- Four penalty kicks from Elis Price
- Solid defensive effort from both teams
Ebbw Vale get the game underway at Carmarthen Park, the last outing of the regular Super Rygbi Cymru season, just as the heaven’s open and welcome the teams to the field with a deluge.
Carmarthen play into the wind which is gusting towards town and Ebbw Vale get an early territorial stronghold.
The Steelers outside half Evan Lloyd gets an early chance to get the score underway after Quins’ scrum is penalised for wheeling. The wind carries the ball wide of the uprights and the score remains 0-0.
The visitors come at the Quins defensive line again, moving the ball through the hands but lose territory and are pushed back to the 10m line.
Despite Ebbw Vale’s clear territorial advantage, the Quins defensive line held strong in the opening quarter keeping the visitors scoreless.
Quins got into Ebbw Vale territory as we crossed over into the second quarter of the first half. Ebbw Vale failing to get points on the board from the opening twenty minutes of play.
With the clock ticking down to half time, Ebbw Vale wins a penalty for a high tackle just inside the 10m line. Evan Lloyd steps up for the penalty and gets the visitors’ scoring underway.
0-3
Half time: Quins 0 Ebbw Vale 3
Elis Price gets the second half underway with Carmarthen Quins now playing with the wind behind them. A penalty in the opening few minutes hands Price a kick at goal. It’s over.
3-3
Ebbw Vale are penalised at the scrum, Price steps up once again, this time from inside his own half and nails the penalty. Advantage is with Quins in the opening few minutes.
6-3
The visitors get back into it with a composed passage of play inside Quins’ 22 after a knock on by Howells hands the visitors territorial advantage. They push the defensive line hard, but Quins don’t falter. They keep them away from the whitewash and win a scrum penalty. Millin drives the pack from the base of the scrum, and the ball gets away cleanly.
Gabe McDonald kicks downfield handing Quins a line out in Ebbw Vale’s half but possession is immediately back with the Steelmen.
Evan Lloyd kicks Ebbw Vale to the corner. The visiting pack get on the march immediately from the lineout. Quins are penalised for pulling down the maul, play continues and the Steelmen push ahead with valour. They’re over the whitewash and claim the first try of the game.
6-8
Quins get themselves into an attacking position in Ebbw Vale territory. The ball is worked through the hands, Lewys Millin, Jac Price, Tristan Davies and members of the pack keep the ball tight, pick and go. The visitors defend well, Quins eventually get across the whitewash, but the ball is held up.
The final quarter saw both sides playing with spirit and conviction. Chasing kicks, defending hard, and looking for scoring opportunities. Play went from one end of the field to the other with both teams playing heads up rugby.
The Steelmen are penalised just inside their own half and Price steps up for the penalty. With the wind on his back, he clears it once again. Three from three and puts Quins back in the lead.
9-8
Rhodri Davies returns to action following a lengthy lay off with a pec injury.
Quins win a scrum penalty under the Ebbw Vale posts. A second penalty advantage sees Lewis Morgan go for a tap and go. The forwards work the ball through the hands, make their way, inch by inch, to the try line but the ball is lost forward and Ebbw Vale kick to touch.
With minutes remaining on the clock Price steps up for his fourth kick at goal of the afternoon. Howells lends a hand to steady the ball on the tee. It’s a monster kick from just inside the halfway line. Nails it.
12-8
Ebbw Vale look to finish strongly.
A line out just shy of the Quins 22 and their forwards show their fire power. They march the Quins back at pace and Quins are penalised for interfering with the rolling maul. A third penalty advantage is given and once again they kick for the corner. It’s all or nothing in the dying minutes of the game. Quins hold strong. Advantage comes to the home side. Five metre scrum. The ball is brought safely to the back of the scrum and Price kicks it off the park. Game over.
Final score: Quins 12 Ebbw Vale 8
Scorers:
0-3 Penalty Evan Lloyd
3-3 Penalty Elis Price
6-3 Penalty Elis Price
6-8 Try Ebbw Vale
9-8 Penalty Elis Price
12-8 Penalty Elis Price
Carmarthen Quins
15 Ifan Davies, 14 Thomas Williams (Scarlets), 13 Jac Howells, 12 Gabe McDonald (Scarlets), 11 Tomos Lewis, 10 Elis Price (Scarlets), 9 Rhodri Lewis (Scarlets), 1 Ifan James, 2 Lewis Morgan, 3 Harri O’Connor (Scarlets), 4 Jac Price (Scarlets), 5 Lee Taylor (c), 6 Tristan Davies (Scarlets), 7 Lewys Millin, 8 Iestyn Richards
Replacements: 16 Jake Bowen, 17 Rhys Fawcett, 18 Connor Allen, 19 Ryan Bean, 20 Iestyn Wood, 21 Shaun Evans, 22 Rhodri Davies, 23 Eilir George
Ebbw Vale
15 Morgan Richards, 14 Morgan Rees, 13 Cameron Davies, 12 Dom Franchi (c), 11 Dafydd Thomas, 10 Evan Lloyd, 9 Gruff Tough, 1 Morgan Bosanko, 2 Ieuan Morris, 3 Adam Williams, 4 Dylan Bartlett, 5 Curtis Gregory, 6 Ben Main, 7 Sion Parry, 8 Lewis Young
Replacements: 16 James Talamai, 17 Luke Garrett, 18 Adam Court, 19 Ryan Jenkins, 20 Alfred Bateman Lloyd, 21 Jon Evans, 22 Tom Price, 23 Dylan Edwards
