Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photos by: Riley Sports Photography
The All Whites made it three wins on the bounce as star player-head coach Joe Thomas ran the show with a hat trick of tries and star performance in a thriller at Broadacre.
It was Thomas who got Swansea off and running when he spotted a gap in midfield and glided through, with a well weighted kick and gather by full back Iwan Glynn almost resulting in a try, but the bounce evaded him. Play was brought back for a penalty though, which fly half Josh Phillips chipped to the corner.
A misfiring lineout by hooker Rhodri King was collected at the back by centre Ieuan Bissell as the home side attacked, but the ball was lost at the maul.
Winger Liam Lloyd took a high ball and raced up to the 22, with number eight Luca Giannini making good yards, before Thomas bounced off a tackle, but flanker Dafydd Thirsk ripped the ball from a Swansea hand.
The visitors worked the ball out wide to winger Caio Parry, but he chose to kick ahead, and Lloyd gathered possession, but his kick was back down the throat of Caio Parry, who booted the ball out of play on the full in a sloppy passage of play.
Fly half Billy McBryde chipped to the corner with a penalty and a well worked lineout saw the visitors power forward, with the quick thinking McBryde kicking high to the corner for Caio Parry to race onto the ball to score a wonderful try. McBryde converted.
A long pass out wide from Thomas to winger Ieuan Cornelius got the Whites inside the RGC 22, but lock Cai Arnold became isolated in possession and the visitors turned the ball over.
Lock Ben Roberts took a lineout inside the RGC half, but prop Berian Williams lost the ball forward, with the North Walian side instead mounting an attack from their own 22 through winger Sam Jones. Then, Parry made a mazy run and found prop Gareth Parry who was stopped, before the ball was swept back out wide to Caio Parry who was tackled into touch, although play was brought back for a penalty.
McBryde dinked the ball into the corner and lock Billy McQueeney collected the lineout, before a powerful rolling maul, joined by the backs, saw McBryde crash over for a try that he also converted.
The visitors were penalised for blocking at the restart and Phillips chipped to the corner, with King close to crashing over, but a second penalty followed, although the Whites lost the ball forward this time.
The visitors spread the ball out wide to Caio Parry, who burst over half way, before centre Danny Cross was dumped in the tackle and lost the ball forward.
The home side were soon back in possession, with flanker Ethan Fackrell bursting over the 22, before the elusive Thomas beat a tackle and dived over for a try. Replacement fly half Llew O’Brien, on for the injured Phillips, converted.
King then made good yards over half way, and the visitors gave away a penalty. O’Brien found touch inside the 22 and the home side got ball out to the backs, before a clever dummy by Williams kept play alive, but a chip through by Glynn was comfortably grounded by full back Dion Jones.
O’Brien gave away a penalty on half way but McBryde missed touch, although the Whites kicked the ball away to give RGC a lineout. McQueeney took the ball and lock James Brown powered forward, but Roberts was penalised for a high tackle.
McBryde chipped to the corner and Brown took the lineout, with prop Patrick Nelson and flanker Charlie Probert charging forward, before McQueeney used his strength to crash over for a try. McBryde converted.
With half time approaching, Fackrell raced back at the visitors, who were penalised for offside. A great lineout take allowed Bissell to throw a deft little short pass to Thomas, who burst through a tackle to score under the posts. O’Brien converted.
Half-time:- Swansea 14-21 RGC 1404
Following the interval, Dion Jones rose to collect a high ball, but ended up trading kicks with Glynn, as the North Walian side looked to attack. Thomas saved a certain try when he clutched the ball out of the hands of Thirsk, who had the line at his mercy.
However, the visitors were soon back in possession and a well worked move by the forwards saw Thirsk stretch over to score RGC’s bonus point try. McBryde converted.
The Whites hit back moments later with a well worked backs move, first Thomas made a superb break out wide, before he threw an inside pass to scrum half Matthew Aubrey, who scored. O’Brien converted.
But the home side refused to let the score get them down as the ball was swept out wide to Cornelius, who was tackled on the 22, before replacement number eight Jacob Hopkins and substitute prop Daf Davies made good yards, and the ball was swept out wide for Lloyd to squeeze over at the corner. O’Brien missed the conversion to leave RGC leading by two points.
