Swalec Cup
RGC 1404 19
Carmarthen Quins 25
A BRACE of tries by Lee Williams ensured Carmarthen Quins booked a place in the semi-finals of the Swalec Cup after making the long journey north to face RGC 1404 of the Championship.
Saturday’s quarter-final tie at Brookfield Drive saw the Championship hosts push their opponents all the way only to fall just short at the final hurdle.
RGC had caused a sensation by knocking out Premiership outfit Aberavon in the previous round, but there was to be no double giant killing for the Gogs.
The visitors ran in three tries with fly-half Craig Evans kicking two conversions and two penalties to put away their Championship opposition.
Most of the game went by with barely a score between the two sides as the lead exchanged hands several times before Williams’ late try settled things before Evans made sure by nestling a late penalty.
It was the hosts who opened the scoring when Tiaan Loots crossed the whitewash after an opportunistic turnover found itself in his arms. He picked up the ball and evaded a tackler before barging over another three to crash over in the corner. Unfortunately for the hosts James Lang’s conversion was pushed wide of the upright.
The visitors were undeterred by RGC’s fast start and replied with a long spell of pressure, which reaped a reward when Iolo Evans rifled over from the centre. This was followed soon after by Williams’ first try, as he went over out wide after some quick hands in midfield, sending the west Wales side in at the break with the lead.
The hosts came out after the break determined to get back in the game, and it took only minutes for them to cross the line as Evan Yardley took advantage of slack defence to cross, with Lang this time nailing his conversion.
When handed a penalty to take the lead Lang was again off target as his effort rebounded off the post.
This proved costly when moments later Evans showed him how it was done to edge his side back into a three point lead, but this proved to be short lived when RGC fullback Bagshaw went over to put the hosts on the cusp of victory, after some sharp passing by his fellow backs inside the Quins twenty-two.
With twenty minutes still to go, Lang’s conversion made it 19-15.
The Quins have shown good form in the cup competitions this year and they were determined not to lose this one, and following the pattern of the day, they hit back immediately as Williams stormed over for his second of the day, leaving Evans with a simple conversion.
The game ebbed and flowed from end to end in a thrilling final 10 minutes, but when the Quins were awarded a kickable penalty Craig Evans notched another three points and ended the tie and the Quins marched into the hat for the semi-finals.
Carmarthen Quins: 1 Gethin Robinson, 2 Rhodri Clancy, 3 Ian Jones, 4 Haydn Pugh, 5 Josh Helps, 6 Lee Taylor, 7 Ellis Lloyd, 8 Josh Middleton, 9 Connor Lloyd, 10 Craig Evans, 11 Lee Williams, 12 Iolo Evans, 13 Dylan Morgans, 14 Gavin Thomas, 15 Dale Ford
Replacements: 16 Nathan Williams, 17 Rhydian Jenkins, 18 Will Taylor, 19 Ben Thompson, 20 Andrew Green, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Keiran Jones, 23 Gwion Jones
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