Gogs star in TV triumph –
RGC will seek to replicate their fine home form on the road this Saturday when they are due to travel to troubled bottom side Neath in another Premiership test (2.30pm).
The Gogs recorded a fourth successive bonus point victory at Parc Eirias last weekend when they defeated Cross Keys 33-13 in front of the live S4C cameras.
Winning coach Mark Jones praised his team’s persistence as they steadily ground down stubborn visitors to rise up to sixth spot in the table..
In difficult conditions, Jones predicted beforehand the game would not be settled until the final 20 minutes and so it proved as the Gogs notched two matchwinning tries in that closing quarter.
“Wins are hard to come by in the Pre- miership, particularly against teams with big, strong packs like we faced tonight,” said the RGC chief after the match.
“Fair play, Cross Keys left nothing out there. It was a long breakdown process and a lot of hard work was put into achieving the victory.”
Playing into the strong wind in the first half, the Gogs took an eighth-minute lead through a Billy McBryde penalty.
Will Kenny replied with a threepointer for the visitors in an opening quarter where the hosts produced some promising attacking bursts, but handling errors let them down, although the conditions contributed much to that.
Cross Keys grabbed the lead when good approach work between forwards and backs eventually led to prop Gary Carpenter going over in the corner.
Kenny’s conversion attempt hit the outside of the right-hand post.
In the 28th minute the North Walians restored parity, scrum-half Efan Jones producing a sublime inside pass which enabled promising new wing Karl Martin to race over for a touchdown.
RGC were reduced to 14 men when No.8 Tim Grey was yellow-carded and this meant the hosts being one player down for the remainder of the period.
Keys took advantage when a powerful drive from the pack enabled Ellis Shipp to claim the try.
McBryde put over a penalty in the final action of a first half which ended 13-11 to the travellers.
With the gusts at the backs in the second period, RGC started strongly and McBryde’s third three-pointer of the encounter nudged them ahead while Picture: Steve Lewis Grey was still in the sin-bin.
When the pivotal No.8 returned to the action the Gogs were back to full strength and never looked back.
Centre Danny Cross’s arcing run secured a second try for the home team in the 59th minute, but the game was still not won.
In the 68th minute RGC took a big stride towards victory when great work from centre Tom Hughes enabled wing Sam Jones to sprint clear and ground in the corner. McBryde used the wind skillfully to curl the conversion between the uprights.
And the win and bonus point was sealed when a long pass out to the right wing enabled Sam Jones to speed over for his second score, McBryde adding another cracking two points for a match total of 13.