Fixture

Another ‘must win’ game, away to fellow strugglers Fishguard, on a beautiful late autumn day was the challenge for a depleted Saints squad with only three on the bench, against the side only two places higher in the table but with a surfeit of players in their squad and despite their similar league position, a record going into the game which belied their lowly place in the league.

Early indications suggested it would be difficult for the visitors when, within minutes of the start, second row Simon James capitalised on the early pressure with a try close to the posts but the conversion, which was surprisingly missed, somewhat reduced the impact of the success.

Saints then responded with their own pressure with the backs displaying some excellent passing skills capped with two superb tries from outside centre Will Davies, one fifteen minutes into the game followed by another fifteen minutes later, both converted by James Davies who added a penalty for good measure in between to produce a thoroughly deserved score of 17 to 5.

 Shortly before half time hooker Dafydd Page incurred the referee’s displeasure, apparently after four successive penalties from Saints (although not all committed by Daf) and was consigned to the sin bin.

The home side took advantage of the numbers superiority and centre Shawn Rowlands touched down with outside half Kyle Keane adding the extras to reduce the arrears to 17 points to 12 at the break.

Early in the second half the referee then levelled the numbers inbalance by sending the Seagulls Shawn Rowlands to the bin but then almost immediately put Saints outside half Rhodri Jones there as well to restore the numbers deficiency, all of which thoroughly unsettled everybody producing a score for the home side immediately following Rhodri’s departure to level the scores at 17 points apiece.

The strange pattern of play continued into the second half and a further yellow card for Fishguard’s loose head prop Neil Perkins after twenty minutes didn’t help, although it allowed Saints to exert intense pressure in Perkins absence, but without being able to break down the solid Seagulls defence.

Perhaps, as might have been expected in the circumstances, it was a mistake which led to the incident which virtually settled the match when a kick to relieve the pressure was not collected cleanly and unintentionally but literally ‘handed on a plate’ to allow a try under the posts and a simple conversion to put the home side seven points clear.

A penalty with only minutes remaining increased the lead to ten points but Saints did not stop trying and a try for Rhodri Jones converted by captain Adam Phillips restored the losing bonus point to serve as some consolation for a game from which Saints deserved more.