WRU Division 3 East

NANTYGLO 10 GWERNYFED 40

These teams met in Talgarth on the opening day of the season. Gwernyfed took the honours on that occasion since when both sides have maintained unbeaten league records. That meant that this game was critical to the final placings. Joe Winfield’s men responded to the occasion with the green, white and blacks overwhelming their hosts.

Inevitably the early exchanges were a bit of an arm-wrestle with both sides testing the other out. Gwernyfed had the territorial advantage but didn’t threaten a score save for one typically brutal drive by number eight Lloydd Powell which was stopped just short. When the hosts did make progress into the Gwernyfed half, strong tackling held them between the halfway and ten metre lines, given which when presented with a penalty Nantyglo opted for the three points to open up a lead after fifteen minutes.

Within five minutes Gwernyfed wrested the initiative from the hosts when a series of drives from the three Powells, Lloydd, Geraint and Tom, sucked in defenders allowing half backs Tom Griffiths and Tyler Morris time. Morris saw full back Winfield out wide on the right and pin-pointed the forty metre punt. Winfield drew the defending winger and released try-scoring machine Will Lloyd to complete an impressive move. The lead was never relinquished.

The only other scoreboard action in the first period was recorded on the half hour. Cellan Skyrme found Geraint Powell from a line out on the Nantyglo 22. Off the top ball was delivered to Griffiths whose pass fund outside half Morris flying forward, an inside pass to a careering Gethin Davies enabling the Hay giant to pass defenders with ease to allow Winfield a simple conversion, delivering a nine point half-time lead.

It took twenty minutes into the second period for Gwernyfed to turn pressure into points, the score a product of constant attack and consequent penalties. After a couple of five metre line-outs building pressure further, when the home side tried to exit replacement scrum half Luke Eckley got his body over a ruck and Joe Winfield put the resultant penalty into the corner. Cellan Skyrme found Geraint Powell from the line out and then joined his pack to trundle over having collected the ball at the base. Winfield added two points.

If the third try was straight off the rugby production line, the fourth two minutes later was very much a bespoke effort crafted by fly half Tyler Morris. From a scrum on half way Gethin Davies crashed through tackles and made good ground. When tackled, Luke Eckley whipped quick ball to Morris, he beat his opposite number and, while eventually stopped, slipped the ball out of the tackle into the bread-basket of centre Ryan Davies advancing at speed. The remaining defence didn’t stand a chance and the four try bonus point was augmented by another Winfield

two-pointer.

With ten minutes remaining a demoralised home side tried manfully to stem the tide and managed to stop both centres, Gethin and Ryan Davies, extending the lead. However, it was only a matter of time and when Morris chipped over the advancing defence and Gethin Davies collected, his pass to Joe Winfield allowed the skipper to beat his man, touch down and add the conversion. Adding insult to injury, an outrageous interception by Geraint Powell was followed by a thirty-metre gallop down the right wing and an even more audacious cross kick, pursued by excellent flanker Tom Millington who crashed down under the posts so that Winfield could bring up the round 40 points.

Nantyglo never gave up and their endeavour was rewarded in the last minute with a converted try that added a little respectability to the score but did nothing to polish their aspirations to land the league title. By way of contrast, the green, white and blacks end 2025 having won every league game and can enjoy a few days off over the festive season before a trip to Caerleon in the first Saturday of 2026. Skipper Winfield and Director Rugby Ceri Morgan thanked the substantial travelling contingent and those not able to make it for the magnificent support offered, ‘A real sixteenth man’ commented Felinfach man Morgan.