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Glamorgan Wanderers 16-12 Bedwas, WRU National Championship
Bedwas suffered a tough loss away to Glamorgan Wanderers on Saturday, March 12, despite the home side ending the game with multiple injuries and several players playing out of position.
Second in the table Bedwas travelled to mid-table Wanderers on an overcast day with swirling wind and failed to find any fluency from the outset. The home side took the lead after just four minutes thanks to Gruff Tough’s penalty kick which he repeated eight minutes later to put the Wanderers 6-0 up.
Following the second penalty, Bedwas worked their way upfield. Then, prop Ben Drew squeezed through a gap from a line-out close to the home tryline to score his first try in Bedwas colours. Matty Bancroft added the conversion and Bedwas were a point to the good.
Bedwas were reduced to fourteen men five minutes later with Mike Dacey trudging off for an off-the-ball high shot. Wanderers looked to take advantage of the superior numbers, but Bedwas held strong and tried to take the game to their opponents – but were often guilty of taking wrong options and were unable to add any points to the scoreboard.
Shortly before the interval, scrum-half Rhys Downes found himself in the sin bin for a deliberate knock on, with the Wanderers taking immediate advantage as Number 8 Rob Weston crossed for a try. After a successful conversion, Bedwas found themselves down 11-7 at the interval.
A lively start to the second half saw Bedwas in good positions to threaten the scoreboard, however a loose ball during a Bedwas attack left winger Lloyd James the freedom of the pitch to run 75-metres to score what was the killer blow for Bedwas. Gibbon’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but Bedwas were still nine points down.
Two minutes later, Bedwas pulled a try back as Ben Sier found the space to cross the line – but Bancroft’s conversion attempt fell wide and the deficit remained at four points.
Bedwas made personnel changes but it wasn’t enough. The Wanderers dug deep and held out for the 16-12 victory.
However, Bedwas came away from the trip with a losing bonus-point.
Bedwas are next in action on Friday, March 18, with Cardiff Met visiting the Bridgefield in a rearranged fixture, having been postponed on February 19.
Match report by Ian Lovell of Bedwas RFC
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