McBryde chipped up towards the 22 with a penalty and number eight Sam Williams powered into the 22 from the lineout, but the visitors gave away a penalty and Swansea were able to clear.
The home side took the lead for the first time when fast hands by the backs saw Flynn and Lloyd combine to send Cornelius racing clear for a try. O’Brien converted.
Gareth Parry was penalised for holding on after the tackle, so O’Brien found touch on the RGC 22. Hopkins took the lineout and a quick pass found O’Brien, but he was well tackled. Thomas then made a typical weaving run but was stopped, but the centre picked the ball up again at the next phase and scored in the corner. O’Brien converted.
The visitors were soon back on the attack though with Brown powering forward, before Dion Jones threw a super inside pass for Sam Jones to score. McBryde converted.
RGC were awarded a penalty, which McBryde chipped to touch, and Sam Williams took the lineout, but replacement flanker Tal Taylor was crucially turned over by substitute lock Chris Thompson, with the home side awarded a relieving penalty.
Looking to seal victory, Bissell made a break and released a pass to Iwan Temblett, but the replacement scrum half dropped the ball over the line.
Inside injury time the visitors looked to run from their own 22, but were met with a determined Whites defence, although they gave away an offside penalty, which McBryde found touch with.
The visitors threw the kitchen sink at the Whites’ defence with replacement hooker Osian Burt powering up to the 22, and Brown almost breaking through, before Hopkins stole possession and kicked it away downfield, only for RGC to regather.
In a desperate finale, the visitors were camped on the Swansea line, but an excellent tackle on McBryde meant the move lost impetus, with the Whites able to turnover the ball at the maul to celebrate a magnificently hard fought victory.
Next up for Swansea is a trip to Llandovery in the cup, while RGC 1404 travel to Pontypool, also in the cup.
Full-time:- Swansea 40-35 RGC 1404
Swansea:
Tries:- Joe Thomas (33, 40+6, 60), Matthew Aubrey (47), Liam Lloyd (50), Ieuan Cornelius (56)
Cons:- Llew O’Brien (34, 40+7, 48, 57, 61)
RGC 1404:
Tries:- Caio Parry (13), Billy McBryde (22), Billy McQueeney (40+3), Dafydd Thirsk (44), Sam Jones (65)
Cons:- Billy McBryde (14, 23, 40+4, 45, 66)
Match facts:
Venue:- Broadacre, Dunvant
Weather:- Sunny, 4C
Man of the match:- Joe Thomas
Attendance:- 300
Swansea team:
15 Iwan Glynn
14 Ieuan Cornelius
13 Joe Thomas
12 Ieuan Bissell
11 Liam Lloyd
10 Josh Phillips (c) (rep: Llew O’Brien 30)
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Iwan Temblett 61)
1 Tom Crockett (rep: Daf Davies 48)
2 Rhodri King (rep: Jamie Cox 48)
3 Berian Williams (rep: Mat Pryce 48)
4 Cai Arnold (rep: Chris Thompson 48)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Iwan Shenton
7 Ethan Fackrell (rep: Callum Bowden 48)
8 Luca Giannini (rep: Jacob Hopkins 48)
Replacements:
16 Jamie Cox
17 Daf Davies
18 Mat Pryce
19 Chris Thompson
20 Jacob Hopkins
21 Callum Bowden
22 Iwan Temblett
23 Llew O’Brien
RGC 1404 team:
15 Dion Jones
14 Sam Jones
13 Danny Cross (rep: Louis Williams 41)
12 Delwyn Jones (rep: Osian Llewelyn 48)
11 Caio Parry
10 Billy McBryde (rep: Tudur Jones 66-76)
9 Tudur Jones (rep: Connor Dever 61)
1 Gareth Parry (rep: Christian Hone 61)
2 Jac Petch-Jones (rep: Osian Burt 61)
3 Patrick Nelson (rep: Ollie Roe 61)
4 James Brown
5 Billy McQueeney (rep: Will Kellet 61)
6 Dafydd Thirsk (rep: Tal Taylor 69)
7 Charlie Probert
8 Sam Williams ©
Replacements:
16 Osian Burt
17 Christian Hone
18 Ollie Roe
19 Will Kellet
20 Tal Taylor
21 Connor Dever
22 Osian Llewelyn
23 Louis Williams