Cross Keys RFC 50 Bedwas RFC 7.
WRU Admiral Championship, Saturday 12 November 2022.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.
Bedwas slipped to their heaviest defeat in recent memory as Keys turned on a display of running rugby which, at times, left Bedwas defenders floundering.
It was a mild late Autumn afternoon at Pandy Park that greeted the players, the pitch a little soft after recent rainfall but nothing out of the ordinary for the time of year.
The game took some time to settle but Keys were first on the board after 20 minutes as young winger Walker Price showed his pace to finish off a move into the Bedwas half. Adam Tetley added the conversion.
Bedwas lost Hamish Anderson to injury with replacement Jacob Wright normally a scrum half entering the fray.
Keys increased their lead three minutes later. A penalty was kicked to touch and from the line-out the Keys forwards set up a driving maul from twenty-five metres out and drove across the line, hooker Connah Vaughan being awarded the try. Tetley again added the extras.
Price added his second try just after the half hour as he cut through a static defence to touch down under the posts, Tetley converted.
As half time approached Bedwas pulled a try back. Callaghan Smith took a quick tap penalty and managed to touch down close the left-hand touchline. James Hallett did well to add the extras but the half ended with Keys 21 points to 7 ahead. Just before the end of the half Lewis Crane came on for Rhys Jones again enforced by injury to the latter.
As in the first half the first twenty minutes bought no further additions to the score. Will Fishlock and Tommy Chapman replaced Rhys Morgans and Jo Hole respectively early in the half and Rhys Hutcherson replaced Kalum Phillips (Hutcherson was selected to start but a personal family issue rightly saw him delayed).
Around the hour mark Keys scored their fourth and bonus point winning try through Harri Ackerman, this try went unconverted. Six minutes later Ackerman added his second try this time converted by full back Morgan Johns and Bedwas were unable to respond.
Keys added three tries in the final ten minutes through Cameron Davies and two from Duane Thomas as Bedwas collapsed, Morgan Johns added two conversions to bring up the half century and a deserved win.
Like everyone else Bedwas are not in action next weekend due to the Autumn Internationals, our next fixture is at Bargoed on THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER, kick-off 7-15pm.
Images from this game can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bedwasrfc/albums