WITH finger nails having already taken a pounding during the Twickenham drama a few hours before, it was perhaps a good thing all round for Welsh sports fans that Nathan Cleverly’s successful defence of his world title was about as one-sided as you can get.
With the home crowd at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena still on cloud nine following Wales’s Triple Crown triumph at HQ, Cleverly completed his part of the bargain in a potential and historic Welsh sporting treble ahead of Sunday’s Carling Cup final between Cardiff City and Liverpool.
He may not...
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Welsh League Round Up
Haverfordwest County leapfrogged rivals Cwmbran Celtic into second place in the First Division of the Welsh league with a 2-1 home triumph, in the eagerly awaited top of the table clash.
The Bluebirds took an early lead through Richard Lewis, before Celtic drew things level through Owain Llewellyn after the break, but the parity lasted only a matter of moments as Darren Griffiths sealed the victory.
At the other end of the table, Cwmaman Institute bagged a much needed 1-0 home win over rivals Aberaman Athletic .Cwmaman’s hero of the day...
gap Connahs Quay maintain advantage at the top
Pacemakers gap Connahs Quay maintained their seven point lead at the top of the Huws Gray Alliance with a clinical 3-0 triumph at Ruthin Town.The Nomads made light work of their hosts, Mike Robinson opening the scoring before the interval with Mark McGregor and Jamie Petrie completing the scoreline.Buckley Town crushed Porthmadog 6-2 to step up their title challenge as they moved up to second in the table, with two games in hand over the leaders.The Trotters were on top from the outset and their reward came as early as the fifth minute, when Gareth...
Ponty fail to end abysmal run at Carmarthen Park
Adam Thomas' double not enough to end Ponty's hoodoo at Carmarthen Park.
Photo courtesy of AlfiePics
Pontypridd's abysmal league record at Carmarthen Park continued as the Valley Commandos were felled by Carmarthen Quins 27-26.
Ponty, who dominated proceedings, must be scratching their heads as to how they managed to come away on the losing side but they failed to put the hosts to bed after running the show in the second half.
Quins somehow...
Friday, 24 February 2012
We must do better, insists Neath chief Horgan
NEATH coach Patrick Horgan is looking for a big improvement from his side when they face Cardiff at The Gnoll tomorrow (1.15pm).
The Welsh All Blacks did just enough to see off Bridgend Athletic in the Swalec Cup last Saturday, turning a 14-3 half-time deficit into a 20-14 win after the break.
That earned them a quarter-final tie against Pontypridd next month but Horgan knows that Neath’s league priorities come first and that means beating Cardiff and going top of the Premiership table.
Neath’s injury worries are beginning to ease with scrum-half...
Wizard Morris all set for special day
RICHARD Morris will have the honour of leading out Aberavon with two-year-old son James tomorrow as the veteran forward makes his 500th appearance for the Wizards.
It’s 17 years since the club’s record try scorer made his debut at Rodney Parade against Newport, who coincidentally provide the opposition for his milestone match this weekend.
No 8 Morris joined Aberavon after spells at Pontrhydyfen, Neath Athletic and Neath and never looked back, picking up the club’s player of the year award four times since making his bow at the age of 21.
In...
Trio share top honours in exciting finish
THE South Wales PGA event at Tenby finished in a thrilling three-way tie for first place.
The last group out on the course, which included Cardiff's Adam Constable, Creigiau's Richard Brookman and Ashburnham’s Martin Stimson, all ended the competition in front on two-over-par.
Stimson, South Wales PGA tournament organiser Constable and Brookman all had a chance of snatching top prize coming down the 18th, but had to settle for pars on the last green.
The trio's rounds of 74 were one better than Alun Evans of Newport in Pembrokeshire. The PGA’s...
Tasty ties in Team Championship draw
SWANSEA Bay will clash with Morriston at Pontardawe in what promises to be one of the most fascinating preliminary round ties of this year’s Welsh Amateur Team Championship.
The winners will play either Derllys Court or Tenby for a place in the Championship finals at Newport in August. Pennard host Glynhir in another game that could be close, while Langland Bay meet Brecon at Neath.
Fairwood Park and Haverfordwest have byes and meet at Tenby for a place in the finals, while Ashburnham face Machynys at Trefloyne and Glynneath tackle Pontardawe...
Principality Premiership predictions
Swansea v Bridgend (Friday, 7.15pm)
No games for either side last weekend means both should be champing at the bit going into tonight’s encounter at St. Helen’s. Swansea will want to put defeat to Tonmawr last time out firmly behind them and if the first league clash between the sides in September is anything to go by, there could be a few points in this one.
David’s verdict – Swansea by seven points
Laura’s verdict – Bridgend by six points
Carmarthen Quins v Pontypridd (Saturday, noon)
Ponty will start slight favourites for this one after...
Thursday, 23 February 2012
David Williams's Welsh Boxing Blog - No. 5
HERE’S one for all sports trivia nuts out there - has there ever been a world title fight between boxers who are university graduates?
Well, there’s no question that a number of pugilists have donned the old cap and gown after completing degrees, but it’s highly unlikely two have fought for a world championship belt before.
But that’s exactly what will happen this Saturday when maths boffin Nathan Cleverly defends his WBO light-heavyweight crown against qualified psychiatric nurse Tommy Karpency.
