Keys manager refuses to offer excuses

CARM QUINS .................... 41 CROSS KEYS ..................... 28

CROSS Keys team manager Mark Prangell refused to make excuses for his side’s defeat at Carmarthen Quins.

The Gwent men were caught cold in West Wales with the arrival of the team bus just an hour before kickoff and they then found themselves 21-0 down inside 15 minutes.

However, they did at least battle back with four tries to earn a bonus point.

“You can’t start like that in the first 20, we were lucky to come away with a point,” said Prangell.

“You can make excuses all you want. You must get ready the night before.

“On the bus it’s just a journey, mentally prepare and get on with it.

“This young side have got to learn that they have got to produce week in, week out — the Premiership is a hard place.”

Playing with the elements at their back, Quins shot out of the blocks as wing Dylan Reynolds caught the kick-off, made ground and after several driving plays, flanker Ed Siggery burrowed over the line from two metres.

Full-back Aled Thomas converted for a 7-0 lead in the first minute.

Further converted tries followed on five minutes from openside flanker Ellis Lloyd and wing Dale Ford on 13 minutes before Cross Keys skipper Damien Welch won key line-out ball and prop Gerald Ellis touched down under the posts for fly-half Jason Tovey to convert.

The bonus-point try came before half-time when scrum-half Liam Davies appeared on the shoulder of a strong run from wing Dylan Morgans for a 28-7 lead.

Thomas landed a 40-metre penalty a minute after the restart before rampant Quins added two unconverted tries through Morgans and replacement hooker Thomas Ball before the visitors were awarded a penalty try.

With 10 minutes remaining, fullback Leon Andrews found space to run in unopposed for Tovey to convert before replacement Taylor Hansen added a fourth Keys try.

Quins coach Emyr Phillips said: “We really went after them early on, which was a huge plus for us. In terms of keeping the ball we were much improved and put a lot of pressure on Cross Keys.”