Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photos by: Riley Sports Photography
Swansea booked a home semi-final in the Super Rygbi Cymru Plate competition with a comprehensive victory over Bridgend on a wet afternoon at Broadacre.
The home side started brightly, with prop Cameron Jones charging forward from the kick off to establish an attacking platform. Fly half Josh Phillips chipped ahead, but the Ravens dealt with the danger and forced Jones to knock on.
Centre Joseph Gatt made an early break, but Swansea cleared through Jack Hoskins, who chased his own kick well. The Ravens were then penalised for offside, allowing Phillips to kick into the 22. Flanker Iwan Shenton secured the lineout, but the Whites were penalised for blocking.
Fly half Lloyd Wilkins failed to find touch with a penalty, and the Ravens were punished again moments later. Phillips kicked for territory, but the move made little ground and he was forced to find touch once more.
Gatt produced another superb burst through midfield, linking with scrum-half Harvey Nash, who in turn found No. 8 Benji Williams. However, centre Callum Carson hacked the ball clear as the Whites regained possession.
A clever grubber by Nash almost sent winger McCauley Rowley over in the corner, but opposite man Liam Lloyd got back well to ground the ball dead.
Full back Mat Protheroe sparked the next attack, feeding Shenton, who powered forward before Jones picked from the base of a ruck and sprinted down the wing to score a fine try. Phillips was unable to convert.
Rowley broke through the middle soon after, but Swansea scrambled well, with play halted for treatment to a home player.
Lock Alfie Thomas then spilled a lineout into Swansea hands, allowing them to move the ball wide to Liam Lloyd. The hosts looked likely to add a second when Phillips spotted a gap and raced through, supported by flanker Luca Giannini. The ball was swept wide to Liam Lloyd, but he was well tackled, and Bridgend eventually cleared.
The visitors then conceded a high tackle, with Phillips kicking to the 22 and again into the corner after a second penalty. Lock Ben Roberts secured the lineout and the home pack drove over, with Roberts touching down. Phillips converted.
Carson was caught trying to run out of his 22, but Swansea recovered and cleared. The Ravens responded as Rowley chipped ahead and regathered, taking play close to the line, but a penalty relieved the pressure and Phillips again kicked long.
Full back Fraser Jones almost crossed but was dragged down short, before Benji Williams powered through a tackle to score under the posts. Lloyd Wilkins converted.
Protheroe launched another counter from deep, feeding Liam Lloyd, who chipped ahead, but Bridgend cleared.
Roberts collected a lineout near halfway as a maul drove forward. Scrum half Ellis Lewis broke away, but a penalty by Harris earned the Ravens player a yellow card.
Phillips kicked to the corner once more, and a routine lineout saw Giannini crash over. Phillips converted.
Bridgend hit back immediately when Rowley’s pace on the wing created space for Jones to collect a chip and score on the stroke of half time. Lloyd Wilkins converted.
Half-time: Swansea 19-14 Bridgend
After the break, Protheroe tapped quickly and Phillips found touch inside the Bridgend 22. Hooker Corey Lewis then failed to throw straight, gifting Swansea a scrum.
Carson dummied and number eight Jacob Hopkins charged forward, but replacement winger Edd Howley intercepted – though play was brought back for an earlier penalty, which Phillips again sent to the corner.
Swansea came close when Ben Roberts took a lineout and Lewis was held up over the line. Another penalty followed, and Phillips again kicked deep.
Roberts secured yet another lineout, and a dominant rolling maul saw Giannini cross for his second try. Phillips struck the post with the conversion.
Howley then broke from deep and fed Harris, with Thomas bursting through the middle before being stopped short. Nash knocked on over the line with support players arriving.
Lloyd Wilkins intercepted a pass and found replacement number eight Morgan Boobyer, who tidied up before Rowley chipped through, only for the Whites to recover.
Moments later, Bridgend hit back as prop Harry Olding powered over from close range. Replacement fly half Luke Price missed the conversion. However within a minute, Price and Nash combined to send Olding over again. Price again missed the conversion though.
Bridgend attacked from deep through Howley and Nash, but a lack of support allowed Swansea to force a penalty.
Boobyer scrambled well to collect another Phillips chip, but Bridgend conceded a high tackle. Swansea moved the ball wide to winger Brandon Wood, and another high tackle earned a penalty, with Phillips kicking to the corner.
A rolling maul from the lineout allowed replacement hooker Logan Lloyd to crash over for a try. Phillips converted.
Replacement lock Jake Roberts then charged down a clearance on his first touch, but the ball bounced into touch.
Swansea sealed the match when Hoskins burst through midfield, linking with replacement centre Joe Thomas, who sent Ben Roberts over under the posts. Phillips converted.
Price kicked to the corner after Swansea were penalised, with Boobyer taking the lineout. Bridgend moved the ball wide to centre Ben Burnell, but another penalty followed, and Boobyer scored from a lineout maul. Burnell missed the conversion.
Swansea added a final score from another short range lineout, with Logan Lloyd driving to the line before Hopkins picked up to finish. Phillips converted.
The victory means Swansea will face the loser of the RGC 1404 v Carmarthen tie, in a home semi final next weekend.
Full-time: Swansea 45-29 Bridgend
Swansea:
Tries:- Cameron Jones (18), Ben Roberts (31, 77), Luca Giannini (40+1, 48), Logan Lloyd (71), Jacob Hopkins (80+5)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (32, 40+2, 72, 78, 80+6)
Bridgend:
Tries:- Benji Williams (36), Fraser Jones (40+4), Corey Lewis (60, 62), Morgan Boobyer (80+1)
Cons:- Lloyd Wilkins (37, 40+5)
Yellow cards:- Kyle Harris (40)
Match facts:
Venue:- Broadacre, Dunvant
Weather:- Rain, 9C
Man of the match:- Ben Roberts
Attendance:- 300
Swansea team:
15 Mat Protheroe
14 Liam Lloyd (rep: Iwan Glynn 72)
13 Callum Carson (rep: Joe Thomas 63)
12 Jack Hoskins
11 Brandon Wood
10 Josh Phillips (c)
9 Ellis Lewis (rep: Iwan Temblett 56)
1 Cameron Jones (rep: Tom Crockett (49)
2 Rhodri King (rep: Logan Lloyd 56)
3 Kian Hire (rep: Ed Thompson 49)
4 Chris Thompson (rep: Jake Roberts 72)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Iwan Shenton (rep: Freddie Millward 80+2)
7 Luca Giannini
8 Jacob Hopkins
Replacements:
16 Logan Lloyd
17 Tom Crockett
18 Ed Thompson
19 Jake Roberts
20 Freddie Millward
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Joe Thomas
23 Iwan Glynn
Bridgend team:
15 Fraser Jones
14 Jake Thomas (rep: Edd Howley 40+3)
13 Joseph Gatt (rep: Ryan Wilkins 63)
12 Ben Burnell
11 McCauley Rowley
10 Lloyd Wilkins (rep: Luke Price 56)
9 Harvey Nash (rep: Dan Roderick 66)
1 Harry Olding
2 Corey Lewis (rep: Alex George 77)
3 Nathan Evans (rep: Mathew Iorweth-Scott (49)
4 Alfie Thomas (rep: Cody-Ray David 80+1)
5 Barnaby Waddell
6 Kyle Harris
7 Thomas Jevons ©
8 Benji Williams (rep: Morgan Boobyer 49)
Replacements:
16 Morgan Boobyer
17 Alex George
18 Mathew Iorwerth-Scott
19 Cody-Ray David
20 Luke Price
21 Dan Roderick
22 Scott Baldwin
23 Edd Howley