Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photo by: Riley Sports Photography
This afternoon marked the 2,707th and final ever time Swansea will grace the grass field of St Helen’s, and they rounded it off in style with a bonus point victory over Rygbi Gogledd Cymru 1404.
In what looked like a perfect start for the home side, fly half Josh Phillips tried a chip and chase, but he was unable to gather, and instead the visitors were awarded a penalty after the Whites crept offside at the breakdown.
RGC fly half Billy McBryde found touch inside the home 22, with lock Tal Taylor taking the lineout, and a superb chip through by centre Danny Cross was taken by fellow centre Afon Bagshaw, who touched down for a try. McBryde converted.
Hooker Jamie Cox stole in at the back of a loose RGC lineout and the Whites got quick ball out wide through the hands of full back Harri Houston, but winger Tom Edwards failed to take the difficult pass.
The home side responded with a fantastic solo effort by Houston who picked up the ball midway between half way and the 22, before weaving his way past two tacklers to score a superb try. Phillips missed the conversion.
The visitors were awarded a penalty straight from the restart with McBryde chipping into the corner. A well worked lineout saw McBryde chip across the field, but the bounce didn’t favour the North Walian men although play was brought back for a penalty.
It was a quick tap penalty for the visitors in front of the posts and the decision paid off by prop Pedr Jones crashing over for a try. McBryde converted.
Lock Sam Pailor took a lineout on the 22, although the Whites were driven backwards by the RGC defence, with Pailor staying strong in the tackle. Then the ball was swept out wide to unlikely hooker-turned-winger Jamie Cox, who sprinted clear to score in the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
It was almost a third try for the All Whites when scrum half Matthew Aubrey darted around the side of a retreating Whites’ scrum, but his chip and chase was dealt with by McBryde in the nick of time.
In a carbon copy of the move seconds later, Phillips chipped ahead but this time it was way too strong and comfortably sailed dead.
Flanker Owen Thomas superbly stole the ball on the ground when the RGC forwards were powering through, but winger Rhys Tudor picked up the ball and raced up to the 22, but he became isolated and gave away a penalty.
Phillips found touch inside the RGC half with a penalty and a well worked lineout saw the home side inch towards the line, however crossing saw the North Walians awarded a relieving penalty.
The visitors were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, but McBryde chose to chip into the corner. Flanker Celt Ffransis-Roberts took the lineout and fellow flanker Ethan Fackrell stretched over for a try in the corner following a clever drive. McBryde converted.
Houston looked to dart through but was well wrapped up, but Ffransis-Roberts was penalised for failing to roll away from the tackle.
A superb chip ahead by Phillips was taken by winger Ieuan Cornelius, but he was tackled a metre short of the line, before the Whites got the ball out to the backs with centre Callum Carson strolling over for a try. Phillips converted to cut the gap to four points at half time.
Half-time:- Swansea 17-21 RGC 1404
A neat move between Aubrey and Houston almost resulted in a try for the former, but the move became too complicated, although play was brought back for a Swansea penalty following a high tackle.
Phillips kicked to the corner and replacement flanker Dan Gemine and prop Daf Davies both charged forward, before the ball was fed out wide to Cornelius, who handed a pass to Phillips, who dived over for a bonus point try. Phillips missed the conversion.
Number eight Sam Williams spilled a lineout into the hands of Cox, but the visitors gained a turnover. RGC were awarded a penalty, with McBryde chipping into the 22, although they gave away a penalty at the lineout.
The home side were awarded another penalty, which Phillips chipped up to the 22. Another lineout followed, but the Whites lost possession.
A quick lineout from Houston found Phillips and the ball was fed out wide to Cornelius, before replacement prop Cameron Joned popped up and raced through, but the supporting centre Callum Dodd was tackled just short of the line and held on for too long.
Replacement lock Liam Edwards popped up inside the 22 to batter his way through the middle and he found Gemine in support, with the home side awarded a penalty for offside. Phillips turned down a kick in front of the posts to chip into the corner.