It’s just one of a handful of similarities the...
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Home comforts for Dolgellau in Bowl draw
DOLGELLAU, the last club from North Wales left in the Swalec Bowl, have been given a home draw in this season’s quarter-finals.
Their reward for a 25-22 win against Milford Haven last Saturday is a clash with Talywain, who beat Cardiff Quins in the fifth round.
New Tredegar are on the road again, this time to the winner of the postponed Resolven-Treherbert encounter, while Tycroes welcome Caerleon to Carmarthenshire.
In the other last eight match, Amman United head East to Glyncoch, who battled to a 13-9 victory at Glyncorrwg in round five.
Swalec...
Cup holders face Gnoll test in last eight
PONTYPRIDD’S trip to Neath is the standout tie of the Swalec Cup quarter-finals while a Division One club will definitely be in the last four.
Neath lost 36-26 at Sardis Road in the last 16 before Pontypridd went on to lift the trophy in 2011 and were also beaten by their rivals at home in the league earlier this season.
The All Blacks came through a tough encounter at Bridgend Athletic to make the quarters while Pontypridd were handed a walkover last Saturday when opponents Tonmawr failed to raise a team.
Newbridge were given the...
Swalec Cup, Plate and Bowl Quarterfinal Line-up
The Quarterfinal draw for the Swalec Cup, Plate and Bowl
Swalec Cup
Ebbw Vale v Swansea
Neath v Pontypridd
Cross Keys v Cardiff
Newbridge v UWIC
Swalec Plate
Cwmllynfell vYstrad Rhondda Bethesda v Pontypool Utd Nant Conwy v Builth Wells Penallta v Maesteg Quins
Swalec Bowl
Glyncoch v Amman United
Dolgellau v Talywain
Tycroes v Caerleon
Resolven v New Tredegar All fixtures to be played on Saturday March 2...
David Williams's Welsh Boxing Blog - No. 4
THERE will be some Welsh boxing news later on in this blog but I couldn’t write this article without first commenting on what happened in Germany at the weekend.
I mean, fancy lowly Freiburg holding Bayern Munich to a 0-0 draw. What? Was there something else happening in Deutschland last Saturday?
Of course, there was only one story and that exploded, quite literally, into life in Munich after Dereck Chisora’s unanimous points defeat to Vitali Klitschko in their world heavyweight title clash.
If David Haye did intentionally go into that post-fight...
Dragons cup result changed on appeal
NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have welcomed the decision to overturn the ruling that gave Saracens a bonus-point win after their match with the Welsh region was postponed.
The English side were awarded a 20-0 victory and the Dragons hit by a suspended £10,000 fine when they called off the LV= Cup encounter between the teams at Rodney Parade on February 3.
The Dragons deemed the pitch unplayable after temperatures dropped as low as -8°C the night before the match was due to take place.
But because the home side hadn’t made alternative arrangements for...
Monday, 20 February 2012
Underdogs book last eight cup berths
THERE will definitely be at least three clubs from outside the Principality Premiership in the last eight of the Swalec Cup this season.
Ebbw Vale and Newbridge booked their places in the quarter-finals with victories on Saturday while Ammanford and UWIC, whose tie was postponed, will also be in tomorrow’s draw.
The four Division One sides are joined in the hat for the next round by Beddau after their clash with Swansea at Mount Pleasant was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
The two postponed games are now likely to take place on March...
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Division Two East and West Round Up
There was a truncated league program yesterday with the Cup fixtures taking precedence, resulting in a handful of rearranged fixtures.
Rhydyfelin moved up into the top three in Two East thanks to a convincing 41-6 triumph at Abercynon. The visitors had to wait until after the break to assert their authority taking a narrow 8-6 lead into the break, despite being shown three yellow cards in the opening half.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, they upped their intensity running in six tries in all through Scott Pritchard and...
Mountain Ash 0-7 Blackwood
Blackwood bagged their eighth victory of the season in a tightly contested clash against Mountain Ash at Parc Duffryn Pennar.
In very heavy conditions, the game was reduced to a close quarter scrap, with the only score of the day coming before the interval through Blackwood powerhouse David Brake, with centre Adam Jones adding the extras.
The Old Firm dominated much of the territory and possession after the break, but failed to convert any of their chances. As the heavy ground began to take its toll on both sides' legs, the game began to stagnate...
Llanelli 0-2 TNS
Saints midfielder Ryan Fraughan controlled the game beautifully.
Photo courtesy of AlfiePicsThe New Saints cemented their place as firm title contenders with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Llanelli at Stebonheath Park.Even the dismissal of Connell Rawlinson in the 52nd minute for a rash lunge on Chris Thomas could not derail the Saints' march, whose clinical passing and movement proved too much for Llanelli, leaving their title ambitions in...
Giant killers Glyncoch move into last 8
Division Six Central pacemakers Glyncoch pulled off another shock in the Swalec Bowl to secure their place in the quarterfinal draw, thanks to a hardfought 13-9 victory over Glyncorrwg of Division Four South West.The giant killers crossed for the only try of the match through Lee Goddard, with Sean Baggs landing the extras and two penalties.The hosts were restricted to three Gareth Goodridge penalties as they failed to breakdown the well organised Glyncoch defence.Caerleon also got in on the giant killing act with the Six East highfliers convincingly...
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