Bowen hat-trick sinks Swansea
Super Rygbi round-up
WALES U18 speedster Tom Bowen ran in his second hat-trick of the season as leaders Cardiff gave Swansea six of the best in their 38-29 win at St Helen’s.
Josh Phillips kicked an early penalty for Swansea and then converted Luke Davies’ try to put the hosts 10-0 to the good. But Cardiff responded through Ethan Lloyd and then wing Bowen. Harri Wilde added the extras to both tries to put Cardiff ahead 14-10 at half-time.
Swansea shot out of the blocks after the restart and were 24-14 to the good thanks to a quickfire brace from No.8 Luca Giannini, both converted by Phillips.
But three tries in six minutes either side of the hour mark – through Bowen, Benji Williams and Steffan Emanuel – turned the game in the visitors’ favour.
Wilde converted two of them before Bowen completed his treble and put the cap on a fourth win from five.
Swansea bagged themselves a late bonus point with their fourth try scored by Brandon Wood.
Ebbw Vale are up into second after they battled back from behind to beat RGC 31-16 at Eugene Cross Park and take all six points on offer. It marked a successful first defence of the SRC Challenge Shield for Ebbw.
The Steelmen were trailing 16-10 against the Gogs until a penalty try and scores by Ieuan Evans and Jon Evans – his second of the match – sealed the deal for the Steelmen.
RGC had gone into a 13-0 lead in the first half through a Sam Stoddart try, Billy McBryde conversion and two huge penalty goals from inside his own half from Sam Earl-Jones.
Jon Evans’ first try, converted by Evan Lloyd, pulled the score back to 13-7 at the break. McBryde and Lloyd exchanged penalties before Ebbw’s flurry. Lloyd finished with nine points.
Llandovery ended a run of three successive defeats with a 30-28 win at Newport – and in doing so ended the Black and Ambers’ unbeaten record.
The Drovers built up a 10-point lead through a sixth minute try from skipper Lee Rees and a conversion and penalty from his half-back partner Ioan Hughes.
Newport hit back through a Lloyd Lewis try. Matt O’Brien, as he did with all four home tries, added the extras.
But four minutes before the break prop Jamie Hughes crashed over for a second try for the visitors which Ioan Hughes improved to make it 17-7 at the break.
Ioan Hughes’ penalty extended the lead early in the second half before Newport skipper Ben Roach reduced the gap to six points with his try.
A third Llandovery try, scored by Toby Baldwin, and another conversion and penalty from Ioan Hughes made it 30-14 with 12 minutes to go.
If the game seemed done and dusted at that stage, Newport had other ideas. Two quickly taken tap penalties taken by O’Brien within 10 metres of the Llandovery line paved the way for Chay Foster-Smith and then Barney Nightingale to crash over for tries that O’Brien converted.
That cut the gap to two points and rescued something for the home side to take out of an enthralling contest.
Bridgend made it three consecutive wins as they left Aberavon with five points following a narrow 29-28 victory in dramatic style.
After Ben Burnell’s early penalty for Bridgend, the Wizards then held the lead thanks to Cori Lewis-Jenkins’ try converted by Ed Dunford.
The Ravens went into the break 17-7 ahead thanks to tries from Edd Howley and then Alfie Llewellyn, both converted by Burnell.
Dunford kicked two penalties after the restart and then converted a Luke Davies try as Aberavon hit the front again 20-17.
Back came Bridgend with Corey Lewis, converted by Burnell, going over and then Howley grabbing his second to put the visitors 29-20 up.
Dunford sent over another penalty on 76 to pull Aberavon back to within one converted score of victory but, when Lewis-Jenkins’ try looked to have put them in a seemingly winning position, the conversion this time was missed – and Bridgend celebrated.
Carmarthen Quins ran out 41-31 victors from an entertaining clash at home against Pontypool.
Hooker Lewis Morgan currently sits at the top of the league’s top scorers table and he took his tally so far to seven with two more here.
Rhodri Davies, Eilir George, Jac Howells and Rhys Fawcett were also on the scoresheet for the Quins. Aled Thomas kicked four conversions and a penalty.
For Pooler, this was their first defeat since Tom Hancock’s permanent appointment as head coach.
Scrum-half Morgan Lloyd was at the double for Pooler with Marcus Jones and Scott Matthews their other try scorers. Kieran Meek kicked 11 points.