Lock Ben Roberts took the lineout and a superbly controlled rolling maul saw Cox power over for his tenth try of the season. Phillips converted.
It was dreamland for the Whites moments later when Houston chipped ahead on the wing and the chasing Callum Dodd beat the RGC defence to touch down in the corner. Phillips converted.
The visitors looked to get back into the game and were back in possession inside the 22, with a high tackle giving RGC a penalty in front of the posts. Sam Williams took the penalty quickly and he popped up again to score at the next play. McBryde converted.
Swansea gave away a penalty for failing to retreat 10 metres from the maul. McBryde chipped to the 22 and a well worked lineout saw the ball swept out to centre Afon Bagshaw who was well tackled in midfield, and replacement lock Matt Dodd secured a much needed turnover.
Then the home side almost scored a try of the season with a move full of flip passes, but Taylor played the villain with an off the ball tackle that also earned him a yellow card.
Phillips chipped up to the 22 with the penalty and the visitors gave away another penalty, but this time the Whites took a quick tap that went a little awry.
The home side were awarded a penalty at a scrum and S10 found touch a metre short of the line. Roberts took the lineout and it looked as though Callum Dodd was able to stroll over for a try, but play was brought back for a forward pass.
A superb jinking run by Houston forced McBryde into a high tackle and Phillips chipped into the corner. From the lineout an unstoppable rolling maul saw Cox crash over for a hat trick try. Phillips converted to secure a sixth bonus point.
Swansea’s final game is away at high flyers Ebbw Vale, while RGC 1404 host Aberavon in a battle to avoid the bottom four.
Full-time:- Swansea 43-28 RGC 1404
Swansea:
Tries:- Harri Houston (10), Jamie Cox (20, 61, 80+3), Callum Carson (40+3), Josh Phillips 46), Callum Dodd (63)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (40+4, 62, 64, 80+4)
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Afon Bagshaw (5), Pedr Jones (14), Ethan Fackrell (36), Sam Williams (68)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (6, 15, 37, 69)
Yellow cards:- Tal Taylor (73)
Match facts:
Venue:- St Helen’s, Swansea
Weather:- Light cloud, 16C
Referee:- Ben Connor
Man of the match:- Jamie Cox
Attendance:- 1,200
Swansea team:
15 Harri Houston
14 Ieuan Cornelius (rep: Joe Thomas 57)
13 Callum Dodd
12 Callum Carson
11 Tom Edwards (rep: Iwan Glynn 50)
10 Josh Phillips
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Iwan Temblett 69)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Cameron Jones 50)
2 Jamie Cox
3 Ed Thompson (rep: Kian Hire 62)
4 Sam Pailor (rep: Liam Edwards 50)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Callum Bowden ©
7 Owen Thomas (rep: Dan Gemine 29)
8 Cai Davies (rep: Matt Dodd 62)
Replacements:
16 Kian Hire
17 Cameron Jones
18 Liam Edwards
19 Matt Dodd
20 Dan Gemine
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Joe Thomas
23 Iwan Glynn
RGC 1404 team:
15 Caio Parry
14 Rhys Tudor
13 Afon Bagshaw
12 Danny Cross © (rep: Owen Parry 11)
11 Louis Williams (rep: Osian Llewellyn 80+2)
10 Billy McBryde
9 Conor Dever (rep: Dan Roderick 53)
1 Jessie Williams (rep: Gareth Parry 41)
2 Jac Petch-Jones
3 Pedr Jones (rep: Ethan Say 80+2)
4 Patrick Nelson (rep: Tom Owen 80+2)
5 Tal Taylor
6 Celt Ffransis-Roberts (rep: Dan Owen 53)
7 Ethan Fackrell
8 Sam Williams
Replacements:
16 Osian Burt
17 Gareth Parry
18 Ethan Say
19 Tom Owen
20 Dan Owen
21 Dan Roderick
22 Osian Llewellyn
23 Owen Parry