WE WON’T BE THERE TO MAKE UP NUMBERS, SAY NANT
NANTGAREDIG will be playing their rugby in Division Two next season and they won’t be there to simply make up the numbers.
That is the view of forwards coach Derek Thomas, who says the club are not just hoping to stay there but instead will try to emulate what the likes of Pembroke and Birchgrove have done in rising from Division Three to Division One in the space of just two seasons.
Both Pembroke and Birchgrove have secured back-to-back promotions this season.
Nantgaredig will be going up as champions of Three West B, which they secured with three games to spare thanks to a 35-19 win at New Dock Stars on April 20.
They have since beaten Bynea 2422 to make it 20 wins from 20 and have two league games remaining.
On Saturday Nant play their final home game of the campaign when they meet New Dock Stars in the return before a trip to Betws on May 18 to finish the league season.
They still have the chance to do the double with a West Wales Plate final against Trimsaran also still to come on May 24 at Tycroes RFC.
The icing on the cake would have been a trip to the Principality Stadium in the final of the WRU National Bowl but they were denied a place in the showpiece in heartbreaking fashion in the semi-final against eventual Bowl winners Abergavenny.
Wing Anthony Squire, the player who ran the length of the field to score the winning try with the last play against Nantgaredig, also scored a dramatic try in the sixth minute of added time against Oakdale in the final.
“It’s brilliant to have won the league and be going up,” said Thomas. “We’ve worked hard all season and it has paid off now and we’re made up, especially after the disap
pointment of the semi-final.
“Our target now is to make sure we go unbeaten in the league. Every team we play wants our scalp and the last two games won’t be any different.
“It just gets harder and harder but you’ve got to give it to the boys, they’ve worked hard all through the season. We’re also under no illusions how tough the West Wales Plate final against Trimsaran is going to be having had two close games against them and only winning by one point there.”
Nantgaredig already have one eye on next season and Thomas says they will meet the challenge of Two West head on.
“It’ll be different but we’re not going in there to just survive in Division Two, we’re going for it,” he added. “We’re going to be strengthening the squad with a few more players coming in and hopefully we can do something similar to what Pembroke have done.
“It was only a couple of seasons ago we played against Pembroke.
“We’re a village team and we’ve built it really well over the past five seasons and have just got stronger and stronger.
“We don’t pay so our boys and anybody coming in do so just because they want to play for us.”
Elsewhere in Three West B last Saturday, Betws beat New Dock Stars 34-25 while the spoils were shared in the games between Llandeilo and Lampeter Town (19-19) and Trimsaran and Llandybie (29-29).
Elsewhere, Bridgend Sports are still in the box seat to win Three West Central A.
They have a three-point lead over Pyle with two home matches to play against Vardre on Saturday and Pyle on May 18 in what is set to be a title decider.
Pyle will be expected to take maximum points from their home game against bottom team Glais on Saturday.
In the race for the Three West Central B title, victory for Baglan in their final game at home against second-from-bottom Rhigos on May 18 will confirm them as champions.
Bryncethin are currently second and five points back and they could still be pipped for that spot by thirdplaced Cwmllynfell, who are only a point further back.
Bryncethin have just one game left while Cwmllynfell have two and means promotion is in the hands of the latter.