On the opening night at Pontypool Park, where Llandovery beat Pontypool 21-18, it had been one of Bowen’s U18 teammates, second row Will Evans, who had carried off the man of the match award, and the Cardiff wing followed suite with his solo effort at Stadiwm CSM
Dewi Cross and Joe Goodchild were the visitors’ other try scorers. Wales U20 outside half Harri Wilde, who left the field with a serious jaw injur, kicked two conversions while replacement kicker Osian Darwin-Lewis sent over a late penalty.
Sam Stoddart, Sam Williams and Tal Taylor scored for RGC with Dion Jones adding two conversions and two penalties for the Gogs, who led 25-24 at one stage in the second half.
Ebbw Vale are up and running after they saw off Aberavon 34-22 at Eugene Cross Park. The Steelmen, who reached the play-offs in the Indigo Premiership last season, had to come from behind after wing Connor Moyse’s try and a penalty from Ed Dunford put Aberavon ahead early on.
But tries from skipper Joe Franchi and outside centre Ethan Phillips, along with a conversion and penalty from Evan Lloyd, had Ebbw 15-8 up at the break.
Further Ebbw tries after the re-start from back rower Ewan McIntyre, converted by Lloyd, and wing Ryan Gardner extended their lead to 27-8 before the Wizards hit back – with a second score for Moyse and a try for Scott Delnevo, both improved by Dunford, pulled them back to within five.
However, an opportunistic try scored by scrum-half Jon Evans capped a five-star home win for Ebbw. Lloyd added the extras.
Ebbw team manager Dan Haymond said: “Aberavon are always tough anyway, no matter what time of year you play them.
“But to go into the first game with them being a little bit more of an unknown than usual – it was a great result for us.
“They had a lot of debuts and came out of the blocks quick to be fair; their offloading game in the first 10 minutes was brilliant and everything they threw seemed to stick.
“But I thought the boys dealt well with that and then we settled down and looked comfortable for a period.
“We made a couple of subs, and they fought their way back in pretty close, but the boys dug in and got the result in the end. The win with the bonus point was really pleasing – especially with what is a real tough start with Cardiff next and then Llandovery back-to-back.”
Carmarthen Quins saw off Swansea 39-29. The visitors led twice in the first half, first through outside centre Lewis Edwards’ try after only two minutes and then Ryan Jones, both converted by Josh Phillips, who also landed a penalty.
But it was the Quins who would have their noses in front 19-17 at the turnaround thanks to two tries from hooker Lewis Morgan and one for flanker Gethin Davies. Outside half Ifan Davies kicked two conversions.
A pair of Osian Jones penalties after the re-start stretched the Quins’ lead to eight points and they were soon all but out of sight when lock Josh Helps and then number eight Lewys Millin added further tries, both converted by Jones to make it 39-17.
Swansea though would leave with a bonus point thanks to further tries in the closing stages from Geraint Powell and then Callum Dodd, converted by Harri Williams.
