Their 28-0 triumph proved last season’s Division 1 West champions will be more than capable of holding their own in the top flight after reaching the highest level in their club history. They started with a penalty try from a powerful scrum and then added three more tries.
Wing Llyr Davies, No 8 Sean Hopkins and replacement scrum half Tom Lucas wrapped up the bonus point and Luke Griffiths knocked over three conversions for a famous victory. The Trebanos success was in stark contrast to the result of the other newcomers, Rhydyflein.
In their first game against reigning champions Pontypool they were beaten 27-0 at Pontypool Park. But despite failing to register a point, they provided plenty of problems for the home side and should get off the mark sooner rather than later.
Last season Pontypool lost only once, while Rhydyfelin lost only once as they racked up 101 league points in winning the Division 1 East crown. Home outside half Matt Jones got the champions off the mark with two penalties and then added a conversion to Ben Parry’s try to make it 13-0 at the break.
There were two more tries for the home side after the break, both of which Jones improved, but there was no bonus point.
Newbridge ended last season with a season defining victory at Narberth, their 43-29 triumph being enough to keep them in the Championship and send Glamorgan Wanderers down, but there was no happy return on the opening day of the 2017/18 season. This time they were beaten 35-19 with Ianto Griffiths turning into the home hero with 30 points.
He started with a first-half hat-trick of tries and as the Otters raced into a 22-7 lead and then added two second half penalties and a third conversion as the home side bagged a bonus point. Newbridge had tries from No 8 Izaak Duffy and flanker Christian Francis, one of which outside half Eamonn Rees converted, to keep them in touch in the first half, but could only add one more try in the second half.
Tries from Jordan Griffiths and 18-year-old debutant Harri Morgan, both converted by Jack O’Reilly, gave Glynneath a 14-13 half-time lead at Beddau, but they couldn’t add to their tally after the break and two second half tries for the home side earned them a 27-13 triumph.
Cardiff Met’s revival ran out of time at Tata Steel as they fell to a 27-22 defeat. They picked up a losing bonus point in the end having trailed 27-8 at half-time.
Home outside half Lloyd Bradley converted all three of his sides tries and also landed two penalties. The key moment came just before the break when prop Dylan Morgan punished the students for losing control of a line-out near their line as he picked up the loose ball and burrowed over.
Tom Morgan opened the scoring with a penalty and Jac Arthur picked up a first-half try for the visitors. The forwards then conjured up a second after the break and Morgan then added the extras to a third try from centre Luke Northmore to cut the gap to a single score in the end.
Former Neath wing Gareth Morris was the hero for Skewen as he scored a try in each half in their 21-17 home win over Newcastle Emlyn. He cut a great line to cross for his first try and then rounded his man, chipped over the defence and regathered his kick for his second to win the game.
Both tries were converted by scrum half Anthony Buselli and there was also a penalty try. Emlyn led 14-7 at the break thanks to a try from lock Dan Havard, who sprinted 20 metres to score, and then a second from scrum half Mike Jones, both of which Dan Davies converted.Â
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