Neath earned their first league double of the season over bottom club Brecon and, although there were six tries for the home side against two for the visitors, it was a stop-start affair.

Brecon came into the tie having won their first league game the previous week when they beat Cross Keys 17-13 while Neath made just two changes from the team named for the postponed game at Ystrad Rhondda.

On a perfect day for rugby football, The Gnoll was in good condition but the game lacked flow due to high error and penalty-counts.

Neath took the lead when the forwards drove over for a try announced as being by prop Marley Lovell who probably worked every bit as hard for it as the actual scorer hooker Kian Jones – it’s all about team-work !

Visiting outside-half Rhys Davies opened Brecon’s account with a penalty but the Neath forwards were hungry for scores and, although the All Blacks squandered some golden opportunities, further unconverted first-half scores were added by hooker Kian Jones with his second and then by flanker Casey Williams.

Brecon played with bags of spirit and, despite losing lock Alwyn Lee, hit back when Rhys Davies converted a try by Matthew Williams and then added a penalty to keep them in touch at the interval.

Half-time – Neath 15 points, Brecon 13 points

Five minutes into the second-half, Rhys Davies nosed Brecon into the lead for the first and only time when he landed his third penalty.

For a quarter of an hour, the All Blacks camped themselves in the visitors’ half but Brecon defiance and too many errors and penalties saw the scoreboard stubbornly unaltered.

Neath’s second-half territorial dominance was bound to tell eventually though and, despite the general lack of continuity, the home team added three more tries which carried the game well beyond Brecon.
Midway through the half, replacement hooker Sion Jones – on the field only a matter of minutes – went over for Neath’s fourth try and the All Blacks extended their lead when centre Sean Wilcox powered over for the fifth which full back Iestyn Morgan converted to make it 27-16.

The Neath forwards attacked again on the right before Paul Short placed a perfect cross-field kick for Jon Bayliss, lurking on the left wing, to collect expertly and dab down for Neath’s sixth try which was unconverted.

That made it 32-16 but, as the benches emptied leaving Neath with a very unusual-looking combination indeed, another flurry of penalties to the visitors led to Neath conceding a last-play try to replacement wing Ben Griffin.

** Next Saturday, Neath have a WRU Cup semi-final date against Llanelli Wanderers at Dunvant RFC.
Kick off is at the earlier time of 2.00pm. – and one thing is certain, if Neath give away as many penalties as this, they will be punished by the unerring boot of ace goal-kicker Nick Gale.

NEATH – I Morgan; M Meaclem, S Wilcox, J Male (T Richards), J Bayliss; P Short (L Hawkes), C Tantum (K Davies); M Morgan (M Little), K Jones (S Jones), M Lovell (C Thomas); M Davies, S Lewis; C Williams (W Pope), B Williams (capt) G Tremlett (J Hughes)

BRECON –  L Brown; H Jones, T Richards, J Price, C Davies (S Horobin); R Davies (B Griffin), G Workman;  I Dowling-Jones (H Hibbs), A Hughes (J Lyons), S Pinch (A Nicholl); B Pritchard, A Lee (L Evans) ; C Thomas (I Dark), I Edwards (capt), M Williams (H Bowen)

Referee – Mr W Goodwin (Cardiff)

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