Cross Keys RFC 19 Bedwas RFC 17
WRU Specsavers Championship, Saturday 04 January 2020.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.
Bedwas’ hopes of catching runaway leaders evaporated with this disappointing, ill-disciplined performance at Cross Keys.
After an strongly contested opening 10 minutes the game came to life with the home side’s Number 8 Spencer Gibson receiving a yellow card but undeterred his colleagues took the game to their visitors and Bedwas intransigence saw two quickly produced yellow cards to James Hallett for ‘killing the ball’ and Jordan Rees for a deliberate knock-on. The second card also resulting in a penalty try for Keys.
The Bedwas response was good with the forwards combining well to drive the ball over the try line and Mike Dacey to claim the try from the pile of bodies. Dion McIntosh added the extras.
Both sides struggled for any fluency but Bedwas appeared to hold the aces at scrum time and gained more of an advantage when Keys Loose Head Prop Jordan Rogers was sinbinned following several indiscretions at scrum time.
This time Bedwas were unable to make the extra man count and had to settle for a last gasp penalty goal from Dion McIntosh to go in 10 points to 7 to the good at half time.
Bedwas started the second half well and a second Mike Dacey try from a driving maul complimented by McIntosh’s conversion increased the advantage to 10 points.
With Bedwas seemingly unable to conjure up any meaningful attacking play the home side upped the ante and set up a driving maul which the referee deemed to be illegally stopped and James Richards given ten minutes on the side lines to reflect on his indiscretion. Keys immediately made Bedwas pay as Number 8 Spencer Gibson was driven over for a try. Loui O’Brien missed the conversion attempt.
Bedwas made changes to the half back combination and front rows in an attempt to change things but it was to no avail as Keys now held the advantage in the tight as the Bedwas scrum began to creak.
Replacement hooker Connor Vaughan scored the match winning try for the home side with two minutes remaining and to the delight of the home crowd Loui O’Brien held his nerve to add the conversion to complete the win.
Bedwas will need to show some ‘bouncebackability’ next Saturday (11th January) when Beddau RFC are the visitors to the Bridgefield.
Images from this game can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bedwasrfc/albums