Ynysybwl v RGC 1404

RGC 1404 remain as one of the two unbeaten sides in the Swalec Division 1 East with another away win. Ynysybwl 17 v RGC 1404 27.

Saturday, 15 September 2012 19:15 UK

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	BP	PTS
1	RGC1404	3	3	0	0	92	52	1	13
2	Penallta	3	2	1	0	93	58	1	11
3	Ystrad Rhondda	3	2	0	1	88	36	1	9
4	Rhydyfelin	3	2	0	1	88	62	1	9
5	Rumney	3	2	0	1	62	62	0	8
6	Ynysybwl	3	1	1	1	79	71	1	7
7	Treorchy	3	1	1	1	69	67	1	7
8	Mountain Ash	3	1	0	2	71	78	2	6
9	Merthyr	2	1	0	1	42	35	2	6
10	Heoly Cyw	3	0	1	2	42	67	1	3
11	Gilfach Goch	2	0	0	2	39	72	0	0
12	Tredegar	3	0	0	3	37	142	0	0

And?

They're the only unbeaten team according to that table. Nice to see them progressing, they'll hopefully be a Region one day.

Penallta ain't been beaten either - 2 wins and a draw, but no loses

Ynysybwl 17 v RGC 1404 27

Chris Horsman: 'Whilst you cant't win the League in September you can certainly lose it and as I have already said it is fantastic to have won our first three matches'.

The RGC senior side made it three wins out of three in Division 1 East this season with a hard-fought win over a committed Ynysybwl side in a game whose outcome was in doubt right up until the final minutes.

It was the home side who started the brightest with their outside half, Nathan Ellis, kicking the ball deep into RGC territory at every opportunity and from this early pressure so Ellis had a chance to open the scoring but his penalty attempt sailed wide. A few minutes later Ellis' counterpart in the RGC side, Rhodri Carlton Jones, succeeeded where Ellis had failed and knocked over a penalty in front of the posts after the Ynysybwl mid-field had been caught off-side.

This was the signal for the RGC back-row of Andrew Williams, Tom Parry and Kelvin Davies to take over and following a couple of missed opportunities RGC scored the first try of the game when following a great turnover by Parry in the RGC 22 swift handling by Mareddyd Francis and Ben Stelmaszek took the ball into the Ynysybwl 22 and from the resulting possesion centre Mike Jones burst through the home defence to score his 3rd try in three games. Carlton-Jones added the extras and was similarly succesful 5 minutes later in converting his own try after Tom Parry had been held up short of the line.

Coming out at the beginning of the second-half with a 17-0 lead the RGC side might have thought they were heading for a simple win, but if they did they soon had to think again. From the re-start they were caught offside and although Ellis missed the three pointer they scored their first points a few minutes later when their dangerous winger Dale Stuckey beat off some weak tackling to touch-down under the posts.

Then shortly after Carlton-Jones missed with an attempted drop-goal, Ynysysbwl scored their second try of the game when centre Sean Ireland barrelled his way over from less than 10 metres out. With the conversion being added it was now only a three point difference that lay between the two sides.

Straight from the re-start RGC forced a turnover and although Tom Hughes was tackled just short of the whitewash the ball was swiftly re-cycled and full-back Llywarch Ap Myrddin scorched his way over to take the lead up to 8 one that was soon extended to 10 by Carlton-Jones as he slotted over the conversion.

Although Ynysysbwl were to pull that back through another penalty the visitors had the final say with Carlton Jones second penalty of the day.

Speaking after the game RGC Head Coach Chris Horsman said:

'To win our opening three games in Division 1 East would have been a massive achievement in it's own right but to win all three on the road makes it an even bigger one. Ynysysybwl gave us a real challenge today and when they pulled to within three points they began to ask serious questions about the character of the team. The fact that we responded so well shows just how strong that character is. As ever captain Kelvin Davies put his body on the line for us today but it was again a great team effort from the entire squad. '

Asked how it felt to be sitting on top of the Division 1 East table, Horsman replied:

'Whilst you cant't win the League in September you can certainly lose it and as I have already said it is fantastic to have won our first 3 matches. However we still have another 19 games to play in what is going to be a long and hard season. We have got our first home game next week at Parc Eirias which is something we are all looking forward to and I really hope that the North Wales rugby public come out in force to give the boys the support they deserve.'

Next Saturday's game v Tredegar kicks off at 5.30pm.

RGC 1404 Senior squad v Ynysybwl
1. Tom Hughes
2. Andy Baston
3. James Jones
4. Bryn Williams
5. Mareddyd Francis
6. Andrew Williams
7. Tom Parry
8. Kelvin Davies
9. Alex Schwarz
10. Rhodri Carlton-Jones
11. Richard Hopkins
12. Mike Jones
13. Harri Evans
14. Iolo Evans
15. Llywarch Ap Myrddin
16. Simon Griffiths
17. Liam Leung
18. Aaron Gwyn
19. Afon Bagshaw

14. Iolo Evans

Interesting selection that, former Scarlets academy player and current Wales 7's international squad member.