DIVISION 3 EAST CENTRAL B

CAERAU ELY ............... 15 TONYREFAIL .............. 18

TONYREFAIL travelled to Ely to play this Division 3 East Central B game and found the home side in an uncompromising mood but as it turned out they had just enough to secure the winner’s points after a huge defensive effort over the last 10 minutes.

The game began at a fast pace as the sides tested each other and both were successful with the boot after penalty decisions but it was the visitors who crossed the tryline first after Adam Clapp took advantage of a misdirected tapdown at a lineout on the halfway line. He took the ball and ran almost to the Caerau line before being bundled into touch. Caerau then compounded the first error by knocking the ball back indiscriminately again at the lineout for Ton hooker Liam Banfield to pounce and score the try. Ton now had an 8-3 lead and were looking to move the ball wide whenever possible but the incoming rain made handling difficult and Ton were continually falling foul of the referee at the breakdown allowing Caerau to clear their line.

On the 25-minute mark the home full back made the most of an opportunity when he fielded a kick on his own 22 metre line to run the ball back at Ton and touch down close enough to the posts to make the convertion a formality. This was a spur for Caerau and they were soon back in Ton’s 22 and kept up the pressure for another try just before half time to finish the half 15-8 in front.

In the second half Ton began well and on 47 minutes they used a scrum on half way for a No 8 pickup move. He fed Alex Pugsley who chipped the advancing defence. Winger Chris Rand was round his opposite number to take the ball on the bounce and make for the line before feeding Alex Pugsley who was in support for the try. Owen Lewis converted and the game was square.

The game continued with the home side generally trying to batter their way through Ton’s defence only to be stopped every time and Ton tried to counter using the wider channels but finding the weather having an increasingly adverse effect on handling. It looked like the result would be a draw but with 10 minutes remaining Owen Lewis was on target with a penalty goal to take the lead and set up a huge effort from Caerau. They put pressure on Ton straight from the restart and in the chase for a score they battered away at Ton but they were held out. A yellow card for Ton gave Caerau a spur but they chose to scrummage instead of going for goal only to find veteran props Gareth Lewis and Lee Williams more than a match for them. On two further occasions Caerau opted to scrum rather than kick the points but their efforts came to nothing in the face of some determined defence.

They eventually ran out of time and Ton had their win. all