By: Paul Hopkins
It was a quarter of a century in the making as the All Whites claimed the Super Rygbi Cymru Plate with a comfortable 29-13 victory over Rygbi Gogledd Cymru 1404.
Not since the days of Scott Gibbs and Colin Charvis have Swansea tasted silverware, but they finally put the voodoo to bed with a star performance at Cardiff Arms Park.
The All Whites conceded a turnover inside their own half immediately from kick-off, but an outstanding tackle by winger Harri Houston forced a knock-on from full back Dion Jones.
A loose kick by Dion Jones was fielded by fly half Josh Phillips, who chipped ahead, but the chasing scrum half Matthew Aubrey was penalised for offside. Fly half Billy McBryde found touch inside the Swansea half and a short lineout ensured they kept possession, albeit they were knocked back in the tackle.
A nonchalant high kick by McBryde was well taken by the North Walian side, but the ball was lost forward as centre Delwyn Jones looked set to race clear.
Full back Mat Protheroe made a break after neat play by the Whites’ backs and Joe Thomas’ side were awarded a penalty, which Phillips chipped to the corner, only for lock Billy McQueeney to leap high to disturb the lineout and allow his side to clear.
Lock Ben Roberts took a lineout on the 22 as the Whites formed a rolling maul, but hooker Rhodri King was knocked back in the tackle, although play was brought back for a penalty. Phillips opened the scoring with a three-pointer.
Moments later the All Whites were in heaven when semi-final hat-trick hero Protheroe took a pass from Aubrey and raced 40 metres to score a superb try. Phillips missed the conversion.
Number eight Jacob Hopkins nipped in to steal possession at the breakdown and centre Callum Carson took a pass at a great angle, but was tackled. The ball was swept out wide to winger Brandon Wood who made a break, and an offside penalty was awarded soon after. Phillips chipped into the corner, but Ben Roberts spilled the lineout forward.
McQueeney took a lineout on halfway as the North Walians looked to attack, but an excellent tackle by flanker Iwan Shenton forced McBryde to spill possession forward.
Phillips found touch midway between halfway and the RGC 22 with a penalty and a super little box kick by Aubrey gained even more metres. RGC took the lineout quickly though to lock Harper Chamberlain, but the supporting flanker Dafydd Thirsk knocked on to gift the Whites an attacking scrum.
The Whites side got the ball quickly out of the scrum through the hands of the backs, but Protheroe’s pass out wide to Wood was forward. However, RGC tried to run the ball out of their own 22, with McQueeney dropping the ball.
Swansea got the ball out of the set piece quickly with prop Daf Davies charging forward, before Protheroe sprinted into the line and took a pass to stretch over for his second try. Phillips converted.
Aubrey spilled the ball at the back of a scrum to gift RGC a set piece of their own midway between halfway and the Swansea 22. Delwyn Jones tried to dummy his way past the Swansea defence, but was held up on the 22, with hooker Jac Petch-Jones then powering forward, but play was brought back for a penalty.
McBryde kicked to the corner and McQueeney took the lineout, with Petch-Jones charging forward, and Chamberlain was held up a metre short, with a penalty awarded. Petch-Jones took a quick tap penalty, but the North Walian side made a mess of the opportunity, with Dion Jones spilling possession forward.
Chamberlain took a lineout and the Whites were penalised for an offside offence. McBryde chipped up to the 22 and a good lineout take by number eight Sam Williams got the home side moving forward, but Protheroe defused a chip ahead, turning defence into attack, although a scrappy period of play followed with both sides playing kicking ping-pong.
McBryde then found touch inside the Swansea 22 with a penalty and Williams took the lineout, with Thirsk powering forward and centre Danny Cross held up just short, before McQueeney used his strength to batter his way over the line for a try. McBryde converted.
The Whites gave away another penalty, which was compounded by a Swansea man speaking out of turn. Sensing half-time fast approaching, McBryde opted to kick at goal and he successfully reduced the deficit to five points at the interval.
Half-time: RGC 1404 10-15 Swansea
A well-timed kick by Protheroe forced opposite number Dion Jones to track back to avoid winger Wood from nipping in, but the ball beat them both into touch.
The Whites mauled over the RGC 22 and Carson sprinted through the middle, handing a pass to Aubrey who was stopped inches short of the line, but prop Kian Hire was held up over the line.
Williams charged forward and Protheroe picked up a loose chip ahead, but flanker Charlie Probert was penalised for a dangerous tackle on Protheroe, with a yellow card also shown to the flanker. Phillips kicked the three-pointer.
The North Walian side were awarded a penalty of their own immediately after the restart and McBryde reduced the deficit back down to five points with a successful kick at goal.
However, it was Swansea who were back in possession from the restart, with Phillips tackled and King charging forward, before Protheroe spilled the ball forward.
