Llanelli RFC

MUCH IMPROVED PERFORMANCE FROM THE IRONMEN
MERTHYR 46 LLANELLI 22 (Saturday 12th March 2022 Indigo Group Premiership)

After the disappointment of losing in injury time against local rivals Pontypridd the previous week, the Ironmen bounced back with a bonus point and seven try winning display against Llanelli. Merthyr got on the scoreboard with the first threequarters move of the game which saw wingman Alex Webber race away to touch down in the far corner. Full back Ben Jones soon extended the lead when he kicked a simple penalty from 30 meters to give the Ironmen an 8-0 lead.  It was all Merthyr in the opening quarter as Llanelli struggled with the pace of the game. It was not long before the home side stretched the lead further when second row Callum Bradbury crashed over from close range for Merthyr’s second try.

Llanelli began to settle and got on the scoreboard when captain and number 8 Nathen Hart cross wide out following good forward play. Merthyr soon replied when hard working forward Paddy McBride showed his strength as he drove over after good work from the Merthyr forwards, Ben Jones converting to give Merthyr a 20-5 lead.

Credit to Llanelli, although under forward pressure managed to close the gap just before half time when wing man Harrison Button broke away beating several tacklers to score. Any chance of a fight back from the visitors was soon quashed when hard running centre Arron Pinchers showed his pace as he broke in mid-field and raced in under the post to give Merthyr a bonus point try, and with Jones converting a 27-10 lead. Llanelli keep playing and were rewarded with a third try when John Lewis touched down. Merthyr then picked up the pace of the game as the home pack began to dominate the scrum and soon ran in tries from replacement wing Ashley Norton and replacement hooker Rhys Williams who drove over from close range.

Then the best try from the home side was scored by full back Ben Jones who caught is own up filed kick from 50 meters out and raced in replacement Gareth Thompson converting from the touch line to push Merthyr past the 40 points. Credit to Llanelli they kept playing and were rewarded with a bonus point try with the last move of the game which saw young wing Amir-Jiwa-Walji it was converted to end the game with the Ironmen running out winners 46-22. It was an entertaining game, but Merthyr were always in control in windy conditions. The win moves the ironmen up into third place with 4 games remaining against, Carmarthen Quins, Newport, Cardiff, and Aberavon.

MERTHYR: 15 Ben Jones, 14 Alex Webber, 13 Arron Pinches, 12 Tom Pascoe, 11 Alex Hoskins, 10 Gareth Davies, 9 Justin James, 1 Callum Lewis, 2 Curtis Greenslade, 3 Rhys Lewis, 4 Craig Locke©, 5 Callum Bradbury, 6 Paddy McBride, 7 Daffyd Stonelake, 8 Tom Daley, 16 R Williams, 17 C Phillips, 18 K Williams, 19 M Tutaia, 20 J Perkins, 21 C Blacker, 22 G Thompson, 23 A Norton.
Scorers, A Webber1t, R Williams1t, A Norton 1t, P McBride1t, C Bradburry1t, A Pinches 1t, B Jones 1t 3c 1p, G Thompson 1c.
Referee, Stephen Allsop(WRU).