Burry Port 40
Nantgaredig 0
IT IS LOVELY to be beside the seaside and that is exactly where the Herald Sports Team were on Saturday (Oct 22) as we continued our random odyssey around the playing fields of Carmarthenshire to seek out some of the finest games of rugby known to men and women.
(Burry Port RFC ladies rugby team is doing very well, thank you, beating Merthyr Ladies 49-17 in their last game).
On paper, this game promised to be keenly contested by both sides.
Unbeaten Nantgaredig were above Burry Port in the league going into the game and they have put some pretty hefty scores over a number of clubs in recent weeks. Maybe it was the hot October sunshine, to which the boys from the Costa del Tyisha are well-accustomed, but it was clear that Nantgaredig didn’t bargain on the heat from the Burry Port boys.
It was Burry Port who came off the blocks quickest, with Dylan Evans and Duane Evans making some fine runs that put the Nantgaredig defence on the back foot. The pressure paid off and the visitors succumbed as Adam Rudall crossed for the first after 10 minutes, finishing off a good move cutting back inside and scoring close to the posts. Ben Williams converted to make it 7-0 to Burry Port.
Hooker Iwan Roberts was next to cross the line and Ben Williams did the honours again, making the score 14-0 to Burry Port. The home team scored again after 30 minutes through their scrum half. That was also converted to take the score to 21-0. Six minutes later and flanker Tom Rees went over in the corner to make the score 28-0 to Burry Port at half time.
The second half was very entertaining despite the numerous penalties, a few yellow cards and the occasional argy bargy, which the assembled crowd appeared to find entertaining.
Three players sin binned for varying offences had the crowd baying for more after every suspicious tackle. Thankfully, the referee opted for some stern talking, which the majority of players responded to.
Nantgaredig did have more possession but they failed to capitalise.
There is no substitute for sheer hard work and determination.
Burry Port could have easily taken their collective foot off the gas, but sitting back on their lead did not figure in the mindset of the men in green. They kept up the pressure and were rewarded with further tries from hooker Iwan Roberts who crashed over in the corner. Ben Williams hit the post with the conversion.
As the Burry Port subs came on, they ramped up the pressure, sending Tom Bowen on a run. With a side-step on the final defender, he scored near the posts and Williams duly converted to make the final score, Burry Port 40 – Nantgaredig 0 and a bonus point to boot.
In fairness to Nantgaredig, they played a fair amount of running rugby themselves and got to within an arms length of the Burry Port try line on numerous occasions. However, Burry Port were on fire and proved too damn hot for the visitors in the end.
Burry Port host St Clears next weekend in the third round of the Bowl, a competition they won last season in a memorable final in Cardiff last May.
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