Bargoed’s incredible start to the season continued as they demolished Cardiff Met 61-12 at Bargoed Park on October 25, scoring nine tries in the process.
They’ve won eight games on the bounce in the SWALEC Championship, sitting 14 points clear at the top, and travel to Swansea next week for a crunch game before the international break.
It was clear from the first scrum that the home forwards were going to be a handful and with referee Greg Morgan playing a penalty advantage, they drove a maul towards the line and with number eight Ross Coombes scored. Outside-half Josh Prosser added the conversion.
Bargoed dominated both territory and possession and Coombes got his second from the base of a rampant scrum. Prosser converted to make it 14-0 after 16 minutes.
Prop Rhys Morgan made it three following a clean lineout catch by Grant Rogers and a drive by the forwards.
Coombes was sin-binned on 33 minutes for illegally bringing down a Cardiff Met maul. The students could not capitalise on the extra man and Bargoed scored the bonus point try before half-time, through scrum-half Pizey. Prosser made it four from four and 28-0 at half-time.
Nicky Coughlin replaced Coombes after the sin bin was up and was soon in the action driving at the students’ defence and slipping a ball to Meades.
The hooker drew the defender and timed a perfect pass to wing Lewis Protheroe to score in the corner.
Things went from bad to worse for the students with the sending off of flanker Will Cusack, who was given a straight red for a tip tackle on Coughlin with the best part of half an hour to go.
Coughlin got his reward with a try from the back of a scrum, a sixth converted by Prosser who was then replaced by Dafydd Carter.
Cardiff Met got one back on 62 minutes through replacement centre Dafydd Hughes, before Bargoed resumed normal service and were given a penalty try.
The forward jamboree continued with replacement hooker Lewis Lippiett getting a try in the corner, before Dafydd Hughes added a second for Cardiff Met.
The Blues ended the game strongly and it was fitting that the final try came from a forward. Grant Rogers made space for Dafydd Carter to feed second row Geraint Edmunds to power over from ten metres and full back Callum Jones converted.
• Elsewhere in the SWALEC Championship Blackwood won 21-7 at Newbridge, thanks to 11 points from the boot of Scott Turner.
The win took Blackwood to ninth place ahaead of their game against Narbeth on November 1, while bottom placed Newbridge face Merthyr.
In the Principality Premiership Bedwas beat Newport 29-16 at home on October 25 taking them to fifth place ahead of a tough visit to Sardis Road to play Pontypridd on November 1.
The Bridge Field Club scored five tries, coming from Alwyn Lee, Jack Maynard, Matthew John, Michael Callow and Rory Budina.
Richard Powell added two conversions as Newport could only muster three penalties and a converted try – although were in the game until the end.
Seventh placed Cross Keys play Neath away on November 1 before a Friday night kick-off at home to Llanelli on November 7.