WRU Division 4 East

LLANHILLETH 21 GWERNYFED 57  

Gethin Davies breaking away.  Photo: Stuart Eckley.

Gwernyfed maintained their unbeaten record with a solid performance against a resolute young Llanhilleth side. The nine try victory, Gethin Davies notching up four of the five-pointers, means that the green, white and blacks will definitely play in Division 3 next term, but still need a couple of points from their remaining three games to sign off as league champions.

On a huge pitch in great condition, the scene looked set for the speedy Gwernyfed back line, even without Ryan Davies who, having scored six tries in midweek was sidelined by illness. The early exchanges were all decided in favour of Gwernyfed with half backs Tom Griffiths and Joe Winfield being given an armchair ride by the pack, Ollie Rose, Craig Parry and Prys Eckley all making great yardage.

When Llanhilleth did get into Gwernyfed’s half, a nudge forward gave the travellers a scrum on their ten-yard line. Smooth delivery allowed Winfield to release inside centre Gethin Davies who saw a gap and was never in danger of being touched as he ran in from fifty metres.

Winfield moved the ball from left to right with Will Lloyd proving to be a thorn in the hosts’ side, but, while a young side, they tackled manfully, repelling attack after attack until the ball was swept wide on the left where try scorer Davies put skipper Jack Williams clear on the left wing for a touch-down in the corner.

Joe Winfield in open play.  Photo: Stuart Eckley.

More was to come from Williams from the restart. This time a sweeping move from sixty metres out built upon a great run by impressive young lock Ollie Rose saw the ball whipped out to the right where Will Lloyd made good ground. Craig Parry and Prys Eckley sucked in defenders with quick ball going to Joe Winfield. Using lock Jordan Curran as link, the ball went left to Gethin Davies who engineered a great position from which to release his skipper for a simple run in.

The bonus point try was secured when Llanhilleth spilled the ball on Gwernyfed’s ten metre line, the beneficiary centre Dylan Skyrme who collected, bisected the defence and ran under the posts from fifty metres – a trademark try.



Lesser sides would have wilted under the onslaught, but in spite of the scoreline, this was no one-sided game. The home side demonstrated their skill and ability with a sustained assault upon the Gwernyfed line as half-time approached. tThat effort was duly rewarded when centre Tom Harris ran a great line to touch down under the posts.

The Gwernyfed travelling support was both numerous, outnumbering the hosts contingent by three or four to one, and vociferous. Tries were saluted, though the loudest cheer of the afternoon was for the appearance off the bench for the second half of talismanic Club Captain Sam Stephens, returning after three months in dock from a serious injury, a welcome sight indeed.

Cellan Skyrme on the charge.  Photo: Stuart Eckley.

Stephens had to wait ten minutes to see his first try from close hand, this one a classic with the backs sweeping forward, Craig Parry collecting when the move was stopped and then linking with Gethin Davies who is unstoppable from ten metres.

The next score was a collector’s piece. A scrum fifty metres out saw the ball moved to the left where Stephens was on hand to clear up when replacement wing Will Powell was tackled. Back right came the ball to Dylan Skyrme just inside Llanhilleth’s half. The centre went on a mazey run through the midfield to be faced by four defenders inside the 22 – they were all bemused by speed of foot and thought with Skyrme completing a marvellous effort by plunging over in the corner.

The seventh try rather summed up Llanhilleth’s afternoon, two replacements in Gwernyfed’s pack reacting to a clearance kick after a five-metre scrum. Lock Andrew ‘Chuck’ Norris parried the kick which fell into the arms of hooker Kelly Evans who needed to do little more than fall over the line.

Llanhilleth finally got the reward that their perseverance deserved when, after a move of over a dozen phases, Jenson Cook cut in from the right wing to score under the posts, Mason Holl putting over the two-pointer.

Gethin Davies brought his total for the afternoon to four with two more tries, the first a simple touch down after Llanhilleth had resisted a series of drives, the second a Davies classic, breaking the hearts of the defenders with a blazing run through flailing arms from forty metres.

Joe Winfield added his sixth conversion of the afternoon to Davies’s second try but, fittingly, Llanhilleth illustrated the fact that they are side to be reckoned with, an Aaron Humphries try allowing Holl to add the conversion before the excellent referee blew no-side.

The green, white and black caravan moves to Bedwellty on Wednesday evening when a win would see the Talgarth men crowned as league champions. Whatever the outcome, two home games then beckon, against Crickhowell next Saturday with the visit of Crumlin bringing the curtain down on league action the following Wednesday evening.