BUCS: Swansea WRFC 22-31 Nottingham Trent WRFC

Swansea University Women's RFC suffered late heartbreak in the BUCS Trophy as they fell at the first hurdle to Nottingham Trent University at Sketty Lane.

Swansea Coach Siwan Lillicrap will be wondering how her team lost as they dominated all facets of the game, but it was the visitors that were ultimately far more clinical when it really mattered.

Trent’s flying winger Carys Williams and hooker Becky Noone both bagged braces with Noone particularly standing out for the visitors.

For Swansea it was a case of what might have been with their indiscipline at the end proving costly, while losing influential captain Rhian Perry didn’t help their cause either. There were many positives for the Welsh outfit who have improved vastly under Lillicrap’s direction since September - fly-half Meg Griffiths was excellent in both attack and defence while flanker Kate Jones and No. 8 Lydia Shelton worked tirelessly all afternoon.

Despite both sides having chances early on, it was the visitors that found themselves with a 12-0 advantage - Williams helped herself to a quick fire brace, the first of which was a scintillating display of pace. Scrum-half Hannah Priest added the extras to one.

The shock of going two tries down kicked Swansea into life and their defensive play improved, Rebecca Pratchett, Jones and Shelton making the hard yard around the fringes.

It didn’t take long before they had closed the deficit with a superb driving maul from the hosts illegally brought down yards from the line. From the resultant penalty the ball was spread wide - a pre-planned move saw Griffiths offload to Nicola Jones with her centre partner Becca Cottam hitting a lovely line to crash over.

The Green and Whites were soon celebrating another try as another penalty close to the whitewash saw Perry cut inside for Shelton to bulldoze over.

A mistake by Cottam in midfield gifted Trent one last chance before the break with Williams and Noone both being denied by some superb last ditch defending by Griffiths.

The second 40 minutes was a tale of two halves with Swansea comfortably on top for the first 20, only to fall away in the closing stages of the game.

Swansea were quick out of the blocks with Kate Jones and full back Charmaine Cooke touching down and Griffiths converting Cooke’s, but when Perry was forced off with a dislocated finger the hosts looked a little lost.

Trent sensed their opportunity and it was their forwards that were now dictating play with props Jess Parayitou and Holly Hazel causing all sorts of problems in the loose. A tired Swansea, meanwhile, began to give away penalty after penalty, surrendering territory and possession.

Noone was popping up all over the park and she deservedly crossed for her double, showing great speed and a nice step to send her team back into the lead.

And with seven minutes to go, Trent’s Sophie Slade sealed the win with a well-taken touchdown.

Swansea return to league action on Wednesday when they travel to Plymouth for their last clash before Christmas.

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BUCS Match Report: Swansea University 3-37 Cardiff Met

Cardiff Met recorded just the second win of their BUCS Premier South A campaign as they ran out comfortable winners over basement boys Swansea University at Sketty Lane.

The foundation for the visitors' seven try demolition of an understrength Swansea side was built upon a totally dominant scrum, with referee Martyn Lewis forced to penalise the visitors at the set piece on numerous occasions.

Openside Jake Smith was a star performer for Met and provided the visitors with a number of turnovers, while fly half Owen Thomas also stood out on a day where the conditions made handling a tricky business.

For Swansea, despite being exposed up front, they were in the game until the last quarter when the hosts’ heads dropped but full back Josh Hammett and No. 8 Ollie Young still stood out for the Green and Whites.

The hosts had the wind advantage for the first 40 but it was Chris Davey’s outfit that found themselves ten points to the good after as many minutes.

Prop Thomas Concu opened the scoring after a powerful maul drove the visitors to within inches of the line before the tighthead burrowed over, with winger Tim Thompson doubling their lead after some incisive running from the backline.

At this stage the game looked like running away from the Green and Whites, but they regrouped and did well to exert some pressure of their own, coming away with three points thanks to the boot of Liam Crandon.

Both teams wasted further chances before the break and with hostilities threatening to spill over, official Lewis did well to keep a lid on the fraying tempers as the score remained 3-10 heading into the interval.

Swansea would have been delighted to be just a converted try away from their opponents at the break, but any hopes of a home comeback were quickly quashed by the capital based outfit.

