Neath V Bridgend
Saturday 14th January 2006, 2.30pm Kick-Off.

MATCH REPORT (by Al Black)

(Photographs by Club Photographer - Julian Brock - Click Here)

(Additional photographs by Jeff Thomas - Click Here)

NEATH 11 BRIDGEND 3
The Welsh All Blacks advanced into the last 16 of the Konica-Minolta Welsh Cup after a tremendous tussle at The Gnoll in a clash between the Premiership’s leading two teams.

After 80 minutes there was little between the two sides but Neath scored the only try of the game and it was enough to keep them in front. If the Blacks go all the way this year, they will face few sterner challenges than they got from an experienced Bridgend side who used all the wits at their disposal but could not lay their Gnoll hoodoo that has now extended to 25 games from 1982.

In many ways the game was a throwback to the 1980’s with referee Tim Hayes operating without the assistance of neutral touch judges. Their absence allowed players to stretch the laws to the limit and the WRU really ought to have made touch-judges available for the three top ties in this round – after all, it was their error that saw Premiership sides unseeded and six eliminated from the competition already.

From the home point of view, touch-judge affirmation might also have led to Neath being awarded two crucial “tries” that were disallowed for forward passes. One early in the game when Gareth Morris cut the line and had a clear run to the posts in the first-half; the second after the break when television evidence suggested little was wrong with Jonathan Spratt’s effort. The referee though can hardly be blamed for taking a cautious stance in such a high-profile encounter.

Bridgend too had try-scoring chances. Ex-Wales flanker Nathan Budgett (Bristol-bound but when ?) was dragged down short of the line and two Neil Clapham interventions saved almost certain scores in each half. It was Clapham, last season’s leading Welsh try-scorer, who got the only try of the game when excellent handling by the Neath threes created space for a right corner try in the first-half.

Before halftime, Neath’s excellent acting-captain Tom Smith, who seems to grow in stature every game, was unlucky to be the only player sin-binned when so much dubious stuff was going on around the tackle area. Full back Gareth David got Bridgend’s only score with a penalty before James Hook restored Neath’s advantage with a well-struck goal from halfway.

Leading 8-3 but down to 14 men, Neath took up the hunt from the restart with impressive flanker Andy Llewellyn bursting away only to lose the ball just short of the try-line. This prompted a lengthy spell of Neath pressure in the home 22 with the visiting scrum in some disarray but when Spratt’s try was disallowed play switched to the other end and Neath had to defend for their lives.

Neath had the misfortune to lose Siua Taumalolo with a recurrence of his old leg injury after he had replaced Gareth Morris who suffered a shoulder injury. This prompted a back-line reshuffle but Wayne Mitchell contributed fully to Neath’s solid defence that repelled all raiders. As Neath summoned up late energy, Hook sealed it with his second penalty as the All Blacks overcame another stiff hurdle in their quest for glory.

Neath -G.Morris (S.Taumalolo) (W.Mitchell); N.Clapham, A.Bevan, J.Hook, J.Spratt; A.Thomas, M.Roberts; C.Griffiths, E.Shervington, C.Mitchell (P.Jones); D.McShane, M.Morgan; A.Llewellyn (B.Davies), T.Smith (captain), J.McPhail Other replacements – G.James, A.Littlehales, J.Davies
Bridgend – G.David; R.Howells, R.Davies, L.Thomas, N.Trowbridge (P.Williams); M.David, B.Roach; T.Hearne, A.Joy (I.Dobbs), G.Alexander; T.Evans, M.Powell (captain); N.Budgett, A.Williams, M.Thomas (D.Fitzgerald)
Referee – Mr. T.Hayes (Carmarthen)

Man of the Match: Jonathan Spratt [Presented by Rowland Phillips] (chosen by Osprey and Wales star, Ryan Jones)