Beddau RFC 10 Bedwas RFC 31
WRU Admiral National Championship (East), Saturday 09 December 2023.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.
Bedwas maintained their winning ways with a bonus point victory, taking them up to sixth position in the league table. Once again Bedwas team spirit shone as everyone worked hard to record a win having never been behind in the whole contest.
Credit should be given to the Beddau groundsmen for producing a very good playing surface considering the heavy rain in the previous 48 hours.
Bedwas played into a strong wind in the first half and took the lead after 16 minutes via a James Dixon penalty goal. Beddau equalised 6 minutes with a penalty by former Bedwas scrum half Callaghan Smith.
Bedwas were not to be denied for long. Aaron Billingham leapt highest to claim the restart kick-off and after several drives forward Lewis Crane and Jak Robbins worked together to put Robbins in for a try. James Dixon added the conversion.
There were no further scores in the first half as defences held out.
Bedwas replaced Lewis Crane, Rhys Hutcherson, and Jo Hole at the start of the second half with Arwel Hughes, Ryan Thomas and Liam Beer respectively as they looked to shore up the scrum.
James Dixon had first chance to increase the Bedwas advantage, but his long-range penalty kick drifted wide of the posts.
Five minutes later Dale Rogers broke from the back of a close-range scrum to dive over for a try, Dixon added the conversion. A scuffle ensued before the conversion was taken and Rhys Morgans and Beddau’s Lloyd Evans were sent to the sinbin to calm down.
With both sides down to fourteen men Beddau reduced arrears via Lloyd Peart try, converted by Cody Baker to reduce Bedwas’s advantage to seven points. Beddau tried hard to get back into the game, but knock-ons and other errors saw no inroads made.
Replacement Hamish Anderson intercepted a stray Beddau pass to run a try from deep with 8 minutes to play. James Dixon again added the extras to give Bedwas an unassailable lead.
Four minutes Aaron Billingham won the race to touch down his own kick through, Dixon’s conversion put Bedwas 21 points ahead with 4 minutes to play.
Beddau refused to lie down and attacked which saw Jak Robbins sinbinned for deliberate offside but with only two minutes left Bedwas held out for a deserved win.
Next Saturday Bedwas host Cardiff Met RFC in the last game of the calendar year, kick-off is at 2-30pm.
Image gallery is at: Bedwas RFC’s albums | Flickr