The one-sided showing at scrum time continued and when Met packed down five metres out there was only going to be one outcome with No. 8 Oliver Bilton touching down for the simplest of tries. Thomas missed the extras but slotted a penalty moments later to stretch Met’s lead to 18-3.

The Green and Whites nearly hit back after a great break from Young saw them make a rare foray inside the opposition 22, but white line fever hit and the ball was lost forward.

 And there was to be no way back for the hosts-Met lock Charlie Hewitt drove over before great support play from Pierre Tucker saw the winger race beneath the posts, with replacement fly-half Tyler Williams adding the extras to the latter.

It was fast becoming a rout and Mike Sole completed the seven try haul as the inside centre ghosted through a number of weak tackles to cross unopposed, Williams once again added the extras.

 The hosts did press for a late consolation score but there was no way through the determined Met defence.

Star Man: Jake Smith (Cardiff Met)

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Match Report: Swansea University Women's RFC 32-5 Plymouth University Women's RFC

Swansea University Women’s recorded the first win of their BUCS Western 1A campaign with a comfortable home success over Plymouth at Sketty Lane.

The Green and Whites, who went down 14-0 at Bristol last week, had too much experience across the park for their opponents in what was at times a training game.

Despite dominating the first 40 minutes, Swansea were perhaps guilty of switching off after the break as the game's continuity was broke up by changes and injuries.

Swansea were cruising at the interval and were 25 points to the good, but the second half was a much closer fought affair with Plymouth frustrating their hosts for large periods.

Despite the disjointed nature of the match, a number of players stood out on both sides. For Swansea the half back combination of Rhian Perry and Meg Griffiths worked well, while the back row of Lydia Shelton, Kate Jones and Roz MacRow-Wood were dynamic in both the loose and at the breakdown. For Plymouth outside half Kat Smith and flanker Lucy Robinson were the catalyst for everything positive from the side.

A scrappy start saw both sides guilty of turning over quality possession but a quick tap penalty from scrum-half Perry got the hosts moving, with Griffiths making good yardage in support. After several phases the ball was recycled with centre Becca Cottam guilty of fumbling the ball with the line at her mercy.

The pressure was building on the visitors' line-Beth Sheen was scragged just short for Swansea and it was a case of when, not if, Swansea would score with Perry on hand to dart over.

The hosts' lead was soon doubled after the centre partnership of Cottam and Nicola Jones combined well with the latter touching down.

It was one way traffic now as Plymouth struggled to get out of their own 22 let alone their half and Swansea were soon adding to their tally first through Shelton and then prop Stephanie Evans.

With Plymouth unable to clear their lines, another Swansea score before the break was inevitable and came through Shelton as the flanker showed great strength to barge over from five yards out.

The second half began as the first had ended with Swansea well on top and when Griffiths converted her own score, the match was all but over as a contest.

With the match won Swansea’s structure began to fade and they failed to do the basics correctly with forced offloads, dropped passes and turnovers blighting their game.

The English outfit continued to battle hard-Robinson broke from 60 metres out and only a brilliant last ditch tackle from Griffiths was able to deny her.

Plymouth now had their tails up and began to press for a consolation - winger India Roberts was held up but the visitors eventually got their reward when Molly Humphries drove over the Swansea whitewash.

Swansea should have had the final say but were unable to find the final pass, with support play a real issue as players began to flag.

Despite the game fizzling out, prop Evans did produce one moment of magic with a hand off and step to elude a number of defenders before being tackled.

Swansea host Bristol University next Wednesday and with Welsh Varsity rivals Cardiff in the same league as the Green and Whites, this year all eyes will be on that derby on November 19.

Player of the Match: Lydia Shelton (Swansea University)

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Match Report: Swansea Uni RFC 18-8 Cardiff Uni RFC

Swansea University have drawn first blood on the road to Welsh Varsity as the Green and Whites were good value for their BUCS Premier South A success over their bitter rivals Cardiff at Sketty Lane.

The hosts outscored the Red and Blacks two tries to one after the visitors were unable to make a strong wind advantage pay before the break, with all three touchdowns coming after the interval.

