BETWS 30 – ALLTWEN 18

Betws produced a storming display to avenge a one point defeat in the opening game of the season with a bonus point win to leapfrog over Alltwen to second place in Division 5 South West. In a frantic start on this top of the table clash, both teams were making errors but it was the visitors who opened the scoring with a penalty from classy outside half Shaun Hamer after ten minutes play.

Betws levelled the scores after fifteen minutes when outside half Phil Saunders responded with a penalty. The homesters went into the lead halfway through the half when following a powerful scrum, number 8 Dan Howells powered over from short range. Another powerful scrum on half way enabled scrum half Dylan Rees to chip over the defence with speedy wing Rhys Williams the first to the ball to kick ahead and win the race for the touchdown. Saunders added the conversion for a 15 – 3 lead.

Hamer and Saunders exchanged further penalties before the visitors hit back just before half time when they broke through a close range lineout to score. Hamer converted from the touchline to make the half time score 18 – 13.

The second half began with the home eight quick to demonstrate their superior scrum power by driving the visitors back over the line for no 8 Dan Howells to score his second try of the day. The visitors responded by using their dangerous backs to run the ball at Betws at every opportunity but man of the match and centre Gary Davies penned them back with some excellent tactical kicking.

The visitors however eventually got the breakthrough when the ball was spread wide for their wing to sneak over in the corner to make it a nervous final five minutes for the homesters with the score at 23 – 18. However, it was the powerful home scrum that had the final word when the impressive front row of Ian Morris, skipper Paul Roberts and Gareth Jones applied a huge amount of pressure at a series of five yard scrums giving the referee no option but to award a penalty try converted by Saunders with the final kick of a pulsating game of rugby.