Swansea V Neath
Saturday 1st April 2006, 2.30pm KO

MATCH REPORT (by Al Black)

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

(Photographs by Jeff Thomas- Click Here)

SWANSEA 13 NEATH 33
In a classic Cup encounter the Welsh All Blacks turned the screw on Swansea to achieve a third victory of the season over the Whites.

Ex-Wales coach Mike Ruddock was in the crowd estimated at 4,000 and he received generous applause from the Black-dominated galleries – “just like the good old days,” exclaimed Swansea’s excitable PA man.

A strong wind was blowing from the Mumbles towards the town end and it meant that this was always going to be a “game of two halves” between the old rivals. The Blacks, although not quite getting their game together and guilty of playing it a little too loose on times, had done enough by halftime to suggest that the final spoils would be theirs.

The game started disastrously for the visitors when a Martin Roberts kick landed in midfield and Whites centre David Watts gathered to fend off the scrum-half’s challenge and cross at the posts for a try that outside-half Stuart Thomas converted. Thomas extended the lead minutes later with a wind-borne penalty from 55 yards but the Neath forwards then began to assert themselves with their hallmark driving and Swansea’s concession of a stream of penalties for tackle-area transgressions did not help their cause.

Neath forced a series of lineouts and scrums on the Swansea line and, although prop Paul Jones went close to crossing, the Blacks were held at bay and the wind aided Swansea’s escape. At the other end, Stuart Thomas missed a penalty and then Swansea opted for a scrum on the Neath line but it was repelled by the Blacks who continued to profit from first-rate lineout work by skipper Steve Martin and Martin Morgan. Just before halftime, excellent referee Neil Ballard’s patience with Swansea’s continued infringements finally snapped and he sin-binned Wales Under-21’s flanker Ben Lewis for repeated irregularity.

Swansea’s 10-point wind-assisted lead seemed insufficient but Neath probably rued not having come away with a first-half score and their hopes took a hit when prop Craig Mitchell was sin-binned after Swansea’s Richie Rees ran into him from a quick penalty to make it 14-a-side.

On Lewis’ return, despite their numerical inferiority, Neath attacked, Swansea countered but Neath turned over possession in their own 22 and ran the ball back. When the ball went loose, hooker Gerwyn Price toed the ball forward and stayed ahead of Swansea outside-half Thomas in a dramatic kick and chase to the try-line. Both over-ran the ball but centre Jonathan Spratt was on hand to touch down for Neath’s first score that Arwel Thomas converted.

Neath’s joy was short-lived as Stuart Thomas sent a second penalty on a crazy course to the posts but by now Neath had the bit between their teeth. A series of scrums on the Swansea line saw the pressure tell when the ball went loose and Arwel Thomas pounced for Neath’s second score. With ten minutes remaining, Neath were squeezing the life out of Swansea and, after Spratt had been denied at the corner, centre Aled Bevan stepped his way through for the visitors’ third try that carried the All Blacks past 1,000 points for the season and Arwel Thomas converted to make it 19-13.

Swansea had one last chance to make amends as Stuart Thomas broke but the Blacks were now in command and finished strongly as the old master Patrick Horgan emerged from the bench to touch down for Thomas to convert. Finally, the Blacks’ stranglehold was emphasised by a late score when replacement No.8 Ben Davies drove off the back of the scrum and replacement centre Wayne Mitchell (who had made a terrific impact with his direct running and strong tackling) ran through to score a deserved fifth try of the afternoon.

Arwel Thomas added the coup de grace conversion but Swansea flanker Ben Lewis suffered a nasty ankle-injury in the build up to that try and, with skipper Gareth Newman suspected to have broken his arm, the game took a heavy toll on the Whites.

Neath – N.Clapham; S.Thomas, A.Bevan, J.Spratt, R.Johnston (W.Mitchell); A.Thomas, M.Roberts (P.Horgan); P.Jones, G.Price (E.Shervington), C.Mitchell (A.Howell); S.Martin (captain), M.Morgan; D.McShane (A.Llewellyn), H.Jenkins (B.Davies), J.McPhail (J.Davies)
Swansea – N.Thomas; R.Jones (A.Bramwell) (C.Shelmerdine), D.Watts, M.Brayley, N.Jones; S.Thomas, R.Rees (D.Pittard); T.Evans, D.Colclough (R.Emms), L.May (A.Clatworthy); D.Lloyd-Jones, I.Evans; G.Jones, G.Newman (captain) (S.Edwards), B.Lewis
Referee : Mr. N.Ballard (Cardiff)