The All Whites grabbed a third try in superb fashion when Aubrey threw a slightly delayed pass to send Phillips racing clear to score from his own 22. Phillips hit the post with his conversion attempt.
McBryde found touch on the Swansea 22 with a penalty and the lineout was taken with the ball thrown to Thirsk who charged forward, but he was tackled short of the line and dropped the ball.
Carson showed his pace to make a break up to halfway, but although winger Caio Parry initially dealt with a chip through, Swansea were awarded a penalty, with Phillips finding touch on the 22.
Phillips made a break from the set piece, but Protheroe spilled the pass, although play was brought back for another Swansea penalty. This time Phillips calmed proceedings by kicking a three-pointer.
Dion Jones fielded a high kick and the ball was swept out to Williams on the wing, but play was brought back for a penalty. McBryde chipped up to the 22 with his touch-finder, but the North Walian side lost possession.
Replacement centre Jack Hoskins did well to get back to repel a Caio Parry chip and chase, with his side clearing. RGC came straight back though through Delwyn Jones, but flanker Callum Bowden gained an important turnover.
McBryde missed touch with a penalty, allowing Houston to make great yards with a kick of his own, before the ball was swept out to Wood on the other wing, who tried a chip and go, but replacement flanker Celt Ffransis-Roberts tracked back to defend.
Replacement prop Jessie Williams then burst through the middle in scenes reminiscent of Rhys Carre against Ireland the night before and a penalty followed after the Whites crept offside at the breakdown. The Whites then secured what seemed a crucial turnover as Williams tried to break through the middle.
A fight then broke out between Ben Roberts and McQueeney, who were both sent to the sin-bin, with RGC awarded a penalty. The North Walian side took a quick tap penalty and replacement scrum half Connor Dever looked to have scored between the posts, but replacement prop Patrick Nelson was adjudged to have knocked the ball forward.
Ffransis-Roberts took a lineout in the Swansea half, but the Whites defence held onto tackles, with replacement lock Will Kellett brought down on the wing, before Dion Jones lost the ball forward.
Hopkins tried to break clear from a scrum and fed replacement scrum half Iwan Temblett, who got the ball out through the backs to substitute winger Liam Lloyd. The RGC side gave away a penalty, with Phillips kicking the three-pointer.
In the dying seconds McBryde chipped to the corner with a penalty, but the All Whites forced a mistake with the final whistle sounding to spark wild celebrations by Joe Thomas’ men as they claimed a first piece of silverware in 25 years!
Full-time: RGC 1404 13-29 Swansea
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Billy McQueeney (39)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (40)
Pens:- Billy McBryde (40+4, 50)
Yellow cards:- Charlie Probert (47), Billy McQueeney (77)
Swansea:
Tries:- Mat Protheroe (11, 25), Josh Phillips (54)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (10, 26)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (48, 62, 80+5)
Yellow cards:- Ben Roberts (77)
Match facts:
Venue:- Arms Park, Cardiff
Weather:- Drizzle, 9C
Man of the match:- Callum Bowden
Attendance:- 2,000
RGC 1404 team:
15 Dion Jones
14 Sam Jones
13 Danny Cross
12 Delwyn Jones (re: Afon Bagshaw 79)
11 Caio Parry
10 Billy McBryde
9 Tudur Jones (rep: Connor Dever 55)
1 Gareth Parry (rep: Jessie Williams 58)
2 Jac Petch‑Jones (rep: Osian Burt 58)
3 Pedr Jones (rep: Patrick Nelson 58)
4 Harper Chamberlain (rep: Will Kellett 62)
5 Billy McQueeney
6 Dafydd Thirsk (rep: Celt Ffransis-Roberts 66)
7 Charlie Probert (rep: Louis Williams 79)
8 Sam Williams (c)
Replacements:
16 Osian Burt
17 Jessie Williams
18 Patrick Nelson
19 Will Kellett
20 Celt Ffransis‑Roberts
21 Connor Dever
22 Afon Bagshaw
23 Louis Williams
Swansea team:
15 Mat Protheroe
14 Brandon Wood (rep: Liam Lloyd 79)
13 Callum Carson (rep: Jack Hoskins 66)
12 Joe Thomas
11 Harri Houston
10 Josh Phillips (CC)
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Iwan Temblett 79)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Tom Crockett 66)
2 Rhodri King (rep: Logan Lloyd 56)
3 Kian Hire (rep: Ed Thompson 56)
4 Chris Thompson (rep: Jake Roberts 66)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Iwan Shenton
7 Callum Bowden (CC) (rep: Oliver Jones 72)
8 Jacob Hopkins
Replacements:
16 Logan Lloyd
17 Tom Crockett
18 Ed Thompson
19 Jake Roberts
20 Oliver Jones
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Jack Hoskins
23 Liam Lloyd