It was a meeting between the top two teams in the SSE Swalec Championship and league leaders Merthyr’s tense 3-0 triumph extended their lead at the top to 11 points with seven games left to play this season.
“The conditions were as bad as I can ever remember playing a game in, but full credit to the two teams for their attitude. I told them that safety would be my number one consideration, especially if the rain kept falling,” said Owens, who was in charge of the match.
“We got pretty close to not going the full distance, but both teams really wanted to play and they went at it hammer and tongs. We only had two collapsed scrums in the whole game, yet they remained a real contest.
“For anyone who thinks there is a problem with the scrum laws, they should have come to Merthyr to see two teams showing what can be done. Both these two sides should be able to more than hold their own when they go into the Premiership next season.”
It was 0-0 t half-time and eventually a Matthew Jarvis penalty earned the four points for the home side in front of a very good crowd. Merthyr, Division 1 and Swalec Plate champions in 2013/14, finished third in the Championship behind Bargoed and Swansea last season.
Now they look set to lead the four teams who will be elevated into the Principality Premiership next season. They are also still involved in the Swalec Cup, heading to Parc y Scalets on Saturday to face Llanelli.
They then have seven games left to play in the Championship, including a home clash with reigning champions Bargoed, currently in fifth place, at home on 5 March and then a trip to third placed Pontypool, the only team to beat them to date this season, on 18 March.
Swansea have a game in hand on the leaders, and a nine point cushion over third-placed Pontypool. Five of their eight remaining matches are away from home and they have to travel to Bargoed and host fourth placed RGC 1404.
The only other games to survive the weather were at Bargoed, where the home side ran in three tries in a 21-7 win over Newbridge. The home side dominated at scrum time and took a healthy 21-0 lead into the break thanks to two tries from No8 Ross Coombes and a penalty try, along with three Callum Jones conversions.
Newbridge wing Gerwyn Davies got a try back after half-time, shortly before being shown a red card for violent conduct. Simon Veale landed the Newbridge conversion.
Newcastle Emyln edged out Tata Steel 19-7 to go level on points with their visitors in 10th place. Dan Davies kicked three penalties in the opening 10 minutes to give the home side a handy 9-0 lead.
The Tata pack took complete control in the mud and a penalty try was converted by Steve Lewis to cut the gap. A Mitchell Jones try on the stroke of half-time, converted by Davies, gave Emlyn a seven point interval lead, and a fourth penalty from Davies ended the scoring.
