Match Report Swansea 33 Ebbw Vale 34

Ebbw win a last-minute game

The game was played at Dunvant RFC on a sunny spring afternoon. The team sheet saw a late change for Ebbw on the bench, Harry Arundel replaced Morgan Richards. The game was intense and tight until the final whistle.

Swansea came bouncing out of the blocks when winger Liam Lloyd scored the opening try of the game. Josh Phillips sent the conversion wide of the posts to make it five nil to the All Whites. Tom Price slotted a penalty to put Ebbw five, three down. The game was back and forth until the 29^th minute when Swansea number six Iwan Shenton was red carded for what had seemed to be a barge in the back of an away side’s player, leaving referee Paul Newman with no other option. A catch from the lineout saw Steelmen hooker Ieuan Morris score from the rolling maul. Price was unsuccessful with the conversion.

Ebbw were forced into their first change of the game when Harry Arundel replaced Dylan Bartlett due to injury.

Despite being reduced to fourteen men, two quick tries for the hosts by Lewis Edwards and Matthew Aubrey, both converted by number ten Phillips, saw Swansea take an eleven point lead into the half time interval.

Halftime: Swansea RFC 19 Ebbw Vale RFC 8

The second half got off to a bad start for the home side when fullback Matt Protheroe was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on. A few minutes later the Steelmen were awarded a penalty try by referee Newman and prop Kian Hire was sent to the sin bin to spend 10 minutes on the sidelines.

Ebbw took advantage of the numerical advantage when hooker Ieuan Morris scored his second try of the game from the lineout and driving maul. Price slotted the conversion.

The visitors coach Jason Strange made a further change when prop Adam Court replaced Morgan Bosanko.

The away sides centre Cameron Davies used his strength to muscle his way over the line to score Ebbw’s bonus point try. Price added the extras to give his side a ten-point lead on the scoreboard.

After good work by the Swansea forwards, replacement flanker Callum Bowden charged over the line, with Phillips converting the conversion.

The Steelmen hen changed scrum half Dan Buffrey for Carter Pritchard and Joe Rees-Weldon came on for Ben Main.

Three consecutive penalties in a row against the away side saw Ebbw second row Curtis Gregory receive a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on All Whites replacement lock Theo Currie on the wing.

From a lineout by Swansea, their rolling maul got taken down close to the try line illegally by Ebbw, giving referee Newman no choice but to award a penalty try to the home side and a yellow card for the visitors prop Luke Garrett.

Ebbw Vale’s finally changes of the game saw prop Regan Jones come on to make his debut to replace Joe Rees-Weldon due to the yellow card to Garrett and a scrum being awarded, Ryan Gardner replaced Dom Franchi and Alfred Bateman-Lloyd came on for Harry Arundel.

Going into the last minute of the game, a break by Ebbw Vale winger Dafydd Thomas deep into the hosts twenty-two, saw Swansea twenty-three Iwan Glynn receive a yellow card for failing to release the man in the tackle. Price dinked the ball to the corner and Ebbw saw Morris get his hattrick of tries in the corner, after a team effort to break the All-Whites’ hearts at the death. Priced missed the final conversion to close out the game.

Fulltime: Swansea RFC 33 Ebbw Vale RFC 34 

After the game we spoke to Ebbw Vale scrum half Dan Buffrey. Dan said he enjoyed the game. He thought the wind made the first half trickier than it should had been. He praised the team for starting well in the second half and capitalising on Swansea’s two yellow cards by scoring two tries. Dan finished by saying that the team made it hard work for themselves to get the win but it was good to win the game in the end.

Written by Alex Kinsella-Evans