Glamorgan Wanderers RFC 16 Bedwas RFC 12
WRU Admiral Championship, Saturday 12th March 2022.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.
Despite the home side suffering several injuries and finishing the game with eleven forwards on the pitch Bedwas could not find the fluency to conjure up a win as the home side deservedly took the spoils.
On a dry, overcast with a swirling wind the hosts took the lead after four minutes as outside half Gruff Tough slotted a penalty goal following Bedwas being adjudged offside. He repeated the feat eight minutes later from in front of the posts again Bedwas penalised for offside.
Following the second penalty worked their way up field and from a line-out close to the home try line prop forward Ben Drew squeezed through a gap for his first Bedwas try out wide. Matty Bancroft added the conversion and Bedwas were a point to the good.
Bedwas were reduced to fourteen men five minutes later with Mike Dacey trudging off for an off the ball high shot. Wanderers looked to take advantage of the superior numbers, but Bedwas held strong and tried to take the game to their opponents but were often guilty of taking wrong options and therefore no score came.
Shortly before the interval scrum half Rhys Downes found himself in the sin bin for a deliberate knock on, Wanderers taking immediate advantage as Number 8 Rob Weston crossed for a try. Wanderers captain outside centre Cameron Gibbon took over kicking duties from the injured Tough but was unsuccessful with his conversion. Nevertheless, his side went off for the interval eleven points to seven to the good.
Bedwas started the second half in a determined mood but all to often failed to capitalise on good field position and it was the home side who scored the killer blow after fifty-five minutes. A Bedwas attack saw the ball loose in the home twenty-five metre area, home left winger Lloyd James taking full advantage to run in from seventy-five metres to cross for a try. Gibbon’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Two minutes later Bedwas pulled a try back as Ben Sier found the space to cross but Bancroft’s conversion attempt fell wide but the deficit was only four points.
Bedwas made changes in an attempt to get back into the game but to their credit Wanderers dug deep to hold on for a deserved victory.
Bedwas are next in action on Friday 18th March 2022 when the students of Cardiff Met visit the Bridgefield following the postponement of the game against them on 19th February. Bedwas will need to bounce back from this defeat.
Images from today’s game are at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bedwasrfc/albums