“It was absolutely thrilling, a real nail-biter to the end. It doesn’t come much better than beating Cardiff in the Premiership,” said Jarvis.
“It is a superb start to the season for us with wins over Cross Keys and Cardiff, but we have to go again next week against Bedwas. The difference between this year and last is that you simply don’t get a breather.”
The game had been billed as a battle between the two millionaire brothers – Sir Stan Thomas in the Merthyr camp and Peter Thomas on Cardiff’s side – and it was the upstarts from Merthyr who more than proved their worth with a result than marks them out as real title contenders.
Cardiff, packed full of Blues players and boasting two internationals in their pack in American Eagle Cam Dolan and ex-All Black Jarrad Hoeta, raced into an 11-0 lead with a Ceri Young try and two Jarod Evans penalties.
But by the break the Ironmen had edged ahead with tries from co-captains James Howe and Craig Locke.
Matthew Jarvis converted Howe’s score and then added the extras to a third home try in the second half from former Blues hooker Rhys Williams.
Scrum half Lewis Evans grabbed a second try for Cardiff, which Evans goaled, to cut the gap to a single point, but Merthyr secured a bonus point with a fourth try from former Wales Under 20 and Londn Irish flanker Ed Siggery.
Bedwas came from behind at Rodney Parade to stun the home side and notch a famous 20-12 victory over Newport, despite having three players sent to the sin-bin. No 8 James Benjamin sent back row colleague George Lee over for the first of two tries from the visitors after 11 minutes and skipper Richard Powell added the conversion.
Powell added a penalty before the break, but then joined prop Dan Preece in the bin for a swinging arm tackle on opposite number Arwel Robson, giving Newport a brief two man advantage. Replacement Rhys Verley followed them in the 73rd minute.
Robson, who scored all the home side’s points with four penalties, kicked two in the first-half to make it 10-6 to Bedwas. Two more penalties in the space of five minutes midway through the second half hauled Newport into a 12-10 lead and forced Bedwas to dig deep.
Another Powell penalty then edged Bedwas ahead 13-12 just after the hour mark before lock Robson Blake came up with the vital play of the game eight minutes from time when he blasted his way over for a try. Powell again hit the mark with his conversion and it was the visitors who left with the spoils and left their hosts still searching for their first win of the season.
Bridgend secured a first win of the season as Cross Keys’ difficult start continued at the Brewery Field. The Ravens not only won 29-16, but added a bonus point into the mix for new coach Matt Silva.
The home side started the stronger and applied serious pressure on the Cross Keys scrum, resulting in a penalty which Joe Scrivens landed. However, the visitors hit back with an Ethan Davies penalty, before blindside flanker Josh Skinner powered over from short range to put Keys into a 10-3 lead.
Greg Woods’ team took further control of the encounter when Davies slotted another penalty. But Silva’s side came to life when last season’s top try scorer, No 8 Ashton Evans, bundled his way over from close range to cut the deficit to three points, 13-10, at the interval.
Keys experienced the worst possible start to the second half as Skinner was sin-binned for foul play. Bridgend took full advantage of their extra man and lock Jack Pope powered his way over the line to regain the lead.
Home full back Marc Bennett then crossed in the corner following a scintillating counter attack to further extend their lead. With the game getting away from the visitor’s winger Ryan Griffiths dotted down in the corner to ensure the bonus point.
Lee Rees ran the show as Llandovery inflicted Bargoed’s worst league defeat, 48-7, in six years. The Drovers handed the Premiership new-boys a brutal lesson of life in the top-flight.
Full-back Rees, who finished the game at scrum-half, provided the spark to a thrilling brand of rugby that proved irresistible. Rees put his side on course with a try after barely two minutes at Church Bank before his clever angled runs and vision set up two more for wing Mike Evans and centre Craig Woodall.
Outside half Jack Maynard had already kicked five points when he joined in the try-scoring and he stretched out of a last-ditch tackle to wrap up a bonus-point before half-time. Bargoed steadied the ship after the break even when they were down to 13 men.
