Fixture

Rhymney 29 - 36 Dolgellau

Dolgellau first team and a contingent of travelling supporters made the trip south this weekend to face Rhymney RFC in the third round of the WRU Bowl.  Rhymney, who play in the League 1 East Central have enjoyed a good run of recent wins and Dolgellau knew they would face a tough test if they were to progress to round four of the national competition.

Dolgellau made a great start with less that three minutes on the clock, when early pressure within the home sides 22 saw the ball spread wide.  Centre Gareth Hughes came off his left foot to straighten the attacking line and fix a scramble Rhymney defence before some crisp passing gave left wing Jake Hinge one man to beat to score the game’s first try in the corner.  A second try only four minutes later came off quality lineout ball as inside centre Henri Roberts burst through two tackles, before combining with centre partner Hughes who threw a lovely floating pass out wide for Hinge to cross for his second, which went unconverted.  

Dolgellau were ten points to the good and Rhymney were looking a little shell shocked during the early period however they gained their composure and started to make inroads deep into Dolgellau territory. The home team’s pressure paid dividends after a quickly taken penalty on the Dolgellau five metre line with the second row picking up and scoring off their hooker, who was felled just short of the line.   Rhymney failed to convert resulting in a 5:10 score line in favour of Dolgellau with 15 minutes of the first period gone.  Rhymney then took only two more minutes from the restart to cross for their second try, which was converted to put the home team into a 12:10 lead.  

Dolgellau were reduced to fourteen after Hughes received a yellow card for not using arms in a tackle, but the home team were unable to convert the advantage into further points.  The remainder of the first period saw both teams jostle for dominance with no further sores.  Dolgellau came closest at the death of the half when Prop Greg Smithies was adjudged not to cross the line off a driving maul off lineout ball.  Half time score 12:10

Dolgellau made early inroads into Rhymney territory from the restart and were unlucky not to regain the lead when a Roberts penalty kick from out wide bounced back into play off the upright.  Rhymney regathered and cleared their line.  Indiscipline by Dolgellau gifted Rhymney position and a line out deep in the visitors 22.  The lineout was taken well and after two phases of play, resulted in a further unconverted try for the home team. Score 17:10 to Rhymney with only four minutes of the second half played.

On the twelve-minute mark, Standoff Eban Pugh Jones read a loose pass by the Rhymney ten and intercepted on the half way line to cross under the posts, Roberts added the conversion to put both sides on a equal seventeen points.  Dolgellau regained the lead ten minutes later following a period of sustained pressure deep in the Rhymney 22.  On form number eight Dewi Thomas picked up off the base of a five-metre scrum to feed nine Lewis Jones, who was stopped just short of the line.  Thomas was on hand to pick up and cross in the right corner.  Score 17:22 to Dolgellau.

True to form Rhymney hit back almost immediately pressurising the Dolgellau line off the restart.  The visitors were up to the challenge and their defence stayed strong for the next ten minutes before the home team crossed on the far right off a short ball from the base of ruck.  The score went unconverted tie the game at 22 points.  Eight minutes later Rhymney moved the ball quickly right off a ruck on the half way line and found a chink in the Dolgellau defence resulting in a converted try.  Score 29:22 to Rhymney.

With time running out for the visitors, Dolgellau dug deep to pressurise the home team from the restart.  Dolgellau front eight were making gain line with every carry. When a high tackle to Jones at nine resulted in a lineout just outside the home five metre line.  Thomas won quality lineout ball setting up prop Smithies to crash over to put Dolgellau back in the game.  Two points were added by Roberts to square the contest at twenty-nine each at the end of the normal time.

Two periods of ten minutes were required to separate the sides, but it was Dolgellau who broke down the home defence in the first period.  A line out from a penalty on the home team five metre line with Iwan Pugh gathering a Celt Lewis throw to the front.  One phase by Marius Jones moved the play infield just enough to allow Celt Lewis to slip the ball to the narrow side and allow Hinge to cross in the corner for his hattrick.   Roberts converted from the touchline to put Dolgellau a full score in front at 29:36. Despite a spirited second period of additional time, Rhymney were unable to break down their visitors and the game ended with a win for Dolgellau.

Man of the match Henri Roberts.

Dolgellau are very grateful for the warm welcome received from Rhymney and wish them well for their league and local cup campaigns.