By: Paul Hopkins
The All Whites marked their return to St Helen’s with a plucky display against Ebbw Vale that ended with a narrow one point defeat.
A bumper crowd at the newly refurbished ground were treated to an exciting affair as the Steelmen mounted an impressive comeback in the second half to take the spoils.
Centre Jack Hoskins collected the kick off inside the Ebbw Vale 22, but lost the ball forward. A scrappy period of play followed, with the visitors knocking the ball forward.
The home side opened the scoring in spectacular fashion when full back Mat Protheroe took a pass in midfield and injected speed to cut through the Ebbw Vale defence for a superb try. Fly half Josh Phillips converted.
The home defence crept offside in midfield to give the Steelmen a penalty, which fly half Cai Evans chipped to the corner. Swansea defended well as the Ebbw forwards put together a number of phases inside the 22, and centre Cam Davies was well tackled, before his side gave away a penalty for diving in at the side of a ruck.
Lock Dylan Bartlett stole a lineout on the Swansea 22 and scrum half Gruff Tough made a sniping run, but he was penalised for holding on after the tackle, with Phillips able to clear with a touch finder up to half way.
Phillips took a quick lineout to Protheroe who danced his way past a few tacklers and the ball was fed out wide to winger Iwan Glynn who raced down the wing, before sending a pass to Matthew Aubrey for the scrum half to squeeze over for a try in the corner. Phillips converted.
The visitors hit back when Cai Evans chipped into the 22 with a penalty and a well worked lineout saw the Steelmen go through the phases, before number eight Ryan Jenkins crashed over for a try. Cai Evans missed the conversion.
Glynn made a superb break through the middle and dummied a pass to Protheroe, but he was well tackled and lost the ball forward.
Replacement winger Dylan Edwards made a superb break and chipped through for winger Morgan Rees to chase, but Protheroe spotted the danger and ran the ball into touch. A mistake at the Ebbw Vale lineout meant the Whites were able to clear.
A third Whites try followed when Phillips superbly took a pass in midfield and burst through a tackle to race in to touch down under the posts. He also converted.
Centre Callum Carson dropped a pass inside his own 22 to give Ebbw Vale an attacking scrum, from which Swansea conceded a penalty. Cai Evans chipped to the corner and a well taken lineout saw hooker Ieuan Morris crash over for a try. Cai Evans missed the conversion.
Half-time: Swansea 21-10 Ebbw Vale
Carson released a pass to winger Harvey James as the home side went on the attack after half time, but he became isolated and lost the ball forward.
Flanker Sam Morgan took a lineout inside the Ebbw Vale half with number eight Jacob Hopkins powering forward, forcing the visitors offside. Phillips chipped to the corner and replacement lock Matt Dodd took the lineout, with the Whites’ backs joining a rolling maul, as the ball was swept out wide for Protheroe to score in the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
The visitors hit straight back when Cai Evans chipped to the corner with a penalty and a powerful drive saw Morris crash over for a try. Cai Evans converted.
The visitors gave away a penalty for a cynical off the ball challenge, allowing Phillips to chip deep into the corner, but a dummy throw by hooker Jamie Cox gifted Ebbw Vale with a relieving free kick.
A clever lineout by Cox to replacement prop Ellis Fackrell saw Cox retake a pass on the wing as the home side attacked again, but the visitors were able to clear.
A booming kick by Cai Evans found touch deep inside the Swansea 22. Lock Curtis Gregory took the lineout, and at first a solid defensive effort by the Whites kept out Steelmen, but prop Luke Garrett picked up the ball at the next phase to score. Cai Evans converted.
Hopkins made a barnstorming run upfield after taking a Cai Evans kick, and the ball was swept out wide with Glynn close to scoring in the corner, but he was tackled into touch.
Following the resumption of play the home side were awarded a penalty, and Phillips turned down a kickable chance to chip into the corner. The home side took a lineout and Hoskins tried to batter his way forward but was brought down, but replacement Kai Inker dropped the ball as he dived for the line.
The home side disrupted a lineout on the Ebbw Vale 22, and replacement prop Daf Davies made yards, before the visitors managed to regain possession and clear.
Lock Theo Currie took a lineout inside the Ebbw half, but Aubrey was penalised for holding on after the tackle. Cai Evans found touch midway between half way and the Swansea 22 and the ball was fed out to Davies who was tackled, although a penalty followed. Cai Evans chose to kick at goal and he successfully put his side ahead for the first time.
The home side were in possession with a scrum near the Ebbw Vale 22 as replacement scrum half Jon Evans was well tackled. Substitute full back Luke Scully was then tackled two metres short of the line with Davies charging forward and the home pack battering the line, but a dropped pass gave Ebbw Vale a defensive scrum.
In the dying minutes Ebbw Vale managed to regain possession, but Cai Evans chipped long with the ball beating the chasing player over the dead ball line to gift Swansea one final scrum inside the Ebbw Vale half. Hoskins charged forward from the scrum and Currie was tackled, but Phillips threw a forward pass, which brought an end the match.
Next up for Swansea is a home match against Cardiff, while Ebbw Vale host Aberavon.
Full-time: Swansea 26-27 Ebbw Vale
Swansea:
Tries:- Mat Protheroe (3, 50), Matthew Aubrey (13), Josh Phillips (35)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (4, 14, 36)
Ebbw Vale:
Tries:- Ryan Jenkins (17), Ieuan Morris (39, 54), Luke Garrett (62)
Cons:- Cai Evans (55, 63)
Pens:- Cai Evans (80+10)
Match facts:
Venue:- St Helen’s, Swansea
Weather:- Sunny, 14C
Man of the match:- Luke Garrett
Attendance:- 1,300
Swansea team:
15 Mat Protheroe (rep: Luke Scully 58)
14 Harvey James
13 Callum Carson (rep: Joe Thomas 55)
12 Jack Hoskins
11 Iwan Glynn (rep: Kai Inker 65)
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey
1 Tom Crockett (rep: Daf Davies 47)
2 Jamie Cox
3 Kian Hire (rep: Ellis Fackrell 55-80+11-80+12-80+20)
4 Theo Currie
5 Cai Arnold (rep: Matt Dodd 47)
6 Sam Morgan
7 Callum Bowden (cc)
8 Jacob Hopkins (rep: Ethan Fackrell 63)
Replacements:
16 Osian Oliver
17 Daf Davies
18 Ellis Fackrell
19 Matt Dodd
20 Ethan Fackrell
21 Kai Inker
22 Luke Scully
23 Joe Thomas
Ebbw Vale team:
15 Devon Shorney
14 Ewan Bowden
13 Ethan Phillips ©
12 Cam Davies
11 Morgan Rees (rep: Dylan Edwards 16)
10 Cai Evans
9 Gruff Tough (rep: Jon Evans 59 (rep: Tom Howard 80+20))
1 Luke Garrett (rep: Regan Jones 80+5)
2 Ieuan Morris (rep: Liam Lewis 80+5)
3 Adam Williams (rep: Morgan Bosanko 45)
4 Dylan Bartlett
5 Curtis Gregory (rep: Chad Thomas 65)
6 Ben Main (rep: Dylan Burrows 59)
7 Joe Rees-Weldon
8 Ryan Jenkins
Replacements:
16 Liam Lewis
17 Regan Jones
18 Morgan Bosanko
19 Chad Thomas
20 Dylan Burrows
21 Jon Evans
22 Tom Howard
23 Dylan Edwards