DIVISION 3 EAST CENTRAL B
PENYGRAIG ................ 13 TYLORSTOWN .............. 5
PENYGRAIG deservedly won the bragging rights in the Rhondda derby.
The Rhondda Fawr side finished the much stronger team and showed that they were generally fitter than Tylorstown and were able to last the pace. In essence, that was the difference between the sides.
With injuries and player unavailability Tylorstown are not firing on all cylinders and need to dig deep to put their season’s promotional hopes back on course.
Positives for Tylorstown were the lineout in the first half which functioned well and the manner in which the Tylorstown try was manufactured.
The try came as a result of skilful play from No 8 Dai Hefford who was in sparkling form and at the heart of everything crea- tive for the Rhondda Fach side. He was the standout player on show in this game.
From a scrum on the Penygraig 10 metre line, Hefford picked up and caught the Penygraig defence napping and off-loaded to scrum half Kieran Richards. Captain Chris Lloyd and hooker Jamie Davies were on hand to continue the attack and made heavy inroads, with the ball eventually emerging and given to the backs. Outside half Michael Melhuish threw a miss pass to Fijian wing Nathan Tuani who finished off the move with a well-taken try.
This gave Tylorstown impetus briefly. The hard working Richards made a telling break and sprinted 30 yards but the ball eventually went to ground.
Penygraig weathered the storm and were much the stronger team in the second half with Tylorstown looking tired and making errors which upset the flow of the game. Penygraig crossed for a good try which was converted and added two penalties to seal the win.
Along with the superb Hefford, notable contributions were made by flanker Robert Hemmings who did everything that was asked of him playing out of position, prop Ashley Thomas who never takes a backward step and becoming indispensable in the forwards. The indomitable captain Lloyd played with his usual grit and gave every ounce of effort to the Tylorstown cause.
All mistakes in this game can easily be rectified on the training field. With numbers in training and an exciting youth team, Tylorstown have the capacity to bounce back from this defeat. Tylorstown need to win next week’s home game against Canton for any realistic chance of winning the league.