Caerphilly 78-15 RTB Ebbw Vale
Saturday April 1, Constructaquote Stadium
Caerphilly completed the double over RTB Ebbw Vale at the Constructaquote Stadium in the National Division 3 East A as the home side gained another big bonus-point win in their quest for promotion.
Four first half tries – including a hat-trick for winger Gareth Dare – produced the bonus point on the stroke of half-time as full-back Dewi Jones crossed the whitewash. Hurley added three conversions to his growing season total.
An uncharacteristic first half saw the home side’s handling let them down, with numerous knock-ons restricting their scoring.
Dare grabbed his first try with some direct running, breaking through three tackles in centre field from the ten-metre line before rounding the full-back to dive over. Hurley added the spoils.
It took another 17 minutes before Dare took his second. Following a steal at the lineout on the five-metre line, the winger came off his flank to create an extra man and find a gap in the defence to dive over uncontested.
He completed his hat-trick before the interval when replacement Jac Jonathon provided the killer pass out wide as Caerphilly broke from their 22-metre-area. Jones grabbed the last try of the half on the stroke of the whistle and Hurley again added the extras.
Damian Corns was first on the second-half scoresheet from a ruck on the five-metre line, the second-rower collecting from the back of the base to dive over with help from Lewis Crane.
Another stolen lineout after 57 minutes almost produced another try, but an intentional knock-on from the visitors’ full-back robbed the Caerphilly back line of another try, but resulted in a yellow card for RTB Ebbw Vale.
Despite making a hash of the drive for the line, Caerphilly crossed eventually as coach Brett Davey rang the changes in the front row, and the replacements drove the visitors off their own ball for scrum-half Joe Bray to put Hurley in space and score against the shell-shocked defence, adding the additional points for good measure.
To their credit, Ebbw scored two great tries as they threw caution to the wind with nothing to lose.
Turnover ball gifted replacement Josh Hayward a try on 60 minutes, as the flanker ran in from the half way line. Centre Will Worthington, making his first start for month following injury, grabbed two in the space of five minutes, his pace getting the better of the visitors out wide, replacement Jonathon getting a converted try in the 73rd.
Worthington finished the game off with his hat-trick as he chased down a kick ahead to dribble the ball over the line to complete this victory.
• Match report and photography by Mark Tamplin of Caerphilly RFC.