Fixture

Aberavon Harlequins continue to hold the aces over fellow promoted team Cwmllynfell. The Swansea valley side have not crossed the Quins try line in the last three meetings.  A bonus point victory was well deserved, though in fairness to the home team they made their visitors fight all the way for their four tries.

A heavy field with long luscious grass made for grazing sheep and grunting forwards, ensured the early exchanges were forward orientated. The home side started brightly with their big back row forwards making good gains from strong surges.  The Quins held the upper hand in the set pieces, edging the scrum battle, both props Mike Burgess and Dan Helson also played their part in  dominating the lineouts assisting  Dale Bowen, Callum Beynon and Liam Oates and constantly supplied quality ball on the accurate throwing of Luke Davies, they also stole essential throws when in defending positions.

The Quins cashed in on their lineout expertise with outside half  Marc Sheppard joining a dynamic drive and crashing over behind the rather bemused captain Craig Cox, that added to an earlier penalty put the Quins into a lead they never relinquished.

The Quins back row then started to dominate the breakdown stemming the strong runners with low tackling expert jackling and  doing enough to slow up Cwm’s ball.  Dylan McLauchlin on leave from the army loves the battlefield of the breakdown area and often emerges from mauls with ball in hand, Captain Cox put in some big hits that stirred up his troops and also showed up well with the ball in hand.  Liam Oates also put in a shift of graft before being replaced by new signing Mathew Saker who continued were his predecessor left off.

The indefatigable Luke Davies continues to impress and must be a nomination for man of the match, his throwing in was near faultless, his abrasive, low angled agile running is coupled to an hydraulic hand off and considerable pace is all armament that is often too much for would be tacklers.  His scrummaging in a youthful front row was also dominant, It amazes me (gratefully) that Aberavon release him to us on a weekly basis. His performance was topped off with a classy outside break from 30 meters out to brush aside would be tackler then finished with a poor swan dive in front of club photographer Vance Broad.

Conor O’ Callaghan ably filling in at 9 was again instrumental in carving out the win, the Number 8 shows his all round ability by being a smooth link between forwards and backs. He too joined a driving lineout and claimed the five pointer and the third try. It says something about the benevolence of the Quins forwards and Coxy in particular that they allow the half backs the glory of these mauling tries.

With the game in the bag, the Quins lifted the tempo in search of the bonus point try, it was here that the Quins three quarters switched from rock solid defence to all out attack, Gareth Pugh’s power running and the deft handling of Jack Dacey ensured a steady supply of ball to both wingers, Steve Colorusso was his usual manic all action self and the young David Morley who added slinky running to some hard nose defence (including a flurry of fisticuffs with his opposite number) showed up well.

Fresh legs, introduced after the home team called for uncontested scrums, in the shape of Tyler Hopkins, Kyle Williams and James Mav Davies also played their part. Indeed the last try was a classic, with backs and forwards combining to put replacement PROP Mav Davies into space with the tryline wide open but still 30 metres away, he managed to “sprint” in for a well deserved bonus.

The development team had no game due to the late withdrawal of Skewen Second XV.  The Quins First team play Ammanford at home next Saturday with the Development travelling to Llanharren.

Photo by Vance Broad.