WRU Division 3 East

GARNDIFFAITH 21 GWERNYFED 57

For the second campaign in succession, Gwernyfed went through the league season unbeaten, a Friday night victory at Garndiffaith making it eighteen wins on the trot, the record garnished by 122 tries and 788 points.

A visit to uncompromising Garn is always a challenge and so it proved for the early stages of the game until the green, white and black number eight, Lloydd Powell, took charge. The Hay man scored the first two of tries of a hat trick thanks to both strength and speed. From a shortened line out Powell stationed himself in the threequarters and when released thirty metres out was just too much for the home defence. The second five pointer came when a long Joe Winfield clearance was misfielded, Tom Morgan collecting the scraps and releasing Powell via Tom Millington, once again Powell too strong for the defence.

It wasn’t all about strength. Dylan Skyrme coming into the line from full back made yards all evening and centre Rhodri Williams was always dangerous, indeed, when he was collared inside Gwernyfed’s half after a run, fellow centre Gethin Davies was alert to opportunity and skipped over the ruck through a gap in the defence to go fifty metres under posts. Davies made Winfield’s conversion a formality.

The hosts had hoped to take Gwernyfed’s record and fielded a robust pack for the task. The tactic worked to an extent with Gwernyfed’s lead being pegged back by two converted tries owing much to the forward charge. The challenge forced an immediate response when Geraint Powell fielded a line out forty metres out, half backs Tom Griffiths and skipper Winfield combined to release Gethin Davies coming in at speed, all too much for the defending threequarters who conceded a forty metre run-in.

More was to come before the break, a good move down the left featuring Tom Morgan breaking down for Griffiths and Winfield to feed Gethin Davies on the halfway line. Davies careered to the twenty-two with Dylan Skyrme on his shoulder, Skyrme taking a perfect pass and going under the posts so that Winfield could extend the half-time score to 33-14.

The home side opened the scoring in the second period with a try derived form a rolling maul. However, that was to be the last taste of the try line as the Talgarth men responded with Gethin Davies completing his hat-trick from forty metres out by way of reparation and then virtually from the restart Lloydd Powell also adding his third with a bullocking run from inside his own half to remove any doubt about the result.

An eighth try was built upon sound defence, hooker Kelly Davies prominent. The impressive Lloydd Powell finally wrestled the initiative from Garn by a jackal from the ruck, then making forty metres before releasing to speeding full back Dylan Skyrme who finished the job.

The final try on a night that closed the season was scored by flanker Tom Millington, a reward for his effort and reliability through the campaign, the youngster collecting a loose ball on the halfway line and running in against a defence by now demoralised by Gwernyfed’s speed of thought and foot.

With both Athletic and Youth sides both looking forward to cup finals in the next fortnight and the senior XV promoted again, Gwernyfed ends the season in a very healthy position.