Powerful pack has Wizards feeling magic once again

TWO penalty tries not only demonstrated the power of the Aberavon pack but also ended their recent slump as they stopped a twomatch losing skid with a dominant victory.

The appalling conditions dictated it was always going to be a slog up front and the Wizards were the stronger in that area.

That was partly because their pack was boosted by the return to the front row of Rowan Jenkins, after he had spent periods with Ospreys and Yorkshire Carnegie.

All three Aberavon tries came from their dominant scrum.

Midway through the first half No.8 Ashton Evans bagged a push-over try and then a penalty try conceded by Bedwas at a another scrum made it 12-0 at the break to the visitors.

Bedwas lost the first of two players to the sin-bin, wing Adam Williams, for a deliberate knock-on to make their task even harder. They later lost prop Brynley Toms after another collapsed scrum.

That allowed Aberavon to pick up their second penalty try while Toms was on the sideline, another mighty scrum drive shunting the home pack over their line.

There was at least a late consolation try for the hosts from veteran prop Chris Budgen as he converted a driving lineout.

Aberavon lost flanker Lee Purnell three minutes from time for pulling down a driving maul but they were never under any real threat. Star man Rowan Jenkins - Aberavon