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WRU Specsavers National Championship

Match report by Lynn West

It was a slow start by Beddau, fatally so as Bedwas were able to rack up enough points to just about win the game.  An explosive scrum in the opening minutes earned a penalty that Dion McIntosh, a former Beddau player, goaled.  Referee Mr Carwyn Williams evidently took the view that Bedwas scrummage good, Beddau bad as a succession of penalties came from the set piece.  Certainly the bulkier Bedwas forwards were having the better of these exchanges and it was a driving scrum that led to a try for flanker Owen Jones whose career at Beddau lasted for two games before Merthyr claimed his registration had been transferred in error.  Dion McIntosh converted.

Soon Beddau suffered consecutive blows; first lock Ross Barnes was injured and had to be replaced by flanker Luke Studley and then scrum half Tom Marley was shown yellow.  A misthrown lineout was being chased and a Bedwas player stumbled into Marley`s path who, in the referee`s view, didn`t take sufficient evasive action in making contact with the prone body.

The absence allowed Bedwas a further 10 points although 3 of those came from a well struck McIntosh penalty awarded for some back-chat and the rest when Number 8 Dale Rogers touched down at the heels of an advancing scrum.

At 20-0 down the tide began to turn and Beddau were now calling the shots.  A penalty awarded in the 22 was quickly taken only for the referee to order it taken again.  Bedwas were penalised again as Beddau rolled from the lineout.  This time Tom Marley`s tap and go was permitted and young Cameron Ellis sneaked in at the corner for an unconverted try.

There was time for another Beddau attack which again was halted illegally but again, to the frustration of the home support, Hywel Chatham`s tap and swift pass to find Adam Ashford in space was aborted by the referee.  It was 5-20 at half-time.

Where did Bedwas go in the second half?  True, they made changes but Beddau had done that too but here we saw a match where the visitors` only interest appeared to be damage limitation as any possession became a kick-chase which posed no kind of a threat.  The only occasions of attacking play were manufactured by Beddau but too much of this was stymied by a physical and well-organised defence.

An offside in midfield was punished by Hywel Chatham to make it 8-20 and when Adam Ashford picked up a loose ball at halfway and stepped a couple of defenders Callum Wheeler turned up on his outside to race away for a score that Hywel Chatham converted.  The pressure seemed sure to tell but Cody Baker saw his kick ahead rear up almost vertically to deny him and then when running onto a Hywel Chatham pass his offload to Callum Wheeler struck the fullback`s shoulder.  A penalty to touch at 5 metres saw Bedwas steal the lineout and even when they were able only to scramble that to touch they were again able to overturn the possession.

From a game that in its early stages seemed destined to become a comfortable Bedwas win Beddau were, by the end, disappointed that they were themselves unable to claim the points.