With the perfect combination of pack power and pace throughout their back line the Ironmen gave the record 1,476 crowd plenty to enjoy as they nailed another bonus-point by half-time and never took their foot off the gas.
To their credit, RGC scored three tries themselves and had two tries scored against them shortly before half-time when Huw Worthington was in the sin-bin. It meant they were 34-5 adrift at the break and later found themselves trailing 62-5.
Merthyr’s nine tries were split five in the first half and four in the second and they bagged their first after only five minutes when wing Dan Parry gathered a neat chip from Dean Gunter in the air to crash over. Matthew Jarvis add the first of his seven conversions in another major match haul of 22 points.
Jarvis extended the lead to 10 points with a penalty before Cam Davies took a quick tap penalty and darted over for the first of the three home tries. The power of the Merthyr forwards was amply demonstrated when they were awarded a penalty try and then Parry skipped away for his second.
Worthington’s yellow card allowed the visitors to pile on the points before the break and further tries followed from Phil Rees and David Bishop. That stretched the lead to 29 points and the gap just grew in the second half as Jarvis, James Howe, Rhys Downes and Tom Daley all crossed for tries which Jarvis converted.
The carnival atmosphere created by RGC general manager Rupert Moon – the teams entered the field via a guard of honour of local junior teams, Welshpool provided the ball boys and Welsh women’s captain Rachel Taylor was on hand with some of her international team mates – ensured the home players never let their heads
drop.
They kept the tempo of the game high, went in search of more tries and came up with two more from Tom Hughes and Worthington. Afon Bagshaw converted the latter and the race for the bonus-point try kept excitement levels high to the finish.
RGC find themselves in fourth place at the turn of the season with 44 pints from nine victories in their 13 games. They have two games in hand on the top two sides, Merthyr and Pontypool, and trail third-placed Swansea. Who have also only played 13 matches, by 13 points.
They face a long trek south once again this weekend with a trip to bottom of the table Llanharan, when coaching director Phil Davies will no doubt have a maximum haul of five points very much in mind as the race for a top four finish to gain promotion goes on.
“It was a tough one for us today against a strong Merthyr side with professional rugby experience. But the lads stuck at it and will return stronger for the experience,” said Davies.
Having recently recruited the Lithuanian captain Zygimantas Radzius, RGC were able to bring off the bench the Oxford University and Welsh Students tight head prop Ian Williams against Merthyr having signed him from the Dark Blues. He has three Varsity Match victories under his belt and should add some solidarity to their front row options.
As for Merthyr, they simply go from strength to strength and will be eyeing up an 11th straight win when they host Cardiff Met this weekend. Their only defeat this season came on 3 October at home against Pontypool (20-13) and they have a return game against them on 16 January in a crucial game in the title race.
Meanwhile, Newcastle Emlyn moved above Glynneath in the table with an impressive 40-5 win over Bridgend
Athletic at the Brewery Field. Three penalties built up a 9-0 lead before the first of five tries went in to make it 14-5 at the break.
In the second half it was one-way traffic with the visitors earning a bonus point and Dan Davies grabbing a hat-trick of tries.
SSE Swalec Championship Matches (2 January)
Bargoed v Pontypool; Glynneath v Bridgend Athletic; Llanharan v RGC 1404; Merthyr v Cardiff Met; Newbridge v Tata Steel; Newcastle Emlyn v Beddau; Swansea v Narberth
