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Beddau 23 Bedlinog 17

WRU National Championship

Match report by Lynn West

Beddau, in winning this tense battle, have reached the relative safety of 42 points.  It is relative because, in theory five of the teams below them can pass that total.  If, that is, it is to be a total. Beddau are yet to visit Ystrad Rhondda where a win would seal the deal.

Hywel Chatham was first to score in this game when, from a good set up on the back of a scrum a Bedlinog intruder was offside.  The leveller, from Dan Parry, wasn`t long in coming when Beddau offended at the tackle.  In a tit for tat period it was Chatham stepping up for Beddau when Bedlinog went over the top at a pile-up.

Bedlinog, using the breeze, plied the touchline and recycled well to keep Beddau under pressure when home lock Josh Hayward was binned for not rolling clear.  The first thoughts were to go for the try but, despite retaining possession the defence was unrelenting.  A penalty under the sticks was eventually goaled by Dan Parry and at 6-6 Beddau felt they had got out of gaol.

The return of Josh Hayward brought more bite into Beddau`s set play but an inside pass from outside half Grzesica gave Tom Evans a little space and the centre stepped two tackles and drove through a third for an unconverted try that gave the Foxes an interval lead of 6-11.

Josh Thomas had taken a blow to the neck and didn`t take the field for the second half.  His replacement was Rhys Owens, himself a pre-match doubt.  Bedlinog`s kick-off pinned Beddau into the corner and a penalty from Dan Parry extended the advantage to 6-14.  Bedlinog offended at the restart and Hywel Chatham`s long kick earned the points.  Beddau were now commanding the exchanges and when a Bedlinog replacement deliberately knocked the ball from Cody Baker`s grasp he saw yellow.

Beddau went to touch and a slightly laboured approach eventually produced an opening.  Chatham engineered a grubber which suddenly spat up from the turf causing a fumble which Lewis Egal pounced on for a try that Hywel Chatham converted to give Beddau the lead at 16-14.

One of rugby`s rare sights occurred when Cody Baker`s kick from under his posts travelled the full distance and gave Bedlinog a very friendly put in deep in the Beddau 22.  Again, the Foxes were unable to breach the defence but they did win a penalty that Dan Parry landed to make it 16-17.

Beddau would not be denied, however, and Cody Baker released James Davies who stepped the first marker and gave to Tyler Wells.  The powerful centre was hauled down by a couple of defenders but made the offload where Jack Secher gathered for a fine score.  From a difficult angle Hywel Chatham secured the conversion to give Beddau a 6 points advantage.

Strange things happen in rugby matches and when a collision cleared Beddau replacement Rhys Owens was left prone.  It became obvious he was unable to continue which brought prop Ben Jones on to fill in as a tight forward.  That didn`t last as Jones had to be led away to have a wound attended to.  All the forward resources had been used so it was with trepidation that Beddau supporters welcomed the light frame of Callum Wheeler to the fray.  It was Lewis Egal though who joined the scrum as a flanker until the welcome return of the restored Ben Jones.

Wheeler stayed on board though with Cody Baker, celebrating his 50^th appearance, giving way.  All the pressure was now coming from the Foxes but when Jack Secher forced Sam Evans into touch Beddau were able to boot the ball out of play to welcome the final whistle.

This was, for Beddau, another win largely engineered up front but there were notable contributions throughout.  Starting scrum half Tom Marley had probably his best game since re-joining the ranks and his abrasive, strong running presence probably paved the way for the subtler skills of Jack Secher.  Hywel Chatham put an indifferent first half behind him to steer the ship after the interval with the strong runners behind giving the Bedlinog defence no rest.

The table now has Beddau on 42 points with one game (Ystrad Rhondda away) to play while Bedlinog on 41 have to play Champions elect Pontypool twice.  Rhydyfelin, on 30 points must visit Pontypool and have two fixtures with Trebanos who are on 37 and will be looking for points too.  Like Rhydyfelin current basement club Newcastle Emlyn cannot afford another defeat and Trebanos feature in their remaing games too.  Maesteg have 5 remaining matches but finish with successive home fixtures to finish the season but the points will have to be earned.  A lot of nail biting to go.