Swansea V Neath
Monday May 2nd 2005, 2.30pm KO.

MATCH REPORT (by Phil Space)

SWANSEA 13 NEATH 26
NEATH finished their 2004/05 campaign with a win that completed a 10th double of the season over Swansea to sign off a wonderful championship-winning season.

After the excitement of the last few weeks, there was a distinct end-of-season feel to the game as the Blacks, playing their fourth game in ten days, never hit the heights but they did more than enough to see off their regional partners. The All Blacks were determined not to end on a low note after Newport and they gained their first win at St Helen's since their WRU Challenge Trophy success there in 1997/98.

After the teams formed a guard of honour to mark the final refereeing appearance of Clayton Thomas, ex-Neath outside-half Luke Richards fired over two early penalties to give Swansea the lead but overall they overdid the inside ball and, hard as hooker Richard Hibbard tried, their scrum was in tatters long before prop Andrew Clatworthy departed the fray after 15 minutes.

And it was Neath's pack that paved the way for their victory. The tight five worked hard throughout allowing the impressive back-row of Ben Davies, Lee Beach and John McPhail to make their presence felt. Young halves Martin Roberts and James Hook looked the part too as the sharper Blacks took the try-count 3-1.

Neath took the lead midway through the half and they never looked like being overtaken afterwards. Great work by the forwards resulted in prop Paul Jones barging over with Hook adding the conversion. As Neath warmed to their task, perhaps the game's best individual effort came when scrum-half Roberts latched onto a loose ball and raced 70 metres for a try just holding off the desperate Swansea chasers but the game was held up when Blacks' lock Styeve Martin suffered a neck injury and was stretchered from the field.

The Blacks went further ahead when Hook landed a penalty and on the stroke of half time Neath produced a brilliant score that was representative of some of the wonderful rugby they have excelled at this season. Captain Gareth Morris took a tap penalty inside his 22, and the combined handling of Hook, Beach, centre Wayne Mitchell and prop Jones finally sent McPhail flying over.

Neath's halftime lead of 20-6 was not seriously threatened until midway through the second-half when recently-released Osprey Paul Mackey went over at the posts for a try that Richards converted before Neath re-asserted their superiority with first a penalty and then a dropped goal by Hook whose 11 points in this game carried him to a new League record of 411 points and a new seasonal record for the Club of 466 points. It was fitting that Hook should seal the season after his outstanding exploits in this his first season.

Neath's victory was tarnished somewhat by three nasty injuries suffered by Steve Martin, Neil Clapham (ribs) and Ed Shervington (fractured cheekbone).

Oddly, the Blacks suffered three injuries in the season's opener against Swansea too but did not fare too badly otherwise through the season.

Neath v Swansea - N.Clapham (N.Jones); G.Morris (capt), D.Tiueti, W.Mitchell, R.Johnston; J.Hook, M.Roberts (Mark Davies); P.Jones (A.Howell), A.Littlehales (E.Shervington), C.Griffiths; S.Martin (C.Gittins), I.Evans; B.Davies (A.Llewellyn), L.Beach, J.McPhail (A.Senio).