Ebbw Vale 36 Swansea 7, Indigo Premiership, 25/11/2023

On a bitterly cold afternoon in Blaenau Gwent where winter had arrived, Ebbw Vale recorded a comprehensive victory, as comfortable as you could expect in the Premiership, over a disappointing Swansea side, who threatened more than they could deliver.

In fairness the first half was relatively even, with the home side's power pack contrasting with the speed and slick handling of the Whites' backs.

 

Following early exchanges of possession, the Steelmen kicked a penalty to the corner and, in the now time-honoured fashion, rolled towards the visitors' line after a lineout. The maul went down but Curtis Gregory was on hand to pick and drive over the line. Keiran Meek converted. After Swansea pressure was repelled, a repeat Ebbw catch and drive yielded a full lineout and maul with captain Rhys Francis burrowing over to make it 12-0.

Swansea struck back with some good skills giving Morgan Rees the opportunity to cross the home line, with former Ebbw favourite Rhys Jones adding the extras.

The sides went in a half time 15-7, due to Meek adding a penalty on the stroke of the interval, with Ebbw on top but the game not won.

The second half saw the home pack take total control. Following concerted pressure, home prop Harry Drane went over, duly converted.

More Steelmen pack power led to a penalty try to give Ebbw the bonus point.

The final try from the Vale was the afternoon's highlight. A loose kick from Swansea was taken by Evan Lloyd who passed to fellow sub Owen Conquer who then went on a storming run into the Swansea half shedding tacklers as he went. With maturity beyond his eighteen years, he offloaded to the supporting Jonathan Evans for an outstanding score, warming the hands of the freezing faithful on the steps of the bank.

These 21 unanswered second half points gave a final score of 36-7 to the Steelmen, who keep up the pressure at the top end of the table.

Match ball sponsor Eye For Finance

Ebbw Vale 18 Bridgend 16, Indigo Premiership, 28/10/2023

Ebbw Vale eventually ground out a victory despite being below par for most of this encounter. Nonetheless, it kept up the pressure on the other clubs around them at the top of the Indigo Welsh Premiership.

On a cool afternoon interspersed with squally showers, quite typical of the last day of British Summer Time, it was the Steelmen who struck first with a catch and drive marshalled and executed by home skipper Rhys Francis. The try went unconverted.

The visitors from Bridgend struck back with a penalty, but Evan Lloyd responded likewise to make the score 8-3.

At that point, Bridgend started to take some control and pressure from them led to Ebbw indiscipline which yielded two more penalties for the visiting 10 Price to slot over, making the half time score 8-9 in the Ravens favour.

Bridgend started the second half as they ended the first, and struck again immediately with slick handling leading to Jordan Collier crossing the whitewash, again converted by Price.

With an eight-point deficit, Ebbw coach Jason Strange rung the changes. Pressure led to a penalty kick, ably converted by Evan Lloyd, reducing the deficit to five points.

Incessant pressure from Ebbw yielded penalty after penalty. Then a red card was awarded for a high tackle on Owen Conquer. Further yellow cards meant that the visitors ended the game with 12 men. The Ebbw onslaught eventually told on the Ravens and a penalty try was awarded at a pushover scrum, putting the Steelmen in front by 18-16.

Incredibly, the 12 men from the Brewery Field went through enough phases to win a penalty in the Ebbw half, but, to the relief of the cold and damp faithful on the bank, the kick fell short and the home defence cleared and gladly heard the final whistle.

Match ball sponsor Eye For Finance

Ebbw Vale 26 RGC 10, Indigo Premiership, 30/09/2023

Ebbw Vale left it late to secure a winning bonus point via an injury time, fourth try from replacement scrum half Rory Harries, in a match where victory was rarely in doubt despite some unconvincing spells.

In quite a contrast to the heatwave of three weeks previously, conditions were more 'normal' for North Gwent at the end of September with grey cloud dominating the landscape.

RGC started well securing an early 3 points penalty. The home forwards soon got a grip and applied pressure. A neat move saw winger Harry Rees Weldon cross in the corner. This was followed by a classic lineout catch'n'drive with the backs joining in. Rhys Francis emerged as the try scorer. Evan Lloyd added the extras for a 12-3 half time scoreline.

