Merthyr V RGC 1404

Merthyr 16 RGC 23

Division 1 East.

RGC continue the great start to their debut season with a win away at merthyr. This follows the win against Gilfach Goch last week.

fair play that's excellent, i don't think they were expecting a win down in Merthyr. Nice to see!

They are currently in second place in the table. It would be nice if we could get a report from someone who was there.

Fantastic win! RGC had switched the game from a home fixture to an away one due to something happening at Parc Eirias. Two tough away fixtures to two physical teams in a row. This team is the best thing happening in Welsh rugby at the moment.

Yup good to see, I hope if they top the division then they'll get a bit extra money ready for the Prem next season (if they'll go straight in...)

From what I gather RGC already have a professional squad of players. I read at the start of the season most of the squad was assembled and the last trial sessions were taking place so they could finalise the remaining players to win contracts.

I think it's fair to say that if the players are on contracts their semi-pro if not professional. Which gives them a big advantage over the teams in the league with them.

RGC have actually drawn Swansea in the Swalec cup in January so it will be interesting to see how they cope there. RGC can get intoithe Premiership as I gather their stadium meets the requirements, if they do I'm assuming the WRU would try and sneak them into the Amlin and maybe the LV Cup as well.

I think they have started ower because many of their academy players were 16 when they entered in 2010, their 18 now so RGC can grow as they mature. Maybe in 2 years they will be ready for the Premiership.

Highlights from last weeks game and interviews with RGc staff:
http://supporters.wru.co.uk/matchdaytv/index/index/id/12697


Merthyr 16 v RGC 1404 23

Chris Horsman delighted with the second successive away victory and now looking forward to making it a hat-trick of wins at Ynysybwl next Saturday.

The RGC senior side came away from South Wales with a victory for the second consecutive Saturday but this time it was a much tougher affair than the previous weekend's win over Gilfach Goch. Merthyr had also won their opening fixture of the season, against Mountain Ash, and it was clear from the outset that they were determined not to let their unbeaten record go easily.

In fact it was they who had the first opportunity of the game to score but fortunately for the North Walians a penalty attempt by their outside half slipped just wide of the posts. From the 22 metre drop out the Merthyr side were driven back by a series of penalties and from the last of them RGC outside half Rhodri Carlton-Jones slotted over the opening 3 pointer.

Merthyr were to draw level through a penalty of their own when the RGC midfield was caught offside as both sides found it hard to establish any continuity with penalties continually being awarded against both for infringements at the breakdown. Then after 25 minutes with almost the first glimpse of flowing rugby from either side RGC inside centre Mike Jones ran in the opening score from 20 metres out following good handling from Llywarch Ap Myrddin and Harri Evans. Carlton-Jones adding the extras. He was to add another penalty 3 minutes from half-time following yet another penalty given at the breakdown, one that this time led to the sin-binning of the Merthyr outside half.

But then with the very last play of the half RGC were penalised for holding on and the Merthyr outside centre, Matthew Trowbridge, converted a long-range penalty to give a half-time score of 13 points to 6.

Looking to take advantage of their numerical superiority RGC started the second half the better and a couple of minutes in Carlton Jones added his second penalty followed up by a try in which he side-stepped two defenders before touching down under the posts. With the conversion being added RGC had a comfortable looking 20 points to 6 lead.

A lead that looked a lot less comfortable when RGC hooker Andy Baston was sin-binned, having abeen adjudged to have been guilty of a deliberate knock-on and shortly afterwards Merthyr took advantage when they powered over for a score. It was then their turn to be down to 14 men as their highly effective scrum-half spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin for killing the ball at the break-down and whilst he was off the field Carlton-Jones edged the RGC side a little further ahead with his 3rd penalty of the game. Again Merthyr came straight back and when RGC captain Kelvin Davies found himself in the bin for the final yellow card of the game, they took advantage to score their second try of the game. Inside centre Cameron Gardener beating a couple of defenders to score in the left-hand-corner.


This was to prove the final score of the game as the RGC pack took control for the last 5 minutes of the half and with the final penalty of the game Carlton Jones kicked the ball into touch to end what had been a hard fought game from which both sides could take much credit.

Speaking after the game RGC Head Coach Chris Horsman said,

'Just as last week I am incredibly proud of the effort shown by the boys. Merthyr is not an easy place to come away from with a victory and the fact that we have been able to grind one out bodes really well for the future. Last week it was the backs who were the stars of the show but this week it was the forwards who got us the win. It was a big physical Merthyr pack and the fact that the likes of Mareddyd Francis, Aaron Gwyn and Tom Parry,none of whom are yet 20 were able to compete with them on equal terms says an awful lot about them as players.

As always I felt that Kelvin Davies had a fantastic game at number 8 but it would be wrong of me to single out individual players as this was a real team effort from 1 through to 19.Next week will be a light one training-wise as we are down in South Wales again, this time at Ynysybwl,on Saturday. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Merthyr for showing us what South Wales Rugby is all about. Hard but fair on the field and fantastic hosts off it.'


RGC Squad:
1. Tom Hughes
2. Andy Baston
3. James Jones
4. Bryn Williams
5. Mareddyd Francis
6. Aaron Gwyn
7. Tom Parry
8. Kelvin Davies
9. Alex Schwarz
10. Rhodri Carlton-Jones
11. Richard Hopkins
12. Mike Jones
13. Harri Evans
14. Ben Stelmaszek
15. Llywarch Ap Myrddin
16. Rhodri Evans
17. Brandon Allsop
18. Andy Williams
19. Afon Bagshaw

Merthyr RFC:
15 PHIL COCCRAN
14 AARON HOWARD
13 MATTHEW TROWBRIDGE
12 CAMERON GARDNER
11 JACK THOMAS
10 JOSH FLYE
9 RYAN HARRIES(CAPT)

1 JONATHAN TAYLOR
2 JOSH DAVIES
3 CARL STEVENSON
4 BOB MORDECAI
5 NICK WHITE
6 MATTHEW LLEWELLYN
7 AARON HARRIS
8 ANDREW MURPHY

16 RHYS JAMES
17 TONY MEE
18 STEVE DOBSON
19 JAMIE MINETT

Didn't see this coming! Congrats to RGC, exceeded my expectations already. May they continue doing so