There were some impressive performances from players on both sides. Swansea’s prop pairing of Tom Cross and Sean McDonnell-Roberts got through a lot of work in the loose, while the centre partnership of Jedd Evans and Olly Jenner worked well in midfield. Flanker Chris Williams looked classy and was the Red and Blacks' standout player, while winger Tom O’Flaherty was also dangerous with the ball in hand.

The conditions hampered both teams as a swirling wind and torrential rain badly affected the opening half in particular, and it ended tied at 3-3 apiece with penalties from Swansea’s Spencer Cawley and Cardiff’s Sam Parsons cancelling each other out.

Despite the typical Sketty Lane conditions, both teams' intention to play rugby was evident as they each dominated for certain periods in the opening 40.

Swansea’s set piece was firing immediately with the hosts having a small advantage in this area all afternoon.

Despite a bright Swansea start, it was Louie Tonkin's troops that had the first chance of points. None materialised, however, as Parson’s long range effort drifted wide of the upright, while moments later the hosts'  Cawley made no mistake from 30 metres out.

The reigning Varsity Cup champions weren’t ahead for very long, however, with Parsons successful from the tee this time to level up proceedings.

Cardiff continued to grow into the match, with hooker Alun Evans’ rampaging run down the blindside only halted by a great Josh Guy tackle.

However, Cardiff were unable to make their possession and territory pay as the hosts finished the half the stronger - centre Evans’ clever angle off fly half Liam Crandon driving Swansea deep into their opposition 22. But the visitors' line was intact when referee Jason Bessant blew for half time with Cawley seeing an effort from the tee miss late on.

Now playing with the wind, Swansea upped the intensity in their bid to press home the advantage and they were soon in front, with Cawley firing over his second penalty.

Pressure was now beginning to mount on the Cardiff line - after several phases centre Evans created a hole in the Red and Black defence with prop McDonnell-Roberts getting his reward for an industrious afternoon, trundling over from 5 yards. Cawley added the extras.

Swansea’s tails were now up and looked threatening from all over the pitch and it wasn’t long till the home team were celebrating once more.

Full of confidence, the Swansea back line launched a devastating attack from their own half with winger Pete Moore finishing off the move in the corner.

In the ascendancy, Swansea were perhaps guilty of bringing on one too many replacements and when both teams were reduced to 14 men, with Cawley and Alun Evans each receiving a yellow card, the game became even for fragmented.

The hosts' once organised defensive line now looked in disarray and were caught a number of times far too narrow as Cardiff began to spread the ball.

O’Flaherty’s jinking hips and pace saw him clear the Swansea defence, with a superb tackle from full-back James Phillips required to stop the flyer - the line at his mercy.

However, O’Flaherty was not to be denied as the winger darted over out-wide for what turned out to be a consolation score as Swansea saw out the closing moments.

Next up for Swansea is a trip to early league leaders Exeter while Cardiff host Hartpury at Llanrumney. 

Star Man: Jedd Evans (Swansea University)

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BUCS Rugby: Swansea Uni Women 12-24 Bristol Uni Women

Two late tries from Bristol University Women's RFC ensured they snatched a 24-12 victory over Swansea University at a sun-drenched Sketty Lane.

In an open but scrappy match, it was ultimately the visitors’ pacey backline that proved the difference in the end.

It was the Green and Whites, however, that got off to the better start with full-back Meg Griffiths touching down early on.

Swansea continue to have the upper hand in the opening quarter, with Chante Lee and Morgan Simpson each making inroads with powerful forays.

But a lapse in concentration saw Bristol fly-half Izzy Day take a quick-tap penalty in midfield and with the Swansea defence in disarray, Day sent wing Sally McConchie into space to see the speedster out-pace the cover defence and dab down.

With the scores level again at 5-5, there was little to choose between the teams and neither side could assert their authority over proceedings before the break.

The second half continued in a frantic fashion as both teams looked to run at every opportunity with Peita McAlister and impressing for the hosts.

However, some more slack defending once again hurt the Welsh side, with full-back with Rai-Lee Pham capitalising to touchdown as the visitors took the lead for the first time.