The second half started as the first had finished. Ebbw forward pressure was applied in another driving maul as Francis crossed the whitewash once again. Lloyd converted.

A bonus point fourth try would appear to be a formality but it wasn't quite so straightforward as RGC mustered some stern resistance at 19-3 down, eventually resulting a converted try of their own.

As the clock ticked down, it appeared as though Ebbw has little chance of the elusive fourth try, but a broken down backs' move from the North Wales outfit, led to an Ebbw breakaway with great handling, culminating a last gasp try from Harries.

Ebbw Vale 38 Pontypridd 21, Indigo Welsh Premiership, 09/09/2023

It's a rare day when you have to wear sunscreen to a rugby match in Ebbw Vale, but a September heatwave meant that some 'bank' regulars took refuge from the striking sunlight by sitting in the grandstand.

On the field, Ebbw were looking to bounce back from an away defeat at Merthyr on the opening weekend, but once again a slow start threatened to undo all the good work put in during the week. Ponty raced to a 15-0 lead, with only two Evan Lloyd penalties able to shorten the deficit initially.

However, the Ebbw pack started to get a grip and a lineout and driving maul led to a Lewis Young touchdown converted by Lloyd to make it 13-15. A further Ponty penalty meant that the half time score was Ebbw 13 Ponty 18.

The second half was a different story as Ebbw imposed themselves on a mistake-ridden visitors outfit.

Flying winger Ryan Davies scored in the corner, converted by the outstanding Lloyd, who supplemented this with another 3 points penalty plus a drop goal.

Ponty got a foot in the half with a penalty of their own, but in reality it was all Ebbw. A disrupted lineout close to Ponty's line yielded a Ryan Jenkins try, and the game concluded with Man of the Match Lloyd powering over from close range and adding the extras, to make it a superb bonus point win for the Steelmen.

Match ball sponsors Eye For Finance

TUI Falesia Blue, Olhos d'Agua, Portugal, August - September 2023

 Some pics from summer holiday 2023...

Glamorgan v Sussex, Championship Division 2, Cardiff, 25-26/06/23

Bit of a delayed start to the cricket season for us, but it was nice to get down to Sophia Gardens for the first two days versus Sussex in the County Championship in some nice June weather.

Glamorgan made a poor start on day 1 after winning the toss and batting, at one stage they were 60/4. Billy Root (66) and the excellent Timm van der Gugten 44 not out put a decent sheen on the host's score, reaching 242 all out on a slow surface.

Sussex found it tricky in reply closing day 1 on 65/1.

Glamorgan had a better day 2, taking early wickets and bowling out Sussex for 203, giving the home side a lead of 39 runs. Australian leg spinner Nathan Swepson taking 3/52 on debut.

In their second innings, Glamorgan closed Day 2 on 46/0, giving the foundations for a subsequent total of 319, featuring an excellent century from Sam Northeast.

The Sussex target of 359 was beyond them, but they hung on for a draw at 273/9, yielding  disappointment for home supporters.

The full scorecard is here.

Ebbw Vale 13 Cardiff 18, Indigo Welsh Premiership, 29/04/2023

With Spring with us at last, the sun shone on the visitors to Ebbw Vale in a hard-fought encounter which put a slight dampener on what had been, overall, a good season for the Steelmen.

The home side struck first through an Evan Lloyd penalty. Then following a series of persistent infringements yielding a Cardiff yellow card, Ebbw took advantage through a Lewis Young try converted by Lloyd. 10-0.

Cardiff hit back through a Dan Fish try, which was converted and followed up with another penalty, leaving the sides on 10 a-piece at half time.

The Steelmen started the second half on top and the pressure told, giving Lloyd the chance to add a further 3 points. The lead was short-lived as Cardiff hit back, 13-13.

In the final quarter, a Cardiff try gave the visitors the spoils and a well-grafted away win.

It was a slightly low note on which to end the season, but at the outset supporters would have settled for a top half finish with such a young squad. So 5th is a satisfactory outcome and bodes well for the future.