TOM AT THE DOUBLE AS CHAMPIONS GET OFF TO FINE START
CARDIFF beat Merthyr at the end of last season at the Arms Park to clinch the Indigo Premiership title and they opened their account in the WRU Premiership Cup in equally emphatic style with a 50-15 success over the Ironmen.
Now all attention turns to this week’s Premiership clash with Newport, the team who beat them four times last season for the first time in their history.
“We were league winners last season, so we are defending that title. We need to keep this level of performance going,” said two-try hero Tom Habberfield.
“It was difficult to begin with and against Merthyr we knew we had to take a hold of the game in the first 20 minutes.
“We had to match them physically and I think we did just that.
“Merthyr have a history of coming back in the second half, so we wanted to put the game to bed early. I don’t think we could have started the season better.”
Cardiff’s forwards helped the home side open up a 24-3 lead before half-time. Then their backs began to open things up in the second period, blowing away the opposition with an eight-try salvo.
Merthyr threatened a late comeback, with two quick tries through the impressive Dafydd Thomas, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
The home side got to work early with a try from skipper Morgan Allen. Then came driving maul tries from front-row men Marc Thomas and Joey Tomlinson.
Merthyr coach Rowland Phillips kept his players out on the pitch after a disappointing first-half display and things continued to get worse for the Ironmen as Cardiff’s backline got into the action.
Habberfield was the recipient of two walk-ins following some lovely attacking rugby.
Tomlinson got a second, James Beal also got on the scoresheet and then former Wales U20 star Joe Goodchild rounded things off with an impressive finish.
Meanwhile, Ebbw Vale backed up their Gwent derby victory over Newport with a comfortable 34-14 win against a lacklustre Carmarthen Quins.
The Quins are yet to register a win this season under the leadership of new coach Marc Jones, and they struggled to gain a foothold at Eugene Cross Park.
The Steelmen ran in four tries on their way to victory, easily brushing aside their visitors.
Evan Lloyd was again the playmaker and he kept the scoreboard ticking over for the home team. But it was their dominance on the floor that settled the game for the home side.
Ebbw full-back Morgan Richards grabbed the opening try of the game in the third minute. Lloyd’s metronomic boot added the extras in front of a good home crowd.
The Quins struggled to keep on to the Steelmen as Lloyd kept hitting the target with his kicking. He ended the contest with 14 points.
In a frenzied finish to the first half, former Wales U20 wing Carrick McDonnough raced in for two cru
cial tries, extending the home side’s lead to a very healthy 24-0 at the break.
Whatever Jones said in the away dressing room seemed to hit home because it was the Quins who grabbed the first points of the second half.
Hooker Torin Myhill drove over for their first try and Steff Marshall added the conversion.
Luke Garrett made sure there was no way back for the Quins with a fourth home try which Lloyd converted to stretch the lead to 32-7, before Luca Setaro grabbed another consolation score for the visitors.
Bridgend claimed a 30-26 win at Pontypridd.
Luke Price is already making a major impact at Bridgend as the former Osprey helped the Ravens survive a late rally to secure a vital away win in Group B.
The visitors looked comfortable when 30-12 ahead, but a late yellow card for replacement Bowen Davies for a deliberate knock-on saw Ponty awarded a penalty try and meant Bridgend were forced to cling on with 14 men in the dying moments.
Price, who returned to Wales from a sojourn in France, proved to be a steady hand on the tiller in a frenetic climax. He ended the afternoon with two penalties and two conversions for 10 points.
Bridgend scored four tries through wing Caine Woolerton, lock Jack Pope, scrum-half Chris Williams and a length-of-the-field effort by full-back Edd Howley.
Ponty opened the scoring with a try by lock Kristian Parker before Price replied with two penalties to give Bridgend a 6-5 lead midway through the first half. The Ravens soon stretched their lead with tries by Woolerton and Pope.
Ponty replied with a try by No. 8 Joe Miles. Tries by Williams and Howley sent the visitors into an 18-point lead before the late drama.
Ponty narrowed the deficit with a third try by Tommy Morgan, but it was too late.
Swansea took revenge on Llanelli for their opening-day league defeat at Parc y Scarlets as they defeated their arch rivals 40-13 at St Helen’s.
The All Whites opened the scoring with a debut try for Gareth
J Rees before two Josh Phillips penalties brought Llanelli back to within a point.
Garan Williams crossed for a second home try to regain the lead.
A charging run from Cameron Jones paved the way for Lewis Marsh to score the third try for the Whites, but a professional foul by Dan Edwards earned the visitors a try and a yellow card for the Wales U20 fly-half.
Ospreys back-row man Harry Deaves converted a driving maul into a fourth home try and regional club-mate Cai Evans added the fifth touchdown.
The victory was made complete in the dying seconds when home skipper Tom Sloane crashed over from close range.