“Horror, Horror, Horror !” – MacDuff’s words on finding the Scottish King Duncan dead in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” applied to Neath RFC at the Wern on Saturday.

While nobody actually died, Neath players and supporters were united in grief on a harrowing afternoon at the end of a brutal week. It was a game too far for Neath who had battled to the end on Wednesday night at Pontypridd and many simply had nothing left in the tank.

Merthyr showed exactly why they are the best club side in Wales this campaign and, having won the title the previous Saturday, they were determined to celebrate in front of their own supporters with superb outside-half Ben Jones pulling all the strings in a rampant home display.

Already missing a dozen men injured, hard-pressed Neath’s collection of the dog-tired, the walking wounded, the departing and five permit reinforcements were never in it and crumbs of comfort were few if any. They threatened on occasions only to see moves break down, ball turned over and often a try at the other end.

There were debuts for Skewen scrum-half Jacob Daniel and ex-Llandovery College hooker Dafydd Ebsworth; no blame attaches to them – in fact, young Daniels acquitted himself rather well in the circumstances.

In contrast, Merthyr’s enviable depth of resources meant that they were able to bring on the ex-Welsh international Sam Cross as well as Paddy McBride who is as good as any second-rower in the country – and Neath would have needed to be at their very, very best to compete.

It was a perfect storm and Merthyr tries came from Adam Hoskins (3), Dafydd Thomas (3), Thomas Hughes (2), Jack Kathrens,  Cole Swannack, Ryan Hughes, Aled Evans, Craig Locke, Sam Cross and Ben Jones who converted ten, Craig Locke adding the last and there was a penalty try.

All told, it was a devastating and cruel end to what has been a season of general progress. Neath players and supporters can only take it on the chin, lick their wounds, have a well-deserved summer’s break and come back refreshed and fighting.

MERTHYR – J Kathrens; A Hoskins (R Davies), C Swannack (J Lloyd), T Hughes, D Thomas; B Jones (capt), D Land; T Hawkins (J Savery), R Hughes (E Shipp), R Lewis (C Dawe); C Locke, A Evans (P McBride); D Phillips (S Cross),  L Greggains, C Lloyd

NEATH – I Morgan; M Meaclem (N Orrells), J Bayliss, S Wilcox, M Jenkins; S Williams, E Lewis (J Daniel); R Taylor (M Morgan), K Jones (D Ebsworth), B Uphill (E Hopkins); M Davies, J Blackmore (J Barley); C Williams (D Ceredig), M Kneath (G Tremlett), B Williams (capt),

Referee – Mr. A Parry (Pontypool)

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