Top in sight for RGC
RGC can hit summit with win away to Bargoed
RGC travel to Bargoed this Saturday knowing a victory could put them top of the Premiership if other results go their way.
Mark Jones’ side maintained their unbeaten start to the second phase of the campaign with a 16-12 success at Aberavon last Saturday.
The hosts took the lead on the six-minute mark after RGC had started the game on the front foot, Wizards winger Shaun Pearce sprinting through the tackles to touch down, Josh Garland adding the extras.
Alex Schwarz was involved in a lot of the play in the half, and it was a clever reverse pass that set up another RGC attack, but it ended with some good Aberavon defence.
Credit to the Wizards who were winning the breakdown battles and managing to turnover RGC on many occasions.
Centres Tom Hughes and Tiaan Loots were trying to punch some holes into the defence but came up against some crunching tackles.
The Aberavon line speed was also causing RGC problems as they were unable to get the ball away.
Jacob Botica got some points on the board with a penalty and they were soon added to when Andrew Williams notched the try, after a good set-piece enabled the maul to be set up and it rumbled over.
Botica added the conversion to make it 10-7 to the visitors.
As the half grew to a close Aberavon looked for another score but failed to find the breakthrough.
The second half started with a Botica penalty but from that point it was the home side that had the upper hand.
Andrew Williams and Harri Evans both made some important tackles, as the Wizards broke the gain-line.
The penalty count was going in Aberavon’s favour and they pushed towards the RGC line.
The Gogs defence worked well – crucially as the hosts were on the try-line when RGC managed to regain the ball and clear.
Aberavon then went through multiple phases but were pushed back 20 yards through more tough defence.
The game became stretched and through both hard running and strong tackling, players began to tire.
As the game reached 72 minutes Evans and Loots dug deep and managed to spur RGC into an attack, and for the first time in the second 40 the visitors were high up in the Aberavon half.
The attacking resulted in a penalty to RGC and Botica hit the crucial three points.
The remaining five minutes were played out in frantic fashion, and on the whistle Aberavon picked up a try when winger Pearce went over in the corner.