Winger Harri Evans was delighted to get his first try of the season, but also pointed out the defence work from the team in the win against Carmarthen Quins “Of course it was good to get the try and, to be fair, it was a pretty easy one after Dion (Jones) passed it to me on the line. To nil them in the 2nd half was also a big positive, and we have worked hard in training this week.

The intensity was ramped up Monday and Tuesday, and it helped us in the game today. They pushed us back onto the line a few times, but credit to all the boys, as we made sure they didn’t get over. We want to create a tough atmosphere at home, and Mark Jones has spoken about it being a fortress. We want the visiting teams to look at the fixtures knowing it will be a difficult place to come to, week in, week out." 

The 3 RGC tries were the highlight of a game that didn’t really spark into life, but once again the RGC defence worked hard. RGC opened the score with an early penalty from Dion Jones, before the Carmarthen Quins fly-half Daniel Jones did the same for the visitors. 

Quins then controlled the play for 20 minutes as they camped in the RGC half and looked to find that gap in the Gogs’ defence. The game was paused for a period, due to an injury to Alex Taylor, which didn’t help the flow of the match.

RGC then lost the ball, and as a result, Quins stretched the field, and when winger Ford kicked ahead from halfway he sprinted past Tiaan Loots to collect the ball and dab down for the try. Jones hit the extras.

Fly-half Jones missed a penalty opportunity but minutes later booted another kick over to make it a 10 point lead. 

The visitors were more than happy to slow the game down, and also pinned RGC back with some tactical kicks getting behind the RGC backline. 

RGC finally made some inroads with a good attack combination from Dion Jones, Rhys Williams and Tom Hughes, before the centre was bundled into touch.

It was the pack who then impressed with a 30-yard drive that didn’t stop moving, and it rumbled all the way to the line before being held up. It was a statement of intent against a strong Quins set piece, and resulted in a penalty that was kicked by Jones. 

Dion Jones was impressing with ball in hand, and collected numerous high balls in the 1st half as well, snuffing out any Quins attacks. 

RGC took control of the ball, and they picked up their first try after Andrew Williams picked up the ball from the scrum and charged downfield, before Alex Schwarz set up Rhys Williams to go over in the corner.

The pace picked up and, with that, RGC scored another superb score. Harri Evans collected the ball and made a side-step that left the Carmarthen Quins tacklers practically in the stands and darted over the half-way line, before Rhys Williams opened up the defence, and Loots finished the try off.

It was more of the same when the 2nd half started, and probably the loudest cheer of the day came when Harri Evans got his first try of the season. Loots and Schwarz made a huge break before the ball was shifted wide for the centre to go over. Dion Jones added the conversion and a penalty for a successful afternoon with the boot. 

For much of the second half, RGC were working without the ball, and the Quins tested the whitewash on a number of occasions, but the RGC line stood strong.

The Carmarthen set piece is one of the strongest in the league, but it was unable to breach the RGC line. At one point they had 10 minutes of ball and territory, but the home side defended with all they had.

Tim Grey, Tiaan Loots and Dion Jones gave RGC some attacking outlets to ease the pressure, but the biggest positive was the defence work, and the fact the Quins were unable to get any points in the 2nd half.

Another good performance from RGC U18s last Sunday, which saw them run this year’s Regional Age Grade Winners, the Dragons, right to the final whistle (20-24).

Having controlled a lot of the ball and territory throughout the game, RGC should probably have put some more points on the board during the first 60 mins, however the Dragons’ defence held out. Again, it was credit to the Dragons as they converted their chances to score three times late in the first half, taking the lead into the break at 17-6.

The story of the second half was much the same, but it was try for try as the gap in the scoreline closed toward the end of the game, eventually finishing 24-20 in favour of the Dragons. 

It was another improved U18s, who have made some great progress since coming back together in January. The players have really bought into training and they've grown in confidence through training against the Senior team on a weekly basis. With one more game to go against the Scarlets at home next Sunday, they'll be looking to finish the season with their best performance to date.

It was heartbreak for the RGC U16 side as they went down to a penalty try, awarded with almost the last play of the game, against a classy Ospreys West outfit. It was the visitors who started best and they opened the scoring after only 5 minutes through their winger George Dunn, and they were to go further ahead in the 21st minute via full-back Alex Hughes. Being 12 points down (the Ospreys’ opening try had been converted by their outside half Dan Edwards) it was imperative that RGC were next on the scoreboard and just before half-time they were rewarded for their efforts, when a break by centre Finlay Hare was finished off by their full-back, Sam Stoddard, and with Carwyn Jones adding the extras, the half ended with the Ospreys West side holding a narrow 12 points to 7 lead.

5 minutes into the second half, replacement winger Peter Pattenden with almost his 1st touch dotted down in the right-hand corner and, although Jones narrowly missed the conversion attempt, the scores were tied at 12 apiece. The Ospreys’ powerful outside centre Iestyn Lewis was next to cross the whitewash, but his effort was soon cancelled out by RGC replacement prop Rhys Jones who was the first to capitalise on a dropped Ospreys pass on the halfway line and, having kicked on the loose pass, it was he who benefited from the subsequent mistake from the Ospreys’ cover defence to touch the ball down.

Both sides had chances to win the game in the last 10 minutes of the game but, with less than a minute to go, RGC were adjudged to have killed the ball close to their try-line, and the referee immediately marched under the posts to award a penalty try. All that remained was for the Ospreys to safely collect the restart and kick the ball into touch with the final act of the game.

Speaking after the match finished, RGC U16s Head Coach Gav Hodgkinson found it hard to hide his disappointment:

'It’s hard enough being the Coach and losing a game to a penalty try in the last minute, but how I feel is nothing compared to the emotions I am sure are currently being felt by the players. Coming back from being 12-0 down, and it could have been more, against such a strong Ospreys side showed a huge amount of character and not a little skill, which makes losing in the manner that we did all the harder to take. We were by no means perfect, particularly early on, but once the players began to believe in themselves, they showed from 1-23 that they are more than capable of competing at this level. We have one more game left in this year’s RAG Competition, against the Scarlets West Under 16s, back on the 4G at Eirias, and we will be looking to finish the campaign on a positive note.'

Picture credit (Tony Bale)

Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd

Aberavon v Bargoed

Bedwas v Cross Keys

Bridgend v Newport

Neath v Llandovery

RGC v Carmarthen Quins

Swansea v Merthyr

Llanelli v Cardiff

* - Denotes points deducted

Today’s - I once ate a whole chocolate log cake for breakfast.

Peaky Blinders

Power

Homeland 

Prison Break 

Suits

Referee: Aled Liddington

Assistant Referees: Dylan Jones, Ed Brown