Bedwas RFC 10 Cardiff RFC 16.

Principality Welsh Premiership, Friday 12th October 2018.

Match report and photography by Ian Lovell

A penalty try separated the teams after a low scoring encounter in front of the BBC TV cameras.

Heavy rain overnight and during the day left the Bedwas pitch very wet but credit should go the ground staff for their hard work in preparing a quality surface under testing conditions.

Further squally showers during the game influenced the game but they did not prevent Bedwas taking the lead after three minutes as Bedwas full back Joe Scrivens slotted over a penalty from the half way line after Cardiff were penalised for holding on.

It got better for Bedwas two minutes later as a quickly taken tap penalty was moved on by Tom Rowlands to Adam Williams who twisted out of a tackle to dive in at the right hand corner. Joe Scrivens added the extras with a low trajectory kick from the touchline.

Cardiff’s superior size made life difficult for Bedwas at scrum time and a penalty from a collapsed scrum after 19 minutes taken by Steffan Jones reduced the arrears.

The Bedwas defence continued to be on the back foot as barn storming runs by big number 8 Rory Pitman sapped energy from the home tacklers but they held firm and forced Cardiff into errors.

Cardiff battled to get back into the game and forced two penalties after 31 and 35 minutes but Steffan Jones missed both to the relief of the Bedwas faithful. However a third penalty on 37 minutes after Jonathan Armitage was adjudged to have ripped the ball out of a ruck was converted by Jones from twenty metres.

Half time arrived with no further scores and Bedwas held on to a slender lead.

With the wind and rain at their backs Cardiff started the second half strongly.

With three minutes elapsed Cardiff pressure at the scrum paid dividends as the Bedwas scrum disintegrated the referee immediately awarding a penalty try. Ellis Evans who had been on the pitch two minutes was adjudged the guilty party and a yellow card was shown as he was despatched to the sin bin.

Not long after a precise cross field kick by Chilcott to Adam Williams came so close to seeing the winger add his second try of the night but unfortunately he was unable to gather the ball.

Cardiff were reduced to 14 men after 54 minutes when James Murphy was sin binned for a round the neck off the ball tackle on Craig Hudd. Scrivens’ unfortunately slipped slightly as he took the ensuing kick and the opportunity was missed.

A Steffan Jones penalty extended Cardiff’s lead after 68 minutes as once again his sides’ dominance at the set piece bought its reward as the Bedwas scrum again collapsed. Jones missed a further opportunity to put the game out of Bedwas reach after 74 minutes as his penalty shot went wide.

Bedwas battled hard but a penalty kick to touch went over the dead ball line and a great opportunity was squandered. Nevertheless the Cardiff defence was on the back foot and with seconds left Pitman was sinbinned for a high tackle but there was insufficient time for Bedwas to take advantage as the visitors held out.

Next week Bedwas make the short journey to Gwent neighbours Cross Keys.