Rugby Round-Up: Week 5

Another week, another rugby round-up for all the Scimitar-powered teams that played this weekend.

We’re not sure if there’s something changing in the autumnal air but we’ve had some very good rugby spectacles over the last couple of days. We’ve also had a game that will probably be forgotten about sooner rather than later. Let’s get to it!

In BUCS Super Rugby, Swansea University made the cross-border trip to Hartpury, where they faced a tough opponent in their home setting. Despite putting in a solid effort, Swansea struggled to contain Hartpury’s powerful attacks.

The home side dominated the game, leading to a 7-39 defeat for Swansea. The visitors managed a single try, but Hartpury controlled both possession and territory, leaving Swansea unable to mount a meaningful comeback.

On the road at Leicester Lions, Rotherham Titans secured a hard-fought 34-17 victory, although it was a literal tale of two halves. Leicester were well in the game with a deserved 17-10 going back in to the dressing room at half time, but it was the Titans who showed their strength, holding the visitors to zero points in the second half while adding 24 to their own tally to walk away with a well-earned win.

Two tries for Ronnie Du Randt and one each for Bergmanas, Bruzulier & Hedley, as well as three conversions and one penalty for Lloyd Hayes, ensured the Titans stayed in touch with unbeaten league leaders Rams.

At Eugene Cross Park in Super Rygbi Cymru, Ebbw Vale delivered an impressive 31-16 victory over RGC 1404 to defend the SRC Challenger Shield. Despite heading in to half-time with a 13-7 deficit, it was the Steelmen who came out with strength in reserve thanks to the bench, with two tries from Jonathan Evans, one from Leuan Evans and a penalty try awarded for continually breaking down scrums.

The scoreline probably flattered the home side after a relatively poor opening 40 minutes, but the Steelmen will not care one bit. A final try on the whistle and consequential conversion gave Ebbw Vale a 15 point lead, another bonus point and second place in the championship.

After a number of poor results and performance, eyes were locked to Newport for Llandovery’s next fixture, which was screened live on S4C. Llandovery blew the title race wide open with an impressive 30-28 victory at the Newport Stadium

Newport were unbeaten up to this point, and followed the last time these two met for the Premiership playoff final in May. It was more of the Llandovery from last season’s title win, with tries from Rees, Hughes and Baldwin; a result which opened the door for fellow Scimitar side Ebbw Vale to close up on the league leaders.

Pontypridd played host to Narberth at Sardis Road and delivered a dominant second-half performance, winning 52-23 to make it four wins out of four in the revised Admiral Premiership.

Eight tries were scored by Ponty, with five of those coming in what proved to be a controlling, dominating second half of rugby. With the sides split by a single point at half time (19-18), Pontypridd’s backline cut through the Narberth defense repeatedly, while their forwards provided a strong platform. Narberth fought hard and scored a third try towards the end of the game, but they were no match for the Ponty’s relentless pace and power.

Ponty are now second in the Premiership, unbeaten alongside Methyr.

Barkers Butts narrowly lost 16-15 to Old Coventrians in an away match that could have gone either way. In a tightly contested affair, Barkers Butts led for much of the game but were undone by a late penalty from Old Coventrians.

Despite their strong defensive effort, Barkers Butts couldn’t hold on to their slender lead, leaving them with a frustrating one-point loss.

Worcester travelled to Leamington and faced a tough day, falling to a 0-59 defeat. Leamington were relentless from the outset, and Worcester struggled to contain their opponents’ powerful running and clinical finishing.

The visitors had no answer to Leamington’s well-organised attack, leading to a heavy defeat on the road.

Back on home turf, South Gower made light work of Nantymoel RFC, cruising to a 33-0 victory. The home side dominated from the first whistle, using their forwards to build a solid platform and their backs to finish off scoring opportunities.

South Gower’s defense was resolute, keeping Nantymoel scoreless and securing a comfortable win.

Chipstead’s trip to Old Whitgiftian ended in a 10-34 defeat. Despite a determined effort, Chipstead couldn’t match the home team’s physicality and accuracy.

Old Whitgiftian were clinical in their execution, capitalising on Chipstead’s errors and pulling away in the second half to claim a comfortable win on home soil.

Hereford hosted Cheltenham at Wyeside in a tight, low-scoring affair that saw the visitors come out on top, 6-0. Both teams struggled to break through well-organized defenses, with the game being decided by two penalty kicks from Cheltenham.

Despite Hereford’s best efforts to mount an attack, they couldn’t breach the Cheltenham defense. The home side’s frustration grew as the match wore on, and Cheltenham’s disciplined performance earned them the win on the road. Not one for the crowd, this one!

Dinnington travelled to Bradford & Bingley and put on a clinic, winning 43-0. The away side dominated every aspect of the game, controlling possession, territory, and the scoreboard. Bradford & Bingley were unable to handle Dinnington’s intensity, leading to a comprehensive victory for the visitors, who secured a clean sheet in an impressive display.

This week’s featured gallery comes courtesy of Steve Bott, who captured Rotherham overturn that half-time deficit to pick up the points at Leicester Lions