Toughest test 12 3 0 9 3 15 yet for RGC
Leaders face trip to second-placed Carmarthen
RGC could face the biggest threat yet to their 11-match unbeaten run when they visit second-placed Carmarthen Quins this Friday.
The Gogs hold a six-point lead at the Premiership West summit and beat Quins 26-13 at Colwyn Bay earlier this season, but the west Walians are on a good streak themselves of six straight victories.
RGC will not want Friday evening’s battle at Carmarthen Park to be as close as last Saturday’s clash with Swansea, which the North Walians edged 35-34 – but only after a bitter struggle.
Swansea led with an early try after a driving maul, Aled Cockwell getting the touchdown. Fly-half James Davies converted.
RGC then came out the blocks and the back-line fired the ball around supported by some direct running. It was not long before Tom Hughes spotted the gap and went over. A conversion from Jacob Botica squared the score.
The hosts took the lead when great hands from Tiaan Loots gave the ball to Dion Jones, who fired the afterburners to run in from the halfway line. Botica nudged the kick over.
The scoreboard edged on with a Botica penalty.
If Swansea were offering one threat it was the line-out/driving maul combination. The All Whites added a Davies penalty to reduce the deficit to 17-10.
Try number three came for RGC after Afon Bagshaw kicked ahead, Dion Jones collected before a pop pass to Tom Hughes and the centre did the rest. The boot of Botica again notched the extras.
Botica extended the RGC lead to 27-10 with another three-pointer, but then from another line-out and maul in the home 22, hooker Ash- leigh James stormed over for a try which Davies boosted with the boot.
Just before half time RGC picked up the bonus-point try after working the ball wide to Bagshaw for the winger to get over the whitewash.
With the score 32-17 at the turnaround, RGC left the field in control of the game.
That all changed in the second half, which began with another Swansea try from a driving maul, James getting the score.
The Gogs answered back with another direct run from Loots, which led to a Botica penalty between the posts.
The penalty count was racking up for RGC, which was leaving the door open for Swansea to get back into the game.
As the minutes rolled on so did the away side’s maul, as time and time again they tested the RGC defence.
The All Whites’ try number four was claimed by Jon Fox and Davies’ conversion made it 35-29.
With 20 minutes left the game was pretty much penalty, line-out, maul and repeat as Swansea tested the RGC defence over and over.
And visiting momentum turned into a try when Davies went over in the 78th minute.
The fly-half had a chance to win the match for Swansea but his conversion dropped short, much to the relief of the Stadiwm Zip World crowd.
RGC coach Mark Jones said: “We never underestimated Swansea, as we only drew with them when they had 14 men last time out, so we didn’t take them lightly.
“When you look at the game we went from controlling it, to giving them the control and that was due to our poor discipline. If we had solved that then we would have solved all our problems.”