Treorchy 8 Ebbw Vale 36, 301010

A fine bonus point win for Ebbw Vale, complete with 5 tries, as they overcame a spirited but limited Treorchy side on a glorious autumn afternoon near the top of the Rhondda Valley.
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The tries were from Ajuwa and Jenkins in the first half, giving Ebbw a 17-3 half time lead which was not a reflection of the shared territory, and in the second from Sweet, Cunliffe and Collins to complete a comfortable win.
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In fairness to Treorchy, I think there are worse sides in the division. They stole some lineout ball from Ebbw and had a commitment and intensity above that of one or two others we've played in recent weeks.
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First half pics
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Second half pics

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Second half clip

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Manic Street Preachers, Newport, 231010

This was a splendid night at a sold out Newport Centre with Blackwood's most famous sons. Towards the lighter end of my rock music taste, the sound was excellent nonetheless and the set list by and large a throwback to the better albums of the 1990s.

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Set list
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You Love Us
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Motorcycle Emptiness
(It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love
Peeled Apples
Roses In The Hospital
Postcards From a Young Man
This Is Yesterday
La Tristesse Durera
Some Kind Of Nothingness
Ocean Spray
Masses Against The Classes
Everything Must Go
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky (acoustic)
You Stole The Sun From My Heart (acoustic)
Faster
No Surface All Feeling
Golden Platitudes
Suicide Is Painless (Theme From M*A*S*H)
Motown Junk
Tsunami
A Design For Life

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No pics or clips this time I'm afraid. It was too packed!

Ebbw Vale 48 Ystrad Rhondda 12, 231010

The Steelman easily disposed of Ystrad Rhondda with an eight try romp on Saturday afternoon and the bonus point in the bag at half time.

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In truth it could have been 78-12, as Ebbw had far too much forward power and pace behind for the visitors. Dan Ajuwa got a hattrick, Ross Jones 2 tries, Wes Cunliffe 2 also and a close range effort from Hywel Jenkins. There were so many other good displays from the boys that it's difficult to single out individuals.

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First half pics
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Second half pics

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All pics (c) the webmaster.

Glenn Hughes, Bristol, 121010

I couldn't resist it - I just couldn't. A Tuesday night in Bristol it might have been, but it was well worth the trip to see Glenn Hughes in action again. Playing 'The Fleece' (little more than a pub) is quite a humbling moment for such a big act, but it says something for the man's willingness to take his music to the people.

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Set list (to follow)
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Muscle And Blood
Touch My Life [fan video ]
Orion
Sail Away
Medusa
You Kill Me
Can't Stop The Flood
Crave
Don't Let Me Bleed [my video ]
Keepin' Time
Steppin' On
Soul Mover
Addiction [fan video ]
Burn [fan video ]
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Pics of Glenn and guitarist Søren Andersen
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Superb!

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All pics (c) the webmaster.

Ebbw Vale 35 Bedlinog 3 091010

On an afternoon where the weather forecast of an 'Indian Summer' was hopelessly wrong (unless India has summers full of cool, damp drizzle), Ebbw Vale overcame a valiant but limited Bedlinog outfit to record their first bonus point win of the season.

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Quite frankly, 35 points should have been 65 and, at one stage, it looked as though the Steelman had blown their best chance of a bonus point. Surely we need to attack space more and look for contact less? I thought we overdid the phases sometimes today. We have the best back three in the Division in Wilkes (15), Cunliffe (14) and Ajuwa (11) - bring them in on the correct angles!

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Onwards and upwards.

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1st half pics
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2nd half pics

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