Caerphilly Rugby

From the offset it was clear that a physical battle was in store for both sides with flying boots at the first ruck. Indeed Caerphilly lost their first player to the sin bin after a retaliating in the first ten minutes. Not a good start for the home side. They mustered well however, and were unlucky not to go ahead as the backs and forwards combined well spinning the ball around the field, only dogged Beddau defence keeping the home side at bay. In fact it was barely noticeable that Caerphilly were playing with 14, and indeed the score remained deadlocked as Chris Payne returned to the field.

It took 21 minutes for Caerphilly to go ahead, as during another Caerphilly attack, Beddau killed the ball, going over the top at the ruck, slowing possession, and giving referee David Williams of Caldicot, little option but to award the Castlemen a penalty. Full back Rhys Edwards stepped up to the mantle and slotted the ball neatly between the posts.

It didn’t take long for Beddau to draw level as Caerphilly were found guilty of hands in the ruck just to the left of the post on their own 22. Up stepped Gareth Walters to draw the scores level. Further conversions by Walters, one a long reach effort from the half way line, allowed Beddau to enter the second half leading 9 points to 3.

Caerphilly missed the opportunity to reduce the gap early in the second half, missing a pressure kick just to the right of the posts. This allowed Beddau to gain momentum. On 15 minutes, centre Rhys Jenkins broke through some weak Caerphilly tackles. Drawing the defence, his well timed pass to winger Nicky Bees gave the visitors the lead, Walter converting, and scores at 3-16.

Previous Caerphilly sides would have given up at this point, but new drive and self belief compelled the home side to attack. Beddau were rocked as scrum half Rob Phillips pounce on loose ball on the half way line. Driving up field, No.8 Sam Feehan was at hand to accept the pass and draw the Beddau defence. Quick recycled possession saw the ball into the hands of winger Michael Lynch who made a fantastic break for the line, falling just short of the line. The break sucked in the Beddau defence, the released ball found its way into the hands of replacement hooker Gareth Davies, who drove strongly under the covering defence giving the Cheesemen well deserved hope.

Caerphilly lost another player to the sin bin on 65 minutes, when referee Williams saw fit to penalise one player in the midst of a mass altercation, a little harsh considering. The Caerphilly side held firm again, drawing closer to their goal with another Watkins penalty on 75 minutes. Constant pressure forcing Beddau hands in the ruck in front of the posts. Indeed with the previous match events the Beddau team could consider themselves lucky not to have lost a player as the foul was committed whilst Caerphilly were just 5 metres short of the try line.

The victory was put out of site by replacement Mike Huckeridge on 81 minutes. Caerphilly guilty of failing to release the ball on the floor, just inside the Beddau half. Hickeridge stepped up and converted, killing the home sides chances.

Caerphilly gained a consolation bonus point for their troubles, staying within 7 points of the visitors under the new points system for 2007/8.