Fixture

Clwb Rygbi Rhuthun | 1st Team 14 - 27 Aberavon Quins RFC | 1st Team
Jack Higgins
Try 1
Nathan Huw Jones
Conversion 2
Ryan Pugh
1 Try
Marc Sheppard
2 Conversion
1 Penalty
Nathan Flynn
1 Try
Thomas James
1 Try

Match Report
31 October 2016 / Team News

Ruthin RFC 14 Aberavon Quins 27

Aberavon Quins made the long journey north in the second round of the WRU plate competition and it was a case of job done. With a performance that improved as the game wore on the visitors were pushed hard for most of the game, Ruthin are struggling in their respective league with no wins recorded as yet. The Quins on other hand are flying high in their league after securing promotion last season, so on paper it was expectation that was their biggest burden.

 

The Quins had a makeshift backline with 2 scrum halves playing on the wing, including debutant Jordan Condon, the returning Lewis Allen at inside centre, Dai Morley a Chester University student made the short journey to play at full back. It was perhaps the unfamiliarity that made Ruthin backs look extremely dangerous on the break, one of the less attractive parts of the game was the kicking away of quality possession when handling options were on, both teams were were guilty but in fairness the Quins addressed this issue before Ruthin.  The Quins started brightly and and pressure from forward drives gave the Quins a great field position which enabled the huge and powerful prop Tom James to crash over near the posts with a couple of defenders being dragged with him.  Sheppard added the extra points with a neat conversion to add to an earlier penalty. The Quins were looking comfortable and perhaps mentally turned off, the Ruthin team then spread the ball both ways dragging the Quins defence from one side of the field to the other and scored a couple of tries that put them 14 points to 10 up at halftime.

The Quins needed to start the second half positively and in fairness they did, Man of the Match, Liam Oates soared high for the accurate restart from Marc Sheppard claimed the ball then smartly off loaded to Number 8 Conor O’Callaghan to canter in under the posts.  This seemed to suck the life out of the Ruthin team and the Quins started to dominate the smaller Ruthin pack, with the lineout functioning effectively, with accurate throwing from Tyler Hopkins who was hitting his targets with aplomb, Beynon, Bowen and Oates provided the clean supply of quality ball. The scrum also proved too much for the home team with Helson, Hopkins and James dominant, this did not diminish when Tom Morley and James Davies entered the fray early in the second half, with the dominant front five back row forwards Saker, O’Callaghan and Oates turned over ball and slowed opposition ball regularly. Dylan Mclachlan added his robust all action style when he replaced Oates on the open side.

With the scrum marching forward on regular occasions scrum half Nathan Flynn had an arm chair ride and he too added a well taken try from a close range scrum. The final score was a lovely piece of rugby football with quality running and support lines, deft hands by O’Callaghan saw outside centre Ryan Pugh sprint along the touchline to score out wide. Rory Hinchliffe then replaced Flynn with Marcus David slotting into his favoured 9 position. Jordan Hunt, who was called in as a late replacement, didn't manage to get onto the field due to his injured knee not being 100%.

 

With a job well done the Quins go into the draw of the last 16 teams, the journey to North Wales is not an easy bus ride but the welcome the Quins received was top drawer, the bar staff and committee of Ruthin were superb, both sets of supporters enjoyed each other’s company and a good day was had by all. Ruthin played well and caused their in form visitors a few problems. The normally watertight Quins defence was breached twice in the first half and that in itself is unusual.

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