberavon defence was caught offside in midfield, but fly half Josh Phillips made a mess of his effort at goal.
Full back Scott Delnevo tried to race out of defence, but he was well tackled and centre Joe Gage and Horgan made further yards upfield, but the ball was lost forward under pressure.
A high tackle on Delnevo gave Aberavon a penalty just shy of half way, which Dunford chipped up towards the 22, but a mistake saw the move break down.
The home side were penalised for failing to retreat from a high kick, so Dunford chipped up to within the 22. Fox took the lineout and the visitors’ pack drove forward, but a determined defence saw the All Whites turn over possession.
Aberavon hit back though as winger Felix Gilbert made a break on the wing and the home side gave away a penalty, which Dunford kicked deep into the corner. Lock Shay Smallman spilled the ball forward at the lineout, but the home side gave away another penalty.
Dunford tuned down the kickable penalty to chip into the corner again. This time Smallman took the lineout and Aberavon spread play out wide, but winger Cori Lewis-Jenkins’ audacious flip pass was intercepted by Edwards, who cleared.
The home side were penalised for speaking out of turn, giving Dunford an opportunity to chip up to the 22 with a penalty. Flanker Ben Gregory took the lineout, but the visitors were penalised for blocking.
Lock Ben Roberts took a lineout on halfway and fed centre Joe Thomas on a crash ball, but Delnevo superbly took a high ball and number eight Geraint Powell was penalised for straying in front of a kick.
Temblett made a break from a scrum, but the supporting flanker Owen Thomas dropped the ball, although the Whites reclaimed possession moments later as Whitehouse blew the whistle on a scoreless half.
Half-time:- Swansea 0-0 Aberavon
It was almost a perfect start for the home side after the interval when Joe Thomas picked up a loose ball, but his support lost possession forward.
A powerful scrum by the home side earned a penalty and Phillips chipped into the corner. Roberts took the lineout and the home side were awarded a penalty try when Smallman illegally pulled down a maul, also earning him a yellow card.
Phillips made a superb break through the middle, with Dodd then sprinting down the wing, but he was penalised for holding on after the tackle.
Replacement lock Lewis Marsh took a lineout just shy of half way, but the home side gave away a penalty, which Dunford kicked up to the 22. Gregory took the lineout and a high tackle on Gage gifted Dunford a simple three pointer.
Owen Thomas took a misfired lineout, and after a series of kicking ping pong, the home side were awarded a penalty after the visitors’ strayed in front of a high kick. Phillips kicked the penalty to extend his side’s lead to seven points.
Phillips tried to dummy his way past a tackler and a high tackle on winger Harri Houston gave the All Whites a penalty, which Phillips chipped deep into the Aberavon 22, but Smallman nipped in to steal the lineout against the head.
Gregory made a powerful run for the visitors but the All Whites stole possession and made great yards through Phillips and Edwards, before the former lost the ball forward.
Temblett was penalised for offside at the base of the scrum and Dunford chose to chip into the corner. Smallman took the lineout and flanker Gwilym Evans spotted a gap, but was brought down a few metres from the line, before the visitors were awarded another penalty.
Dunford again dinked the ball into the corner and hooker Saul Hurley was stopped inches short of the line, but the Wizards were awarded yet another penalty, which went into the corner again. This time an outstanding defensive effort by the home side turned over possession on the line.
A rolling maul by the home pack took play to within seven metre of the line, and replacement centre Frankie Jones was also stopped, but an incredible tackle out wide prevented Gilbert from scoring.
The home side were unable to clear though and an accidental knock on by Houston gave the Wizards a five metre scrum. From the next play Jones almost squeezed over, but play was brought back for a penalty, with Joe Thomas yellow carded.
This time an advancing scrum saw the ball swept out wide for Gilbert to squeeze over for a try in the corner. Dunford missed the conversion.
The home side were penalised for holding on after the tackle and Phillips found touch. A sniping run by replacement scrum half Matthew Aubrey got the Whites on the front foot as they looked to keep hold of possession and run the clock down.
In desperate need of a score, replacement prop Louis Fletcher was penalised for diving over the top of a ruck and Phillips chipped into the corner.
A good lineout take by replacement lock Sam Pailor kept the home side in possession and Phillips chipped the ball out to give Swansea a first win of the season, much to the delight of the home support.
Full-time:- Swansea 10-8 Aberavon
Swansea:
Tries:- Penalty Try (43)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (53)
Yellow cards:- Joe Thomas (74)
Aberavon:
Tries:- Felix Gilbert (75)
Pens:- Ed Dunford (50)
Yellow cards:- Shay Smallman (43)
Match facts:
Venue:- St Helen’s, Swansea
Weather:- Light cloud, 7C
Referee:- Ben Whitehouse
Man of the match:- Josh Phillips
Attendance:- 1,400
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Harri Houston
13 Iestyn Galton
12 Joe Thomas
11 Callum Dodd
10 Josh Phillips
9 Iwan Temblett (rep: Matthew Aubrey 57)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Tom Crockett 28)
2 Llew Phillips-Taylor
3 Ed Thompson (rep: Ellis Fackrell 76)
4 Chris Thompson (rep: Sam Pailor 45)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Dom Colman (rep: Taine Morgan 57)
7 Owen Thomas © (rep: Ieuan Cornelius 76)
8 Geraint Powell (rep: Jamie Cox 63)
Replacements:
16 Jamie Cox
17 Tom Crockett
18 Ellis Fackrell
19 Sam Pailor
20 Taine Morgan
21 Matthew Aubrey
22 Harri Williams
23 Ieuan Cornelius
Aberavon team:
15 Scott Delnevo
14 Cori Lewis-Jenkins
13 Joe Gage ©
12 Brad Roderick (rep: Frenkie Jones 40+2)
11 Felix Gilbert
10 Ed Dunford
9 Elis Horgan (rep: Josh Thomas 57)
1 Jordan Walters (rep: Rowan Jenkins 54)
2 Saul Hurley
3 Geraint James (rep: Louis Fletcher 72)
4 Ross Fox (rep: Lewis Marsh 40+5)
5 Shay Smallman
6 Ben Gregory (rep: Cameron Loveys 70)
7 Gwilym Evans
8 Ashton Evans (rep: Tom Poole 80)
Replacements:
16 Josh Thomas
17 Frankie Jones
18 Jamie Goldsworthy
19 Cameron Loveys
20 Rowan Jenkins
21 Tom Poole
22 Louis Fletcher
23 Lewis Marsh