Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photos by: Riley Sports Photography
It was a case of déjà vu at Broadacre as the Whites lost by the exact 33-34 scoreline for a second week in a row, but it was enough to book a place in the Super Rygbi Cymru Trophy quarter-finals for Joe Thomas’ side.
The home side signalled their intent early on when an advancing scrum created a superb platform, with centre Jack Hoskins bursting through the middle, only to be tackled inside the 22. The Whites were then awarded a penalty, with fly half Josh Phillips chipping to the corner.
Lock Ben Roberts collected the lineout and scrum half Matthew Aubrey quickly got the ball out wide through the hands of full back Mat Protheroe for winger Iwan Glynn to score the game’s opening try. Phillips converted.
Bridgend finally got going when lock Evan Hill charged forward, with centre Gethin O’Callaghan chipping through, but Protheroe collected the ball and was able to clear.
It was the Ravens who struck next when winger McCauley Rowley fielded a kick, and full back Edd Howley tidied up play, creating a platform for centres Ryan Wilkins and O’Callaghan to link up in midfield to feed fly half Lloyd Wilkins for a well taken try, which he also converted.
Ben Roberts stole a lineout and Aubrey found Phillips, who spread the ball out to the backs, but Protheroe was penalised for holding on after the tackle. Lloyd Wilkins chipped to touch and Hill took the lineout, but the Whites regained possession with Protheroe clearing.
Hill took a lineout but lost possession, with centre Lewis Edwards chipping through into the 22, but the Ravens managed to clear to touch through scrum half Harvey Nash.
The home side were awarded a penalty soon after, which Phillips chipped into the 22. Ben Roberts took the lineout and Edwards burst through, but the supporting Protheroe lost the ball forward.
Winger Cameron Ellis burst through the middle and fired a pass out to Lloyd Wilkins, with Rowley popping up on the wing, but his chip ahead was too strong for the chasing Ryan Wilkins and it bounced over the dead ball line.
The home side gave away a penalty inside their own 22 and Lloyd Wilkins dinked the ball into the corner, with Hill taking the lineout and hooker Corey Lewis powering over for a try. Lloyd Wilkins converted.
Glynn collected the restart as the ball stayed high in the wind, but flanker Callum Bowden dropped the ball and Ben Roberts was subsequently penalised for offside.
Phillips then failed to take a grubber kick forward and was forced to ground the ball dead for a drop out.
Flanker Kyle Harris showed good strength on the wing, but lock Barnaby Waddell was penalised for holding the ball after a tackle.
Ben Roberts took a lineout inside the Bridgend half, but Glynn’s chip through was easily taken by the Ravens, with Lloyd Wilkins kicking for territory. Hill collected the lineout and O’Callaghan took a crash ball in midfield, but Harris held on after the tackle.
Phillips found touch on the Bridgend 22 and Ben Roberts took the lineout, but hooker Jamie Cox’s lineout wasn’t straight in the strong wind. However, Aubrey superbly helped the Whites to keep the ball inside a maul to gift his side a scrum.
Things got even better for the home side as they were awarded a penalty at the scrum, so Phillips was able to chip deep into the corner.
Swansea threw the kitchen sink at the Ravens’ line and were awarded a penalty, with the pack opting for a scrum five. The home side got the ball out quickly with Aubrey having a go at the line, before the ball was recycled for Protheroe to twist over for a try. Phillips missed the conversion.
Ben Roberts collected a lineout on half way and fellow lock Matt Dodd popped up in midfield to make good yards, before Aubrey chipped long for touch in the 22. Cox stole in at the back of the lineout with prop Tom Crockett taking the ball forward on a crash ball, but play was stopped for an injury.
Play resumed minutes later with a Swansea scrum five, and an advancing set piece gave the referee no option but to award a penalty try.
Sensing a chance to retake the lead at the interval, prop Harry Olding charged over half way, with Harris and Rowley linking up on the wing to take play into the Swansea 22, forcing the home side offside.
Lloyd Wilkins chose to kick to the corner and a good lineout take created a maul, which the Whites successfully repelled. Instead, the home side stole the ball and got quick ball out to the backs, but Phillips strayed in front of Protheroe’s chip through and the move broke down.
Half-time: Swansea 19-14 Bridgend
It was a fantastic start to the second half for the Ravens as flanker Alfie Thomas took a lineout inside the Whites’ half, with Rowley popping up in midfield, before the ball was swept quickly out wide to Howley, who chipped ahead and superbly gathered to score in the corner. Lloyd Wilkins converted.
Lloyd Wilkins found touch midway between half way and the Swansea 22 with a penalty, but Cox claimed the lineout, with the Whites’ backs injecting pace to get up to the Ravens’ 22. Number eight Jacob Hopkins burst through, but a long pass out wide by Protheroe went over Bowden’s head into touch.
