Bedwas V Neath
Saturday 25th September 2004, 2.30pm KO

MATCH REPORT (by Phil Space)

BEDWAS 17 NEATH 39

CALLING ALL NEATH FANS !
Tell your friends to get down to The Gnoll this week to see Llandovery and Carmarthen Quins, they might just see something special.

Judging by the devastating first-half display of all-round pace that set Neath on their way to win number three out of three in the Welsh Premier Division, this year's crop of Welsh All Blacks might just turn out to be as good as any seen in the Club's proud past. If they can extend their effort to 80-minutes that is !

The Welsh All Blacks played some wonderful rugby as five tries were secured in the first half which ended with Neath 32-5 to the good. Indeed, the support play of backs and forwards was for half an hour or so reminiscent of the halcyon days of the great Kevin Phillips teams as Neath handled the oval with remarkable skill and dash.

Full back Neil Clapham had a memorable day. Always eager to join the attacks - and there were a lot of them - he raced over for a hat-trick making him the League's joint top try scorer with 4.

His third was top drawer stuff as just about every Neath player handled as the ball was rushed from deep inside Neath's 22 to the Bedwas line. Throughout the backs were given a fine service by the hard-working pack and there were first tries in the famous All Blacks jersey too for lock Ian Evans and impressive No.8 Lee Beach at the tail-end of a formidable Neath scrum.

To their credit, injury-hit Bedwas did not give up the ghost and hit back with second-half tries as Neath kicked away possession into the wind only to find it returned with interest. Wing Matthew Pizey and full back Rob Sweeney got second-half tries, Sweeney converting his.

But Neath crowned their performance with a try by replacement prop Andrew Howell whose charge from the 22 was absolutely unstoppable. James Hook converted for the third time and he kicked a first-half penalty.

So it's Llandovery next at The Gnoll on Wednesday (7.15 pm) as the Blacks seek to extend their 100 per cent record. Be there - it would be a pity to miss it !

Neath :- Neil Clapham; Aled Brew, Andrew Bishop, Wayne Mitchell, Richard Johnston; James Hook, Mark Davies; Paul Jones (captain), Darren Poland, Cai Griffiths; Steve Martin, Ian Evans; Andy Llewellyn, Lee Beach, John McPhail Replacements - Aled Bevan, Martin Roberts, Andrew Howell, Andy Littlehales, Chris Gittins, Aiono Senio, Hywel Jenkins