Gogs need victory to seal play-off spot
RGC need a victory at Pontypridd this Saturday to secure a place in the Welsh Premiership end-of-season play-offs.
Sardis Road has been a happy hunting ground for the Gogs this term as they won there in a dramatic WRU National Cup semi-final against Merthyr in March.
RGC then went on to claim victory in the final against Pontypridd, who they also beat 47-17 back in January. So this Saturday Mark Jones’s side will aim for a three-timer against a team on the same amount of points as them.
Last weekend saw the North Walians having to battle hard to defeat Carmarthen Quins 38-20 in front of more than 2,300 at Parc Eirias.
The visitors opened the scoring with a penalty from Steffan Marshall and they had the best of the attacking play from the start.
RGC surprised both their opponents and the crowd with a try when Carwyn Ap Myrddin took a quick tap penalty to break before passing to Tom Hughes to score. Jacob Botica smashed over a conversion.
The boot of Marshall got another three points on the scoreboard for the west Walians as RGC were being made to work hard without the ball.
With only their second attack of the game RGC picked up another try when Rhys Williams made a big break before Ap Myrddin dived over the line. Botica hit the extras.
Ap Myrddin added another try which Botica improved. Try number four came when Andrew Williams charged down a clearance kick and touched the ball down over the line. Botica’s radar was good again to extend the lead to 28-6.
Quins ended the half with a welldeserved try following a big push from the pack, Shaun Rhys Evans the scorer.
Marshall kicked the conversion to make it 28-13 at the interval.
The second half began with some huge pressure on the RGC line, as Quins tried to work the ball wide and find that gap to go through.
The hosts would have been delighted to keep Quins at bay with some cracking tackles.
Full-back Afon Bagshaw then went close to scoring for the home side after he split the defence with a run, but was put into touch. That was one of the only real attacks from the Gogs, and it was no surprise when Quins picked up a try as winger Morgan Griffiths ran in with Aled Thomas converting.
The home pack then won a penalty after a good scrum and it gave the chance to Botica, who did not disappoint with the three points.
Huw Worthington, on his 100th appearance, along with Andrew Williams were working hard in the pack, and it was not a second half for the aficionados of ball-in-hand rugby.
RGC finished the game with try number five, after Rhys Williams made the run and Tom Seddon supplied the finish.
Botica was successful with the conversion.