Fixture

Aberystwyth 98pts  Amman United nil

Aberystwyth supporters turned out in force for this, the last League match of the season at Plascrug. Visitors Amman United were fighting to avoid relegation whilst the home side were seeking the win that would ensure their promotion. In the event Aberystwyth were up for it, but sadly Amman were not, able to field a bare fifteen, no replacements and few supporters. The player shortage for the visitors also forced the match to be played with uncontested scrummages from very early on, depriving the home side the opportunity to display the forward skills that have served them so well this year. It meant that Aber took  a little time to get started but they opened their account in the eleventh minute when full back Llŷr Thomas finished off an attack to touch down five metres in from touch, the conversion attempt just shading the outside of the near post. It took about the same time again for their second score, Aber’s threequarters combining well before wing Carwyn Evans gave a good pass, finding mobile prop James Plumridge on hand to cross for the second try, doubling Aber’s total.

Amman managed to mount an attack of their own after the restart, forcing themselves into the Aber 22 where the home side conceded a penalty. They opted for a scrum but lost the ball from an ensuing ruck, Aber scrum half Gruff Jones then putting in a towering kick down the right flank of the field. The bounce beat the sole Amman player back defending, but Aber wing Rhodri Richards was steaming up the touchline, neatly gathered and tore ahead and infield to score Aber’s third try under the posts. Skipper Jason Rees added the conversion and Aber were 17-0 up in 25 minutes. It was apparent that the visitors were fading already and some slick handling from the home side ran rings around them, enabling Richards to claim his brace six minutes later. With the bonus point already in the bag, the home side added a fifth try in the 39^th minute, number eight Daniel Binks the man to touch down near the posts, Rees’s second conversion making the score 29-0. There was almost a sixth try in the seconds remaining but Richards was just denied his hat-trick, stepping across the touchline.

Things looked gloomy for Amman and by the interval they had also suffered injuries to the extent that they played the second half with just 13 men. They defended valiantly for ten minutes or so but eventually lost possession from their own lineout eight metres out and Aber worked the ball to Rees to touch down for the sixth try, the fly half adding the conversion as well.  In the next ten minutes however Aber broke loose and added three more tries to their tally. It was good to see wing Adam Carvell coming off the bench after injury and the speedy youngster wasted no time in showing his skills. Fellow wing Evans then added two more tries, the second of those coming with Amman not allowed to touch the ball from their restart. Rees added all three conversions and the scoreboard was getting red hot, now showing a 57 point advantage to the home side on the hour.

More tries came with astounding regularity as Aber’s performance  became more reminiscent of a sevens match than a 15-man League encounter,  full back Thomas and scrum half Jones adding two tries in quick succession. Aber have enjoyed the regular presence of their two visitors from New Zealand, centre Myles Hamilton and flanker Oakley Johnston, since mid-November and both boys have contributed fully to the Club’s success both on and off the field.  It was Hamilton who fittingly scored Aber’s twelfth try to make the score 72-0 with thirteen minutes remaining. Replacement flanker Steff Evans added another try two minutes later, Carvell running in for his brace three minutes after that. Both of those were converted by full back Thomas, the second a neat dropped goal,   An unusually barren five minutes followed that, until Evans crossed under the posts for his hat trick in the 79^th minute and celebrated by drop-kicking the conversion himself.  Not to be outdone, Carvell got his hat-trick in the final minute, scoring wide out on the left.  With tries coming at such a pace some of the conversion attempts in the middle had been rather hurried, but the scoreboard showed that Aber had reached the tantalizing 98 points.  A successful conversion would have highlighted the inadequacy of the scoreboard, but despite a good effort the attempt went just wide and Plascrug just missed out on seeing a three-digit League score!

Sixteen tries in one match is however a significant achievement and the result secures promotion for Aberystwyth to next year’s First Division, a level never before seen at Plascrug. They also find themselves at the top of the table, two points ahead of Penclawdd. Both have two matches to play, but the records are such that two wins (without any need for bonus points) will make Aberystwyth League champions.  In an emotional address to supporters after the match, head coach Emlyn Jones appealed for their full backing in those two remaining away matches. The first at Pontyberem on Tuesday 19^th April will be followed four days later by a return visit to the south coast to play Mumbles next Saturday. It is a big week for Aberystwyth rugby’s players and hordes of supporters.

Alan Jones