In a promising move, the home side were awarded a free kick at the scrum which Aubrey took quickly, but the supporting Hoskins lost the ball forward in midfield.
Ellis superbly caught a high ball despite being up against two Whites players, and sensing the danger, Hopkins was penalised for tapping down a pass, being shown a yellow card in the process. It proved costly as Lloyd Wilkins chipped to the corner, and a well worked rolling maul saw Lewis crash over for a try. Lloyd Wilkins missed the conversion.
Ben Roberts took a lineout in the 22 and the Whites formed a rolling maul, with the visitors entering from the side. Phillips chipped deep into the corner and Ben Roberts again took the lineout, with Cox powering over for a try. Phillips converted.
In a moment of ill-discipline, Ben Roberts was yellow carded for a shoulder charge and Lloyd Wilkins chose to chip into the corner, but an outstanding Whites’ defence kept the visitors out, although they were awarded a close range scrum.
Aubrey initially hacked the ball clear at the base of the scrum, but Howley ran back into the 22 and Waddell broke through a tackle, before fantastic handling saw Lloyd Wilkins race over for a try, although he missed the conversion.
The home side were back in business when Protheroe made a superb break through the middle, and the supporting replacement winger James Price was brought down in a tackle. Phillips spotted a gap in the Bridgend defence, and he found replacement lock Jake Roberts, before the ball was swept out wide for Price to score. Phillips converted.
Lloyd Wilkins chipped up to the 22 with a penalty and Hill took the lineout, with Ellis racing through the middle to within a few metres of the line, but the visitors were penalised.
Aubrey did well to repel a Rowley chip through and he was also able to box kick clear, though only as far as replacement centre Luke Price. He found Howley, who kicked a superb 50/22.
From the lineout, the Ravens got quick ball out across their backline, with Ellis touching down to take his side back into the lead. Lloyd Wilkins missed the conversion.
Howley was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on winger Liam Lloyd in the air, allowing Phillips to find touch midway between the 22 and half way, but replacement hooker Rhodri King’s lineout throw was poor.
However, a late tackle by replacement centre Fraser Jones saw him yellow carded, and in the melee the Whites kicked a 50/22. With the last play of the match, Swansea collected a routine lineout take, but a powerful rolling maul was stopped just short of the line, so Bridgend were awarded a scrum and could celebrate a hard earned victory.
Next up for Swansea is a home fixture against in-form Cardiff as they look to earn an unlikely home quarter-final, while Bridgend will travel to RGC 1404 in search of a home wildcard playoff themselves.
Full-time: Swansea 33-34 Bridgend
Swansea:
Tries:- Iwan Glynn (3), Mat Protheroe (34), Penalty Try (40+3), Jamie Cox (57), James Price (68)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (4, 58, 69)
Yellow cards:- Jacob Hopkins (51)
Bridgend:
Tries:- Lloyd Wilkins (9, 65), Corey Lewis (19, 53), Edd Howley (45), Cameron Ellis (75)
Cons:- Lloyd Wilkins (10, 20)
Yellow cards:- Edd Howley (78), Fraser Jones 80+1)
Match facts:
Venue:- Broadacre, Dunvant
Weather:- Light cloud, 12C
Man of the match:- Lloyd Wilkins
Attendance:- 300
Swansea team:
15 Mat Protheroe
14 Liam Lloyd
13 Lewis Edwards
12 Jack Hoskins
11 Iwan Glynn (rep: James Price 58)
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey
1 Tom Crockett (rep: Ed Thompson 69)
2 Jamie Cox (rep: Rhodri King 69)
3 Mat Pryce (rep: Tom Furtado-Mills 71)
4 Matt Dodd (rep: Jake Roberts 58)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Iwan Shenton
7 Callum Bowden (cc)
8 Jacob Hopkins (rep: Ethan Fackrell (66)
Replacements:
16 Rhodri King
17 Ed Thompson
18 Tom Furtado-Mills
19 Jake Roberts
20 Ethan Fackrell
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Llew O’Brien
23 James Price
Bridgend team:
15 Edd Howley
14 Cameron Ellis
13 Ryan Wilkins (rep: Luke Price 41)
12 Gethin O’Callaghan (rep: Fraser Jones 40+2)
11 McCauley Rowley
10 Lloyd Wilkins
9 Harvey Nash (rep: Chris Williams 69)
1 Harry Olding (rep: Alex George 41)
2 Corey Lewis (rep: Tyler Olding 69)
3 Nathan Evans
4 Evan Hill
5 Barnaby Waddell
6 Alfie Thomas
7 Kyle Harris
8 Thomas Jevons © (rep: Zac O’Driscoll 69)
Replacements:
16 Tyler Olding
17 Alex George
18 Callum Donoghue-Proud
19 Dominiko Manaseitawa
20 Zac O’Driscoll
21 Chris Williams
22 Fraser Jones
23 Luke Price