Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photo by: Riley Sports Photography
The All Whites let slip a 21 point lead as Bridgend mounted an impressive second half come back to record a draw in an exciting encounter at the Electric Brewery Field.
Fly half Ben Burnell dropped a routine high ball from kick off, allowing scrum half Matthew Aubrey to hack the ball downfield, but the Ravens managed to scramble back to defend and force a drop out.
However, the reprieve only lasted a matter of seconds as winger Iwan Glynn made a break on the wing and found Aubrey with an inside pass with the scrum half racing clear to score under the posts. Fly half Josh Phillips converted.
Centre Jack Hoskins charged through the middle and set up Aubrey for a potential 50/22, but his kick failed to find touch. However, an outstanding break by Phillips saw the fly half chip through for Aubrey to beat the defender to score his second try of the match. Phillips converted.
Lock Cai Arnold rose high to collect a lineout inside his own half and the resulting maul earned his side a penalty, which Phillips chipped just shy of the Bridgend 22. The lineout misfired though and hooker Dominiko Manaseitava was able to come up with possession, with the ball sent out wide to the pacey winger Ben Evans. Lock Lewis Jones tried to go alone but was turned over and Phillips cleared.
Winger Callum Dodd tapped down a high ball and found centre Joe Thomas as the Whites attacked again inside the Ravens’ 22. Thomas was soon back in possession as he slipped under a tackle, before full back Lewis Edwards used his strength to batter his way up to the line, with hooker Jamie Cox crashing over at the next phase for a third Swansea try. Phillips converted.
Glynn failed to take the restart, gifting Bridgend a scrum just outside the Swansea 22. Burnell sent a quick pass to centre Ryan Wilkins, who sprinted over the 22, but the move broke down.
The Ravens were soon back in possession in a dangerous position though and full back Fraser Jones tried to dart through, but a pass was intercepted and the visitors were able to clear, although Arnold was penalised for holding on after the tackle, so Burnell was able to regain territorial advantage for his side with a touch finder.
The home side spread the ball out wide and flanker Ioan Davies and Lewis Jones then charged forward, but the Whites were penalised for failing to roll away after the tackle. Burnell chipped deep into the corner and the lineout was taken by Lewis Jones, with the rolling maul resulting in a try for Manaseitava. Fraser Jones missed the conversion.
Phillips’ restart sailed out on the full to gift Bridgend with a scrum on half way. A superb chip and gather by Burnell got his side into an attacking position, and a chip through forced Phillips into a hurried clearance to touch. Outstanding defensive work at the maul by lock Ben Roberts earned a turnover for his side.
Wilkins made a superb break and found number eight Thomas Jevons in support, but a few handling errors stalled the attack. Fraser Jones dummied his way through and while Phillips failed to gather the chip through, Dodd superbly got back to prevent a certain try.
Number eight Sam Morgan made good yards from the back of a scrum and fed Edwards who chipped through, but the Ravens defended well with Burnell clearing long.
The visitors secured a bonus point try in spectacular fashion as Thomas sprinted through the middle, and threw a long pass out wide for Edwards to use his pace and power to crash over at the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
The Ravens looked to hit back immediately with Burnell sprinted downfield, forcing the visitors offside at the breakdown. Burnell chipped to the corner and Lewis Jones took the lineout, with Manaseitava claiming a try from the rolling maul. Fraser Jones converted.
A neat move by the Swansea backs almost resulted in a try for Dodd, but he was crowded out near the touch line as the half time whistle sounded.
Half-time: Bridgend 12-26 Swansea
The visitors did superbly to keep the ball in play as they attacked immediately after the interval, with Cox brought down in midfield. Roberts was then driven forward, but Thomas was well tackled and the move broke down.
Swansea were awarded a free kick at a Ravens’ defensive scrum and the visitors’ forwards kept inching towards the line, before an off the ball fight brought a temporary halt to play, with both captains spoken to. Replacement prop Tom Crockett was also shown a yellow card for his part in the fight.
Burnell found touch just short of the Swansea 22, and lock Benji Williams took the lineout to get his side going. Centre Ryan Conbeer chipped ahead, but Glynn was able to clear long.
Burnell took a quick lineout and winger McCauley Rowley burst through the middle with scrum half Chris Williams on his shoulder, before he handed a scoring pass to Wilkins who beat a tackle in the process. Fraser Jones converted.
