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Despite outscoring the home side by 11 tries to 4, this result probably flattered the Fighting Irish on their third visit to the Swansea Valley.
With the business end of the rugby union season still to be decided, the early weeks in the Welsh Conference are always difficult times but both teams conspired to put on a feast of rugby that warmed the hearts of the sizeable crowd at Ystalyfera RFC.
Over the past two years, Swansea Valley Miners have been the perennial underachievers in the Welsh Conference, but based on this performance, where Chris Beck and Simon Bevan were in imperious form, and with recently appointed coach Dai Hawkins still to enter the fray, they could well prove to be a surprise package over the summer months.
Against an Aberavon side shorn of its stars, the Miners went about their business with real purpose and took the lead after only two minutes through a Simon Bevan try, converted by Anthony Evans.
Aberavon, with seven players making their Conference debuts, including pocket dynamo Dai Felton and ex Aberavon and Bridgend star Gareth Lewis, their back line seemed to be taking a bit of time to adapt to the demands of the 13 a side code. But, when they eventually settled down, they provided a feast of running rugby which suggests that they will again be a force this season in local rugby league circles.
Richard Lewis, David Dyer and Tony Smith led the way with some rampaging runs out of defence, and Jason Massey, Parkhouse Recruitment man of the match Mark Burke, skipper Dean Scully, and Geraint Davies, all of whom will be traveling with the Welsh Students to the World Cup in Australia in July, caught the eye with some excellent defensive and attacking work.
Newcomers Gareth Raikes and 18 year old Gareth Moore were also prominent throughout, with Moore, a schoolboy international for Wales, running and tackling with a purpose that belied his years.
In Tonmawr’s Daniel Andrews, another debutant, the Fighting Irish seem to have unearthed another natural rugby league talent, and in Bonymaen winger Chris Griffiths and Cwmafan speedster Gary Vaughan the Aberavon outfit, possess real pace out wide which will surely trouble the best of the Welsh conference sides over the next few months.
The evergreen Robert Mellin, playing in the unaccustomed role of prop forward again impressed with his never say die attitude, and replacement Lee Cardy was a constant menace to the Miners with his bullocking charges into the heart of the home defence.
Tries by Scully (2), O’Brien (2) and Tony Smith before the break gave the Fighting
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Irish a 26-6 interval lead and although the Valley Miners dominated the early exchanges of the second period, with tries from Whapham and Anthony Evans who also converted his effort to reduce the deficit to 28 – 16, the Fighting Irish never looked in serious danger of losing this encounter. Further tries by Gareth Lewis (2), the mercurial David Dyer, Richard Lewis and Gareth Moore (2), with Gareth Lewis improving on 6 of those, took the score to a comfortable 56 – 16 in favour of the visitors, and although the Miners hit back with a penalty try converted by Anthony Evans on 77 minutes, they were never going to beat a better organised, more powerful Fighting Irish.
Nevertheless, the game, expertly refereed by Mr Andrew Newbound of the Leeds Society was an excellent advert for rugby league in the principality and some of the running, passing and tackling were of the very highest order.
Coach Chris O’Callaghan must have been pleased with his charges, who had been thrown together with no more than a single training session under their belts and he will know, in the likes of Scully, Felton and Davies he has players who could well feature in the proposed South Wales based semi-professional outfit, planned for an assault on NL2 in 2006.
In heralding the victory O’Callaghan said
“Early season is a difficult time in Wales for rugby league, so I am naturally delighted at the scale and manner of this victory. Today we have called on some of our younger players to stand up and be counted, and the likes of Gareth Moore, a product of our academy set up, has every chance of progressing through the ranks to play professional rugby. Geraint Davies is a far better player than when he took up rugby league only last season, and for a wee man, Sean O’Brien never ceases to amaze me with his powerful surges and superb tackling. Dai Felton, David Dyer, Richard Lewis and Daniel Andrews are others who possess some of the best qualities needed to make a mark in this great game and Chris Griffiths showed enough today, to suggest that he could be a star in the making.”
The Fighting Irish have little time, however, to reflect on this well earned victory, with the visit of the all conquering Bridgend Blue Bulls lined up for the Little Warren this coming weekend Sunday 8th May 2005, kick off 2.30pm. With the likes of former league pros, Kevin Ellis, John Devereaux and duel international Alan Bateman in their ranks, the Bridgend side, yet to have their colours lowered by another Welsh team, will provide formidable opposition for this Aberavon side, so soon into its rebuilding period.
O’Callaghan remains confident though that the Fighting Irish spirit will again present some serious obstacles for the Blue Bulls, and whilst further improvement will be needed if the Aberavon side are to prevail, should they fail, it will certainly not be as a result of a deficit in the guts and passion department.
Article by John O'Callaghan
1 May 2005
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