Quins drop into bottom half as champions prove too hot

CARMARTHEN Quins dropped to ninth in the Principality Premiership table as they suffered defeat to reigning champions Merthyr at the Wern.

Replacement Adam Hoskins’ last-minute try secured maximum points for Dale McIntosh’s men and followed up on Joseph Williams’ first-half try and then scores in the second from Jay Baker and Adam Thomas.

It also saw the champions bounce back from last weekend’s home defeat by Newport which ended an eight-game winning streak.

The Ironmen, playing with the wind in the first half, took the lead in the eighth minute when fly-half Richard Powell split the posts from the tee.

The first try of the evening went the way of the home side on 20 minutes as pressure finally told following a maul.

First Craig Locke was held up, before Powell received the ball from Justin James and spread it out wide on the right to Williams, who picked the ball up on the bounce and finished off a wellworked try.

Powell nailed the conversion. Young winger Williams was close to a second try before the break after an intelligent kick through on the breakaway from scrum-half James, but this time he was beaten by the bounce.

The visitors piled on the pressure

MERTHYR ....................... 30 CARM QUINS .................... 5

late in the first period, but the hosts held firm and led 10-0 at the break

Powell kicked his second penalty seven minutes after the restart before former Ospreys flyer Baker grabbed Merthyr’s second try on 52 minutes.

Quins full-back Aled Thomas was caught in possession by Hemi Barnes before great work from the outstanding James sent Baker through.

Powell this time pulled the conversion attempt wide.

Adam Thomas’s interception try on 65 minutes all but sealed it as the Quins were once again caught in possession with the try going again unconverted to make it 23-0.

The Quins, to their credit, never stopped battling and finally got their just reward on 69 minutes with Nick Reynolds barging over following a line-out.

But Merthyr had the final say with their fourth try which came in the final minute, when Hoskins slipped through under the sticks following a couple of great carries in the build-up from Williams. Gareth Davies converted.

MERTHYR