One of the truisms of sport is that good sides manage to win even when they are not at their best. This was certainly the case for Ebbw Vale at The Gnoll on Saturday afternoon. The Champions never got their game going, against a spirited, combative Neath side whose willingness to play rugby belay their lowly league position, and spoke of better things to come.

After having easily the better of the first quarter, Ebbw’s only score came from a close range try by Dawid Rubasniak – impressive on his first Premiership start – converted by Josh Lewis. Luke Price narrowed the gap to 7-3 with a penalty and had a chance, close to half time, to bring his side back to 7-6, but his effort fell short.

Both sides attempted to move the ball but, with showers falling and glazing the excellent surface, the ball often seemed like a bar of soap / orange pip (choose your preferred metaphor) and there were mistakes, infringements and whistle aplenty.

Having shown some quality back play in recent weeks, Ebbw went back to the forwards, and there were promising scrummages and driving mauls, one of which resulted in the second try for Mathew Williams (although it might have been Ronny Kynes!). Lewis’s conversion made the score 14-3 and, with Neath down to 14, Ebbw sniffed a bonus point. The All Blacks had other thoughts, however, and some sustained pressure stretched Ebbw’s defence, allowing number 8 Charlie Davies to score in the corner for 14-8.

Ebbw had other chances. Indeed, it looked as if Ronny Kynes had scored but his effort was ruled out on the advice of an assistant referee, who was standing right next to the incident and might have had a better view than supporters 100 metres away who voiced their disagreement! With Neath fancying the win and Ebbw going for a bonus point, the action continued until the end. The Steelmen created chances but were guilty of kicking the ball away when holding onto it would, perhaps, have been wiser. Jared Rosser, Ronny Kynes and Jordan Howells went close, but not close enough, and the game ended 14-8.

Ebbw’s coaches and players will have plenty to work on before next week’s Metallic Derby (Steel v Iron) at the Wern in Merthyr.

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Yn ôl arbenigwyr sbort, y timau da yw’r rhai syn’n ennill hyd yn oed heb fod ar eu gorau. Roedd hyn yn sicr yn wir am Lynebwy brynhawn Sadwrn: er bod Gwyr y Dur yn ffaelu cynnau eu dull arferol, gwnaethon nhw ddigon i ennill. Ond, pob clod i Gastellnedd, roedd eu hysbryd a pharodrwyd i chwarae rygbi yn golygu bod pethau gwell i ddod iddyn nhw yng ngweddill y tymor.

Ar ôl goruchafu’r chwarter cyntaf, daeth unig sgôr Glynebwy drwy gais gan Dawid Rubasniak – yn drawiadol ar ei gychwyn gyntaf yn yr Uwch Gynghrair – a throsiad Josh Lewis. Culhawyd y bwlch gan Luke Price i 7-3 gyda chic cosb, a fel ‘na oedd hi ar yr egwyl.

Chwarae teg, roedd y ddau dîm yn gwneud eu gorau glas i chwarae rygbi a datblygu symudiadau ond, gyda chawodydd yn disgyn yn reolaidd, a’r bêl mor lithrig â pheth llithrig, roedd camgymeriadau, troseddau a chryn dipyn o chwibanu yn anochel.

Yn ystod gemau diweddar, ni wedi gweld olwyr Glynebwy yn creu patrymau pert ac yn bygwth gwrthwynebwyr yn gyson ond, heddiw, ar y blaenwyr oedd y pwyslais. Gyda sgrym cadarn ac ambell i sgarmes symudol addawol iawn, roedden nhw’n rhoi pwysedd enfawr ar bac Castell Nedd. Yn y pendraw, daeth cais i Mathew Williams (neu Ronny Kynes, o bosibl!) a, gyda throsiad Lewis, 14-3 oedd y sgôr. Gyda Chastell Nedd i lawr i 14, roedd yr ymwelwyr yn dechrau meddwl am bwynt bonws ond roedd y tîm cartref yn meddwl yr un peth! Ar ôl cyfres o ymysodiadau gan y Crysau Duon, aeth wythwr Charlie Davies drosodd yn y cornel i wneud y sgôr yn 14-8.

Roedd gan Lynebwy cyfleoedd eraill,ac roedd Castell Nedd, hefyd, yn parhau chwarae rygbi tan yr eiliad olaf, ac yn ceisio’n ddibaid i ennill y gêm. Aeth Ronny Kynes, Jared Rosser a Jordan Howells yn agos iawn… ond dim yn ddigon agos ac, a dweud y gwir, roedd olwyr Glynebwy yn euog o gicio’r bêl weithiau, yn lle cael gafael ynddi.

14-8 i Lynebwy oedd hi yn y diwedd, a bydd gan hyfforddwyr a chwaraewyr Glynebwy digon i wneud cyn ymweld â Merthyr Ddydd Sadwrn nesaf.