Fairwater v Gwernyfed

Fairwater (0) v Gwernyfed (13)

Gwernyfed 1st XV travelled to Cardiff on Saturday and secured an important victory on the road when they beat Fairwater by 13 points to nil. Following the previous week’s home defeat against Llanishen, when the team turned in a disappointing performance, they started with real endeavour and dominated the

first 40 minutes. Two Josh Griffiths penalties were supplemented by a John Davies try, when the pack drove a maul over the home try line, Griffiths adding the extra 2 points. The second half continued in

the same vein and Gwernyfed were unlucky not to increase the score. However, Fairwater started to come into the game a bit more and the last 25 minutes saw the large home pack batter the Gwernyfed line in an effort to score. However, Gwernyfed’s excellent defence, which has been a prominent feature in the first few weeks of the season, held firm, ensuring an important victory. In a good team performance, Josh Griffiths and Jordan Curran, stepping up from last seasons’s second team, showed that they will mount a serious challenge for regular first team rugby, while Wil Griffiths, in a man-of-the-match performance, gave his opposite prop a torrid time in the scrum and also shone in open play.

Next Saturday sees Gwernyfed entertain local rivals Brecon in the first of the season’s two local derbies and the win against Fairwater will clearly provide a boost for the Trefecca Road outfit, although Brecon also secured a victory on Saturday, at home to Tonyrefail, courtesy of a fine second half performance and so they will also be buoyed up for the encounter.