Neath V Ebbw Vale
Saturday 25th February 2006, 2.30pm Kick-Off.

MATCH REPORT (by Al Black)

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

(Additional photographs by Mike Greenslade - Click Here)

NEATH 46 EBBW VALE 3
Three tries in each half propelled Neath to their 18th consecutive League win against struggling Ebbw Vale. Playing towards the Town with the benefit of a strong wind, Neath opened their account with a penalty by outside-half Arwel Thomas who then converted the first try scored by centre Siua Taumalolo after a great break by wing Aled Brew who was playing his first game since December.

A period of sustained pressure on the Vale line soon yielded try number two by hooker Gerwyn Price then prop Andrew Howell barged over, Thomas converting both to make it 24-nil in as many minutes. Vale responded with a penalty by outside-half Owen Biddescombe but Neath lost their way a little before halftime before Thomas landed his second penalty to make it 27-3 at the interval.

With the wind behind them, Vale need to score quickly if they were to get back into the game but the Neath defence worked hard and the Blacks took play to the Llantwit end. After the Mitchell brothers had both gone close, Price stormed away in the Vale 22 and found lock Ben Davies up in support to sell a clever dummy to nobody in particular and score. Replacement scrum-half Gareth James then burst away only for the athletic Davies to knock on when a second try seemed likely but “Big Ben” soon made amends by racing away over 60 metres to bag his second and Arwel Thomas converted.

The young second row only came into the side as a late replacement for previously ever-present Martin Morgan who was laid low with an infection. His remarkable pace caught the eye and, allied to his lineout leaping and solid scrum work, earned him the man-of-the-match award from Neath legend Brian Williams who knows a thing or two about forward mobility and who entertained post-match with a typically forthright speech. Neath rounded off a good day’s work when the silky skills of Arwel Thomas supplied a neat nudge for replacement centre Jonathan Spratt to score at the posts and Thomas converted for a 16-point match haul.

The Blacks are now 9 points clear at the top of the table but face a severe examination at Llynfi Road, Maesteg on Wednesday (7.15pm).

Neath – N.Clapham; S.Thomas, S.Taumalolo (P.Jones), W.Mitchell, A.Brew (R.Johnston); A.Thomas, P.Horgan (G.James); A.Howell (A.W.Davies), G.Price (A.Littlehales), C.Mitchell; S.Martin (captain), B.Davies; A.Llewellyn, D.McShane, S.Pengelly (J.Davies)
Ebbw Vale – A.Whiteman; S.Hunt, K.Owen (captain), J.hawker, A.Bevan (M.Griffiths); O.Biddescombe (D.Phillips), B.Shelbourne (A.Lake); L,Davies, D.Williams (C.Thomas), L.Williams (R.Morgan); G.Jones, N.Edwards (R.Aylett); R.Bowen (M.Vaughan), C.Cleaver, J.Lydiate
Referee – Mr.D.Bodliy (Cardiff)