Anglo-Welsh humiliation, for the Ruddock family
LOSERS
GEORGE WATKINS It was two Welsh wingers squaring off at Vallis Way on the weekend when Ealing Trailfinders took on Yorkshire Carnegie in the Greene King IPA Championship.
And it was Will Harries 1 George Watkins 0 as the Trailfinders romped to a 44-19 to leave them sitting in second spot eight points behind pacesetters Bristol.
Watkins moved to Cardiff Blues in the summer of 2014 boasting a phenomenal track record in the west country, touching down 58 times in 100 appearances.
He qualifies for Wales through having a Monmouth-born father and there were mutterings he could be winging his way into Warren Gatland’s squad once in situ at the Arms Park.
But it didn’t work out the way he hoped and he was soon back over the Bridge with Bristol before moving to Jersey Reds last season, having spent a loan spell with Moseley. He’s in Leeds this season though his trip to London with Carnegie to play an Ealing club, packed with Welshmen, was one to forget with the hosts running out easy winners. CARDIFF MET It’s something of a topsy-turvy season for the college that helped nurture the careers of Gareth Edwards, JJ Williams, John Bevan, Clive Rowlands, Dewi Bebb, Allan Martin, Brynmor Williams, John Devereux, Ryan Jones, Jonathan Humphreys, Ken Owens and Alex Cuthbert.
Their midweek team have won six of their first seven matches to lie second in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Super League table, seeing off Nottingham Trent, Bath, Hartpury, Durham, Leeds Beckett and Loughborough along the way.
But their Saturday side in the Swalec National Championship are finding the going a little tougher.
They have a recent 35-10 victory over Skewen to their name but sandwiched in between came a 74-14 defeat at leaders Pontypool and a 44-19 home loss to Tata Steel on the weekend.
While the college football team sit proudly at the top of the Welsh Premier League the Met could be dragged into a relegation dogfight being a point in front of 11th-placed Rhydyfelin with Glynneath well adrift of the bottom.
But the Championship table is tight with Newbridge, in fifth spot, just five points in front of the students. THE SCARLETS SCRUM Anyone watching the Scarlets’ 40-0 Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat to Exeter Chiefs in west Wales on Sunday afternoon would have worried for the health and welfare of the home forwards.
England internationals Ollie Devoto and Matt Kvesic started the game for the Aviva Premiership champions, with Red Rose hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie in reserve. Exeter’s forward power proved the difference between the teams.
The Scarlets did have a number of their players away on international duty and others preparing for back-to-back Guinness PRO14 games in South Africa but what is achieved exposing youngsters to a strong looking Exeter line-up is anyone’s guess.
The Scarlets were unable to deal with the visitors’ momentum and as their scrum went backwards at a rate of knots, referee Karl Dickson awarded a penalty try.
Then home substitute Javan Sebastian was yellow carded for pulling down an Exeter maul, Dickson once again blowing up and running between the sticks for a second penalty score of the afternoon.
Front-rower Steffan Thomas was the next home player to be sent to the sin-bin for an infringement. There was still time for yet another penalty try as Exeter made it a round 40 points by the full-time whistle.