Fixture

Bargoed RFC | 1st Team 26 - 42 Bridgend RFC | 1st Team
Rhys Morgan
Try 1
Bryce Morgan
Try 1
Calum Jones
Try 1
Conversion 2
James Hallett
Conversion 1
Mathew Edwards
1 Try
Thomas O'flaherty
1 Try
Ashton Jay Evans
1 Try
Jamie Murphy
2 Conversion
6 Penalty

Match Report
30 April 2017 / Team News

Bargoed 26 Bridgend 42

The Bulls and Ravens fought out an entertaining if somewhat scrappy penultimate game in the Premiership with both sides scoring four tries but it was the boot of Bridgend captain Jamie Murphy which made the difference with 6 penalties and two conversions in a 22 point personal tally.

 

An early penalty chance for Bargoed's Calum Jones drifted wide before a slip by Bridgend scrum half Connor Tantum wrong footed the Bulls' midfield and full back Matthew Edwards finished off a broken play move to go 0-5 up after 4 minutes. Bargoed hit back just minutes later to square it with a catch and rive from a line out on the twenty two with number right Ross Coombes and scrum half Matt Bancroft going close before prop Rhys Morgan dived over from short range. Calum Jones' conversion hit a post and bounced the wrong way and Murphy slotted a penalty to retake the lead after 9 minutes.

 

Referee Jason Morris punished Bridgend with a yellow card for number eight Ashton Evans on 20 minutes for an accumulation of penalties, the tipping point being a high tackle on Bargoed's David Evans and the Bulls made them pay with energetic lock Bryce Morgan going over following a scrum five metres out. Jones converted to make it 12-8.

 

Bargoed however, shot themselves in the foot, playing patiently taking the ball upfield through the forwards, Bridgend wing Tom o'Flaherty picked off a pass on the narrow side to intercept and round under the posts to move back in front 12-15 just before the half hour. The home side were then reduced to fourteen with wing Duane Dyer having been adjudged to have put in a high tackle on his opposite number but it took a long discussion between referee and touch judge to decide whether it was just a penalty or a card but the outcome was a harsh yellow. Murphy put over the kick.

 

The Bulls were then unlucky not to get a penalty try with scrum half Tantum playing the ball in an offside position before number eight Ashton Evans deliberately knocked on running back also from an offside position and denying David Evans a scoring pass on the outside. That would have been Ashton Evans' second yellow but referee Morris went back to the earlier offence and carded the scrum half. Bargoed called a scrum, Coombes and Bancroft went close but it was Calum Jones who twisted in the tackle and dotted down. Jones converted his own try and the home side were in front at 19-18 with five minutes of the half left.

 

Ashton Evans was in action again moments later when he crossed for a try to put the Ravens in front at the break 19-23.

 

The third quarter was a scrappy affair with the Bargoed eight dominant in the scrum as they had been throughout but with nothing to show for it. Then a purple patch for Bridgend with Murphy putting over two penalties and converting an Adam O'Driscoll try following a fortuitous bounce into the hands of Ashton Evans. Suddenly Bargoed were 19-36 down on the hour.

 

O'Driscoll then had the Ravens third yellow card for pulling down a driving maul. Bargoed called a scrum and drove Bridgend backwards, another penalty and another scrum. Again no comfort for the Bridgend pack and this time the referee went under the posts for a penalty try which was no more than the Bargoed forwards deserved and James Hallett converted to make it 26-36 after 64 minutes. Cai Lewis went into the bin for his part in pulling down the Bargoed drive.

 

Composure was needed for Bargoed to pull this game out of the fire but they couldn't quite deliver and errors cost them dear as Murphy completed his fine afternoon with the boot with two more penalties to end the match 26-42.

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