By: Paul Hopkins
The All Whites rounded off a promising trio of pre-season matches with a comfortable 38-0 win over the city’s university side.
In truth the nil scoreline did a disservice to the Swansea University team, also coached by Whites’ head coach Hugh Gustafson, as they put up a decent resistance and were unlucky not to have scored at least one try.
In fact, the visitors could have opened the scoring within the first couple of minutes when winger Max Ambrosini almost sneaked in for an interception, but he just couldn’t hold onto the ball.
But it was the home side who struck moments later when a superb move involving winger Harvey James and flanker Joe Greaves got the Whites on the front foot, allowing scrum half Iwan Temblett to dummy his way over from the base of a ruck to score. Fly half Harri Williams converted.
A crossfield kick by Williams drifted behind James, but lock Chris Thompson managed to tidy up possession. Centre Oscar Stewart secured a turnover for the university though, earning a penalty when the home side dived over the top of the resulting ruck.
Fly half Will Hammonds chose to chip into the 22, but a poor throw by hooker Joe Rees was collected by Temblett, who cleared downfield.
Another overthrow by Rees was this time taken by opposite number Owen Thomas, who linked up with James, only for prop Tom Crockett to spill possession forward near the try line.
It was almost a second try for Swansea when flanker Luca Giannini stole a lineout and fed the home forwards to drive towards the line, but Thompson was held up above the whitewash to give the visitors a drop out.
Thompson charged down an attempted box kick by scrum half Rhys Davies and winger Gareth Rees made a darting run out wide, but he was well tackled and the University defence was able to clear.
A superb 50/22 by Williams gave Swansea an attacking position, and from the lineout number eight Ryan Jones made a break to score a simple try. Williams converted.
The home side were penalised for failing to roll away from the tackle, allowing Hammonds to chip into the corner. However, an infringement at the lineout by the visitors gifted the Whites a free kick, from which they cleared.
The university mounted another promising attack, but this time Davies found himself turned over by an excellent Swansea defence.
James stretched his legs again, and that was followed up by a well-timed chip to the corner by Williams, which just about beat the chasing Rees into touch.
The university should have scored on the stroke of half time when replacement hooker Will Austen made a promising run over the 22, with prop Tom Zoogah making good yards, before Davies spilled the ball forward near the line.
Half-time:- Swansea 14-0 Swansea University
It was one way traffic in the second half as the home side grabbed a third try within the first three minutes when Jones charged down a kick and regained possession for the home side, giving Williams an ideal platform to angle a superb 50/22 kick. A routine lineout saw prop Ellis Fackrell drive over for a well taken try. Williams converted.
Replacement number eight Sam Pailor took a lineout as the Whites walked up towards the university 22, but the home side lost possession soon after. Full back Freddie Lee kicked a stray the ball down the throat of opposite number Lewis Edwards though, who cleared to touch.
A superb break by Pailor began another Whites attack, and he found replacement Marcus Brown on the wing, who raced through the middle, with substitute prop Kian Hire finishing off the move. Williams converted.
A superb break by Brown over half way created space and he found Thompson in support, but he lost possession forward.
Austen picked up a loose ball at the lineout and the visitors almost broke through the Swansea defence, but a mistake brought an end to the move.
A superb break by Edwards almost resulted in a try for the home side, but he was tackled a metre short of the line and held on. Play was brought back for a penalty though and Williams chipped to the corner. From the lineout, replacement hooker Llew Phillips-Taylor drove forward to score a try from the rolling maul. Williams missed the conversion.
The moment of the match came in the last play, when Williams raced down the wing and linked up with replacement flanker Geraint Powell, who sent in a clever flip pass to Rees, for the winger to race clear to score in the corner. Williams missed the conversion.
Full-time:- Swansea 38-0 Swansea University
Swansea:
Tries:- Iwan Temblett (3), Ryan Jones (18), Ellis Fackrell (44), Kian Hire (63), Llew Phillips-Taylor (79), Gareth Rees (80+2)
Cons:- Harri Williams (4, 19, 45, 64)
Match facts:
Venue:- St Helen’s, Swansea
Weather:- Light rain, 19C
Referee:- Adam Jones
Man of the match:- Harvey James
Attendance:- 200
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Gareth Rees
13 Harrison Doe (rep: Luke Davies 51)
12 Sam Matthews
11 Harvey James (rep: Marcus Brown 54)
10 Harri Williams
9 Iwan Temblett (rep: Aron Hemmings 41)
1 Tom Crockett
2 Owen Thomas (rep: Llew Phillips-Taylor 64)
3 Ellis Fackrell (rep: Kian Hire 51)
4 Chris Thompson
5 Ben Roberts
6 Joe Greaves
7 Luca Giannini (rep: Geraint Powell 45)
8 Ryan Jones (rep: Sam Pailor 51)
Replacements:
16 Llew Phillips-Taylor
17 Chris Davies
18 Kian Hire
19 Sam Pailor
20 Geraint Powell
21 Aron Hemmings
22 Luke Davies
23 Marcus Brown
Swansea University team:
15 Freddie Lee
14 Max Ambrosini
13 Oscar Stewart
12 Joe Webb
11 Israel Adeyemi
10 Will Hammonds
9 Rhys Davies
1 Tom Zoogah
2 Joe Rees
3 Tom Mills
4 Theo Currie
5 Jake Roberts
6 Gethin Howell
7 Charlie Herdman
8 Iwan Dark
Replacements (all used):
16 Will Austen
17 Theo Malik
18 Joe Charlsworth
19 Dom Nihan
20 Dan Goodman
21 Freddie Wellbury
22 Tom Gardner
23 Ben Thomas
24 Kai Inker
25 Tom Allen
26 Reuben Bradbury
27 John Golden
28 James Price
29 Evan Weston