Newly-crowned WRU Cup winners Neath are fast becoming the second-half comeback kings of the WRU Premiership after overturning a 5-31 deficit to record a sixth successive victory in an 11-try thriller against Cardiff Metropolitan at Cyncoed.

One of the problems of staging the WRU Cup final midway (a slight exaggeration admittedly) through the season is the effect it has on the remaining club programme and Met fancied their chances of catching the Cup holders on the hop.

Neath’s injury problems going into the final with half a dozen players ruled out long-term were known; fewer people will have realised that, due to the Cup eligibility rules, others went into the Principality Stadium cauldron already carrying injuries to win the trophy.

Add in a few more Cup final casualties and Neath’s long-term absentee-list has  lengthened still further to include the likes of Sean Wilcox, Connor Tantum, Jon Barley, Steff Lewis and Casey Williams while fireman Ki Morgan was working.

Consequently, a much-changed Neath XV with only four players starting in their final positions travelled to Cyncoed for a match vital to the students’ hopes of surviving relegation – for the All Blacks it was literally a case of the ‘last man standing’.

Neath faced a strong wind in the first-half which the students proceeded to dominate. Met, slick and vigorous, ran some lovely lines and had Neath chasing shadows as they crossed for four first-class, first half tries through Bath Academy winger Wyatt McLaughlin (2), Exeter centre Toby Clinch and Leicester hooker Jamie Longyear – aptly-named as it is proving to be a ‘long year’ for his side.

There could be no denying the quality of the students’ play although Neath supporters were adamant that two of the tries owed a lot to forward passes but, despite acting-captain Gethin Tremlett’s strong lead, Neath could not get going and looked to be suffering a right old hangover from that Cup final win.

Irish outside-half Ross McKay converted three of the tries and Neath were staring down the barrel when they lost scrum-half Kaden Davies as well as the teenage centre pairing Luke Davies and Aled Davies.

That meant a debut for scrum-half Rhodri Jones from Morriston Youth while Neath installed an emergency centre pairing of two battered Cup final heroes in Jon Bayliss, normally a wing, and regular skipper Ben Williams who was man of the match in the final from his normal No.8 position.

And, as in the Cup final, the All Blacks struck back before half-time. After wing Llewellyn Hawkes launched a rare Neath attack which was held up over the line, Neath got their first score and reward for a period of pressure when hooker Kian Jones dabbed down for his 11th try of the season but Iestyn Morgan’s conversion attempt went nowhere near into the wind.

Half-time – Cardiff Metropolitan 26 points, Neath 5 points

 Despite Neath now having the wind, Met extended their lead early in the second half – a messy effort from a wildly rebounding ball which gave rise to a second try by centre Toby Clinch but, having lost prop Josh Jones and lock Josh Hughes, replacements Marley Lovell and newcomer Brynley Thomas (Baglan) added weight to a scrum which grew increasingly and ominously dominant.

Almost immediately, a big scrum led to No.8 Jacob Blackmore combining with replacement scrum-half Rhodri Jones as Neath burst onto the attack from their own half.

Neath certainly upped the physicality stakes after the interval forcing Met onto the defensive where they infringed rather than concede tries –  a risky and ultimately costly tactic which riled Neath and seemed to spur them on.

After several warnings, referee Mr. Cai Lewis brandished his yellow card and the All Blacks worked their way to the try-line where an authoritative scrum yielded a pushover try to Jacob Blackmore and Iestyn Morgan converted but Met hit back immediately through a Ross McKay penalty.

Still 12-34 down with just over a quarter remaining, Neath suddenly found their mojo. Terrific scrum power had the students back-pedalling as the All Black forwards advanced once more and young Rhodri Jones dived over a for a debut try which he will remember for a long time and Iestyn Morgan’s conversion made it 19-34.

A switch move off another solid scrum saw imperturbable outside-half Steff Williams, replacement Jon Bayliss and Rhodri Jones, visibly growing in confidence, combine to put Neath on the attack again and another huge shunt led to impressive back rower Jordan Evans crossing for Neath’s fourth try which Iestyn Morgan converted and it was 26-34.

The bonus point was now in the bag but it served merely as a staging point; Neath supporters suddenly found their voices (albeit a little croaky after Cardiff), gave positive encouragement and the All Blacks were rampant now.

Perhaps Neath’s best try of the day was their fifth as, zooming the ball from side to side, they found the extra man out on the right in the unlikely shape of big lock Matthew Davies who crashed over in the right corner although the home touch-judge piqued further Neath wrath by attempting – in vain – to signal touch.

Iestyn Morgan converted superbly from the touchline and remarkably there was now only a point in it with five minutes remaining – time aplenty for Neath to turn the screw. Two penalties and-driving line-out assaults took the All Blacks to the verge of the try-line, the forwards sucked in the defence and Neath clinched the game as wing Louis Rees joined the attack in midfield to touch down unopposed between the posts for the visitors’ sixth try.

Iestyn Morgan’s conversion made it 40-34 and Neath controlled possession until the final whistle to seal a win which 45 minutes in had looked nigh on impossible. 35 second-half points and, never beaten, Neath’s determination and collective will to win shone through once again

Neath now have a week to get some of their ‘battered and bruised’ back up to full speed before they travel to Narberth, another side battling relegation – it will be a further tough task ! Met meanwhile await May 2 and a destiny-determining tie at Llanelli Wanderers.

CARDIFF MET – A Molnar; W McLoughlin, T Clinch, G Patterson (capt), T Lock (M Bonds); R McKay, C Edwards (A Lloyd); W Pearce (JJ Wozniak), J Longyear (L Mullis), J Clease (S Hill); G Cahsay (S Codling), G Williams; G Cannon, E Batchelor (R Spavins), M Hansen (C Davies)

NEATH – I Morgan; L Hawkes, L Davies (J Bayliss), A Davies (B Williams), L Rees; S Williams, K Davies (Rhodri Jones); J Jones (M Lovell), K Jones, M Morgan; M Davies, J Hughes (B Thomas); J Evans, J Blackmore (S Jones), G Tremlett (capt)  Other Repl. T Richards, M Little

Referee – Mr Cai Lewis (Swansea Valley)

Images courtesy of Len Kowalski:   www.lensworkphotography.co.uk