Memorable weekend for the Ironmen
SOUTH Wales Ironmen opened a memorable weekend at Stebonheath Park on Saturday, when they beat local rivals Gloucestershire All Golds for the first time in four years.
The Ironmen made the news last week when they moved from Merthyr Tydfil to Llanelli and then signed 10 new players, many of them from West Wales Raiders. Four made their debut in this game – try scorers Shaun Tennant and Curtis Ford starting, with Archie Snook and Henry Davies on the bench.
Kade Breen, playing his best game since joining the club, was close to giving the Ironmen an eighth-minute lead but was stopped centimetres from the line in the final tackle of a well-worked set.
All Golds took the lead in the 13th minute when Brad Kislingbury crashed over in the corner. Courtney Davies’ kick hit the post.
Ironmen were soon level. A slick passing move led to debutant Ford diving over in the corner. Ben Jones’ conversion attempt was wide.
They quickly took the lead after Andy Gay’s high bomb was fluffed by Phil Cowburn. Ironmen’s Welsh international, one of three on each side, reaped the reward from the resulting set by twisting under the sticks after Archie Snook was close. Jones converted.
All Golds got an unconverted try back through Welsh international Steve Parry to make it 10-8 at half-time, and it looked like that a vital opportunity was lost for Ironmen to make it 12-8 when Jones sent a penalty kick wide. But from the restart, Morgan Evans fooled the All Golds defence to dive over for Ironmen’s third try. Jones’ goal extended their lead to eight points.
Breen went from villain to hero in under a minute, dropping the ball near to the try-line when he had the chance to increase Ironmen’s lead, before forcing Parry to do the same at the other end of the pitch.
Desperate to get a try back, the All Golds kept pressing and were rewarded with a Cowburn try under the sticks that Ben Stead converted.
Stead was deputising for Courtney Davies, who had left the field with a broken wrist. It is hoped he will be fit again before the World Cup.
His fellow Wales international Lewis Reece, the All Golds’ man of the match, made an outstanding break and laid off well to Chris Worrall, but Gay was back to defend and forced the Gloucester forward into touch.
But from their next attack, Cowburn fed Joe McLean, who scored in the corner. Stead converting well to give them a 20-16 lead.
They weren’t leading for long. Jones, another man who played his best game for the club so far, dived over from dummy half to level things before converting himself.
Then another debutant, Shaun Tennant picked up a chip kick and extended the lead to 2620. Jones made his best kick of the day to extend the lead to eight points with five minutes to go and seal the win.
SOUTH WALES DRAGONHEARTS PROBABLES ............................. 34 BRITISH ARMY ........... 26
A SOUTH Wales select, primarily made up of Valley Cougars players, overcame a second-half comeback from the British Army side to win 3426 in day two of a big weekend of Rugby League in Llanelli.
The match was the first of two friendly games for Wales’ community players, out of which the 2017 Wales Dragonhearts squad will be selected.
A different set of South Wales players will travel to Deeside to take on the North Wales Origin side on the weekend of September 2-3.