After a weekend off, and a shock defeat in their opening game at Llanelli, Ebbw Vale got back to the business of trying to defend their title and it was Lewis who took centre stage as the young outside half helped himself to 23 points. He kicked four penalties, added three conversions and claimed a charge down try.
Newport, seeking their first win of the season, took the lead with an early penalty from Arwel Robson, but midway through a very tight first half Ebbw Vale levelled with the first of Lewis’ penalties.
Craig Attwell then had his claim for a try ruled out by the referee after 26 minutes and Newport suffered further misfortune when skipper Adam Brown picked up a yellow card. The Steelmen, who lost three players to the sin-bin, made Newport pay almost immediately when Ronny Kynes pounced after the ball had gone loose behind the visitors line to bag a sucker try that Lewis converted to make it 10-3.
The champions then turned the thumb screw with a try from wing Chris Levesley that Lewis again improved to make it 17-3 at half time. The prodigious boot of Lewis kept the scoreboard ticking over in favour of the home side as his second penalty extended the lead.
Brendan Lampitt try gave Newport a lift with a try that Matt O’Brien improved to cut the gap to 10 points, but Lewis then added another penalty from fully 50 metres. The Black & Ambers showed off their handling skills to release Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt for the try of the game and O’Brien’s conversion cut the gap to a single score.
But neither Lewis nor the Steelmen were in any mood to be denied and the outside half added a fourth penalty before charging own a kick for a try which he also converted.
Rising Wales Under 18 star Patric Lewis scorched over for two tries as Bedwas made it back-to-back away wins with a stunning 37-19, bonus-point triumph at The Wern that sent last season’s National Championship winners, Merthyr, crashing to their first defeat in the top tier..
Hot on the heels of their 20-12 victory over Newport at Rodney Parade, Bedwas carried the game to last season’s National Championship winners and were never behind. The visitors got off to a flying start with teenage wing Lewis racing over for his first try after only five minutes.
Skipper Richard Powell added the conversion and then made it 10-0 midway through the first-half with a penalty. Kyle Evans hit back with a try for Merthyr, but by the break Bedwas were in dream land.
Lewis bagged his second try and on the stroke of half-time prop Dan Preece added a third try. Powell converted them both to make it 24-5 at the interval and then the outside half added a penalty four minutes into the second half to increase his side’s advantage.
Livewire flanker Osian Davies and centre Arron Pinches, playing against one of his former clubs, then gave Merthyr hope with two tries in eight minutes. Dean Gunter converted both to cut the gap to eight points.
But Bedwas kept their composure and not only moved further ahead with another Powell penalty, but bagged the bonus point with an Aaron Bramwell try six minutes from time that his captain converted to complete a match haul of 17 points. Bedwas No 8 James Benjamin was carried off the field on a stretcher to provide the only downside of an otherwise magnificent afternoon for Steve Law’s side.
Former Wales Under 20 full back Afon Bagshaw was a last gasp hero for RGC1404 as he crossed for the try that enabled the north Walian newcomers to notch an historic win in their first home game in the Principality Premiership in front of a crowd of 1,432.
Baghsaw was involved in the first score of the game from the kick-off, when he was taken out in the air and earned a penalty for Jacob Botica, but it was his last involvement that turned the game on its head at the death after the boot of Jack Maynard had seemingly earned Llandovery the points.
It was nip and tuck from the off and the lead changed hands four times alone in a first half that ended all-squad at 16-16. Botica kicked two penalties to overtake Craig Woodall’s second minute try and then converted a try by centre Tom Hughes to make it 13-13 after a second corner try from Mike Evans for the Drovers.
Botica and Maynard swapped penalties before the break, although the home side’s Kiwi stand-off was also wide with two other attempts either side of the break. Prop Ross Davies then rumbled over for a try that gave RGC a five point cushion.
Maynard kept chipping away at the lead and three successive penalties from the Llandovery No 10 edged his side back in front 25-21 with 10 minutes to go. Then game Bagshaw’s late heroics with Botica adding the conversion to maintain his side’s 100 per cent record.
The home side ended the game under huge pressure at the scrum, with two 18-year-old props on the field, but they held firm to give veteran lock Bryn Williams the perfect send-off after helping the side rise from Division 1 East to the top-tier. He hung up his boots after the game.
Llanelli’s second-half comeback just fell short as Ceri Sweeny steered Pontypridd to victory at Parc y Scarlets. The visitors’ looked to be cruising to a comfortable second away win of the season when they led 28-3 early in the second half.
But they were given an almighty scare when Llanelli stunned the visitors with four tries in the space of 15 blistering minutes. The Scarlets’ bench turned the game as first replacement front rower Aled Morris touched down before replacement wing Ryan Davies scored twice, either side of a try by full-back Dion Jones.
Jones also took over the kicking duties to close the gap to just two points at 31-29 with 10 minutes to go. But Wales veteran Sweeney stepped off the Ponty bench to steady the ship as he kicked a penalty and then slipped through for a try that he converted to cap a vital 10-point haul in just seven minutes.
A try bonus point was small consolation for Llanelli who narrowly missed out on a second for the losing margin. But that was the last thing on the cards when Ponty’s Wales Under 18 scrum-half Dane Blacker scored his second try early in the second half, created by Alex Webber who had touched down just before the break.
Wing Lewis Williams also crossed for a try for Ponty, who can now look forward to their first home game of the season on their new 3G pitch against Merthyr on Saturday. Nine tries in all, but a vital 41-29 win for the visitors in the end.
Jordan Purcell’s injury-time try put the wraps on an history first Premiership win for Bargoed. The fleet-footed full-back finished a break in midfield by wing David Evans to clinch a surprise bonus-point in the 83rd minute.
Defeat left Swansea rock-bottom of the league and still without a win since joining Bargoed in winning promotion, though it was far from an easy ride for the hosts. All Whites fly-half Jac Wilson kicked three penalties to cancel out a try by home lock Bryce Morgan.
But an opportunistic try on the stroke of half-time by veteran centre Darren Humphries, who broke clear from a ruck and stretched out to score, proved telling in the final analysis. Swansea came out firing for the second half but failed to make it count, even when Bargoed’s other centre, Phil Price, was binned for a ruck infringement.
Swansea turned down an easy three points in front of the posts but were shoved off the ball by the home pack at the chosen scrum and Bargoed cleared the danger. It proved a turning point and instead of 14-12, Bargoed’s powerful No8 Ross Coombs burst over from close range for 21-9 before Sam Withers added a penalty to his three earlier conversions and Purcell’s claimed his late score.
Cross Keys finally notched their first win after successive defeats to Merthyr and Bridgend as they made home advantage tell against Neath in a 48-3 triumph that contained six tries, including a brace from skipper Scott Matthews.
The only points Neath were able to muster came in the shape of a 33rd minute penalty from Ed Howley and the visitors were 17-3 adrift at the break after home tries from full back Josh Prosser and hooker Darren Hughes. Dragons outside half Geraint Rhys Jones converted all six tries and also kicked a penalty in each half for a match haul of 18 points.
The floodgates opened in the second half as four further tries flowed. Matthews crossed twice and wing Matt Powell and centre Leon Andrews also joined the party.
