Bargoed’s impressive start to the season continued with a fifth consecutive bonus point win on Saturday October 4 as they rattled in seven tries away to Tondu at Pandy Park.
The Blues led the Swalec Championship match with a Josh Prosser penalty when scrum half James Pizey crossed from short range at the corner flag. Prosser’s conversion drifted wide but Bargoed were 8-0 up after the first quarter. The Waterwheelers hit back with a well-worked try for flanker Matthew Morgan and the extras from the boot of Paul Smithson on the half hour.
Bargoed extended their lead with Geraint Edmunds and deceptively strong full back Jordan Purcell breaking tackles before offloading brilliantly to wing Dai James to go over at the corner flag. The conversion again drifting in the breezy conditions.
Purcell was in action again for the Blues’ third try this time running back a long kick from full back and linking with wing Lewis Protheroe to set up a ruck from which hooker Leigh Meades emerged to score under the posts. Prosser converted and the half time whistle went with Bargoed in front by 20-7.
The game was by no means over. Tondu had proven physical first half opponents and piled on the pressure from the restart only to see their hard work undone following a quick throw in at a lineout midway into the Tondu half, with prop Rhys Morgan making ground and feeding number eight Ross Coombes to cross for the bonus point try. Prosser converted and added a penalty to make it 30-7 as the game entered the final quarter.
Meades was again in the thick of it for the fifth try this time ripping the ball from a ruck and putting prop Kieron Brown over with Prosser converting, before the centre pairing of the Humphries brothers, Rhys and Darren, added the sixth and seventh tries – the latter coming from a 45 metre break out by replacement hooker Lewis Lippiett, running like a centre with ball in both hands and putting Darren Humphries away.
Prosser added one more conversion taking the score to 49-7 before Tondu had the final say with a try from captain Hywel Davies converted by Paul Smithson.
Final score Tondu 14 Bargoed 49.
Report provided by Bargoed RFC
Swalec Championship Round-up
Swansea are just one point behind Bargoed at the summit after they made it five from five against Championship strugglers Newbridge. John Fox and Tom Sloane claimed braces as the All Whites gave the St. Helens faithful their moneys’ worth by scoring nine tries on the day.
Llanharan outscored Blackwood RFC, but ill-discipline cost them as Scott Turner hit six penalties to clinch a 35-29 triumph. Llanharan were awarded two penalty tries but Turner’s 20 point personal tally was enough to see Blackwood home.