Hooker Ian Jenkins and wing Ashley Norton were both binned in the space of three minutes for dangerous tackles. Llandovery also lost flanker Shaun Miles for a tip-tackle though still had enough power up-front to force a penalty try.
Miles returned from the sin bin to claim the sixth try before wing Aaron Warren completed the rout in the final minute to put the seal on an impressive win. The defeat leaves Bargoed, not beaten like this in the league since Blackwood in 2010, already looking at next week’s home clash with Swansea as a must-win game.
Aberavon made it two wins from two with a thumping 47-5 derby win over an ill-disciplined Swansea at St Helen’s. The hosts finished the game with 14 men after Jack Perkins saw red in the second half for a tip-tackle.
Joe Gage crossed twice for the Wizards, who ran in seven tries in all. Aberavon dominated from the off and in the early exchanges a penalty try was awarded after Swansea collapsed a maul on their 5 metre line with Stefan Williams adding the conversion.
Aberavon continued their charge but remained stuck in the wrong areas for the majority of the period. That was until the 40th minute when they doubled their advantage through a Stefan Andrews try, with Williams once again spot on with the extras.
And it soon got better for the visitors after the interval when full-back Gage crossed with Williams making it 3 out of 3 from the boot. Minutes later lock Tudor Hughes gave Swansea a lifeline with a try but the missed conversion left the hosts 16 points adrift.
The glimmer of hope soon faded after Jeffries and Flynn scored tries either side of Perkins’ red card and Sam Martin’s sin-bin. The man-advantage proved decisive as Will Price and Gage’s second of the game sealed Aberavon’s storming victory.
Carmarthen Quins hit local rivals Llanelli for six to share top spot in the Premiership with an emphatic 47-5 derby win. Former Wales Sevens World Cup winner Lee Williams scored two of his side’s six tries as Quins ran their visitors ragged with a high tempo brand of rugby.
It looked to be very different when Wales Under 20 outside half Billy McBride kicked the visitors ahead with an early penalty. But it was one-way traffic after that as Quins dominated against a side that had opened their season with a dramatic win over the reigning champions Ebbw Vale.
Full back Gavin Thomas finished an exhilarating counter-attack to dot down underneath the sticks for a try converted by Steffan Marshall. With the home side constantly stretching the Llanelli defence, Williams crossed in the corner after a period of intense pressure to give Quins a 17-3 half-time lead.
Carmarthen begun the second period much the same as they started the first with scrum-half Connor Lloyd leaving the Llanelli back row for dead to score their third try. Williams then crossed for his second of the afternoon, hitting a nice angle to slice through the Llanelli defence for the bonus point try.
With the game already out of reach substitute Nathan Edwards crossed for a consolation try for the visitors. However, Carmarthen had the last laugh with the experienced Craig Evans dotting down Quins’ sixth try.
It’s now two out of two for Mark Jones’ RGC1404 side after their 30-16 win at Neath. It was their second win on the road on their first foray into the Premiership, following their victory at Bridgend on the opening weekend, and they will now be looking forward to hosting Llandovery at Par Eirias this weekend.
If the 20-3 triumph at Bridgend allowed them to get their bearings in the top-flight, this three try triumph proved they should be able to more than hold their own this season. After two weekends they are one of four unbeaten teams, along with fellow newcomers Merthyr.
Jacob Botica struck two early penalties to settle the RGC nerves and by half-time the visitors were 10 points clear thanks to a third penalty from Botica’s boot and a conversion of full back Afon Bagshaw’s try.
Carwyn Ap Myrddin added a second try, which Botica also converted, and that score forced Neath to chase the game. They had struggled at scrum time, and lost a prop to the sin-bin, but came on strong in the closing quarter.
Iwan Evans dropped a goal and kicked two penalties for the Welsh All Blacks and Ed Howley converted the home try from Joshua Guy. But having cut the gap to six points, Gareth Llewellyn’s side then conceded a fourth try to Bagshaw, with the ever-reliable Botica stepping up to add the conversion to end with 15 points.