With the match threatening to boil over, replacement prop Marc Thomas was yellow carded for his part in a second fight, allowing Phillips to find touch just shy of the Ravens’ 22. Arnold recued a lineout, before a poor box kick by Aubrey sailed out on the full.
Edwards showed great strength to beat a couple of tackles, but flanker Cai Howell was penalised for holding on after the tackle. Burnell chipped up to the Swansea 22 and Benji Williams took the lineout, with Davies powering forward, only for Arnold to secure a turnover.
A further Bridgend score followed when Ben Evans sprinted up to the Swansea 22 and the Ravens got quick ball out wide to Davies, who fed Lewis Jones, with replacement scrum half Nick Fisk Jones popping up at the next phase to score. Fraser Jones converted to tie the scores at 26 apiece.
The home side were soon back on the attack, and were awarded a penalty when the Whites crept offside in midfield. Burnell kicked to the corner and Lewis Jones collected the lineout, before the Ravens got the ball out wide through the hands of Ben Evans and Fraser Jones, but the visitors knocked the ball forward.
A powerful scrum by the home pack drove their Swansea counterparts off the ball, earning a penalty. The home side powered towards the line, but replacement prop Nathan Evans was held up over the whitewash. The Ravens looked to attack again with Wilkins charging forward, but he held on after the tackle under pressure.
Replacement winger Cameron Ellis dropped a high ball to give the visitors a rare spell of possession, but substitute winger Luke Price kicked the ball down the throat of Fraser Jones. Dodd superbly took a Kai Inker box kick and the Ravens gave away a penalty, which Price chipped to the corner.
Howell collected the lineout and an advancing maul saw the visitors awarded a penalty. Price chose to chip into the corner and Howell again took the lineout with Cox and replacement prop Daf Davies both desperately close to scoring as the visitors battered the Bridgend line.
Price chipped into the corner again with a further penalty, but this time Lewis Jones crucially stole the lineout to allow his side to clear. However, Edwards took a quick tap penalty and the Ravens defended well, forcing Morgan to hold on after the tackle.
Now it was Bridgend’s turn for an attack, but Burnell failed to take a pass inside the Swansea 22 and the full time whistle blew soon after.
Full-time: Bridgend 26-26 Swansea
Bridgend:
Tries:- Dominiko Manaseitava (26, 40+2), Ryan Wilkins (51), Nick Fisk Jones (61)
Cons:- Fraser Jones (40+3, 52, 62)
Yellow cards:- Marc Thomas (54)
Swansea:
Tries:- Matthew Aubrey (2, 11), Jamie Cox (19), Lewis Edwards (38)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (3, 12, 20)
Yellow cards:- Tom Crockett (50)
Match facts:
Venue:- Electric Brewery Field, Bridgend
Weather:- Sunny, 17C
Referee:- Lucas Yendle
Man of the match:- Ryan Wilkins
Attendance:- 1,000
Bridgend team:
15 Fraser Jones
14 Ben Evans (rep: Edd Howley 72)
13 Ryan Conbeer
12 Ryan Wilkins
11 McCauley Rowley (rep: Cameron Ellis 60)
10 Ben Burnell
9 Chris Williams (rep: Nick Fisk Jones 60)
1 Harry Olding (rep: Marc Thomas 41)
2 Dominiko Manaseitava (rep: McKenzie Scales 41)
3 Matholwch Iorwerth-Scott (rep: Nathan Evans 41)
4 Benji Williams
5 Lewis Jones
6 Ioan Davies
7 Zach O’Driscoll (cc) (rep: Morgan Boobyer 72)
8 Thomas Jevons (cc) (rep: Alfie Thomas 55)
Replacements:
16 McKenzie Scales
17 Marc Thomas
18 Nathan Evans
19 Alfie Thomas
20 Morgan Boobyer
21 Nick Fisk Jones
22 Edd Howley
23 Cameron Ellis
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Iwan Glynn (rep: Luke Price 72)
13 Joe Thomas
12 Jack Hoskins (rep: Luke Scully 76)
11 Callum Dodd
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Kai Inker 55)
1 Morgan James (rep: Daf Davies 63)
2 Jamie Cox
3 Mat Pryce (rep: Tom Crockett 41)
4 Cai Arnold (rep: Theo Currie 60)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Cai Howell
7 Callum Bowden (cc)
8 Sam Morgan (rep: Ethan Fackrell 55)
Replacements:
16 Osian Oliver
17 Daf Davies
18 Tom Crockett
19 Theo Currie
20 Ethan Fackrell
21 Kai Inker
22 Luke Price
23 Luke Scully