Almost immediately, they surrendered their advantage after a penetrating attack from Griffiths saw Swansea camped on the opposition line, and Chante Lee to dart over from close range. Griffiths added the extras to take a slender lead.

Swansea were in the ascendancy and with better game management could have seen the game out, but lazy defending and missed tackles cost them dear, with Pham and the excellent Day both going over in the final minutes to put the game to bed.

With Welsh Varsity less than two months away, the Green and Whites will have a lot to work on if they are to record their first ever win over Cardiff.

Star Player: Izzy Day (Bristol University).

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BUCS: Swansea University RFC 16 - 11 Bath University RFC

Swansea University moved out of the BUCS Premier South A relegation zone thanks to a gritty and determined victory over Bath at a windswept Sketty Lane.

Conditions were atrocious with a severe gale hampering any efforts of expansive rugby. However, it was the hosts that handled the weather better with Swansea fly half Jack Shields firing home two pressure kicks late on in proceedings.

With the wind in their faces, the Green and Whites put in the hard graft before the break and limited the visitors to a 6-5 advantage, despite being pinned in their own territory for the majority of the half.

From kick-off, Bath almost immediately captured the lead when Swansea infringed in their own 22 and full-back George Drury fired over the resultant penalty.

Early on, Bath looked dangerous but a quick-tap penalty from Swansea scrum-half, Josh Guy, was the catalyst for a quick response from the hosts.

Guy broke the initial line of defence and set winger Andrew Claypole free, although the flyer still had work to do to outpace the cover defence.

However, there was no hope for Shields to add the extras from out right with the wind in his face.

Richard Lancaster’s troops were now in the ascendancy and although they struggled to drive out of their own half the forwards kept it tight, maintaining possession for several minutes at a time as they starved the life out of Bath’s attack.

However, as the half drew to a close, the visitors were once again on top but saw a couple of penalty attempts go begging before Marcus Beer was successful with his third attempt on the stroke of half time to edge them ahead heading into the break.

If Swansea thought that in riding the first half storm they were set for a breeze of a half, then they got a rude awakening.

After several missed tackles Bath advanced up the left flank with Drury finishing the incisive move to stretch their lead.

And now Bath, without the wind behind them, looked a much more dangerous adversary as they set-out to run the ball at every opportunity, with replacement Adam Anker going on several barnstorming charges.

Cheered on by a throng of passionate, yet wind-blown supporters, Swansea regained their composure after some harsh words from influential back row Reuben Tucker.

An Elliot Jones attack sent the hosts driving into the opposition 22 and a resultant scrum V to Swansea provided the platform for the Green and Whites to strike.

After several pick-and-gos, the hosts crossed the whitewash with Tucker emerging with the ball from under a pile of bodies.

Shields missed the conversion but the hosts were once again on the front foot.

However, they did make hard work of it, initially inviting pressure from the visitors, but with ten minutes remaining, good work at the breakdown saw the hosts rewarded with a penalty 30 metres out.

Shields stepped up and fired Swansea into a 13-11 lead, and straight from the restart the process was replicated with Shields knocking over another penalty, essentially putting the must-win game to bed.

Overall, Swansea deserved the victory due in large part to their physicality and tenacious spirit.

The win sees the Green and Whites move off the bottom of the BUCS table which is now occupied by Varisty rivals, Cardiff. Swansea play their last league fixture next Wednesday against Cardiff Met at Cyncoed.

Star Man: Reuben Tucker (Swansea University).

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BUCS Women's Rugby: Swansea Uni 0-20 Cardiff Met 2nds

Cardiff Met 2nds secured safe passage through to the second round of the BUCS Trophy with a comfortable 20-0 victory over Welsh rivals Swansea at Sketty Lane.

Cardiff Met’s Amberley Ruck was the star of the show as the scrum-half bagged four well-taken tries in an inspirational performance.

Swansea were unable to string more than a few phases together all match and spent the majority of the game on the back foot, as the visitors controlled the territory and possession.

The match started in a scrappy fashion with handling errors preventing either side from building any momentum.

However, the capital side looked the more threatening, and their first incisive attack saw full-back Chelsea Chamberlain cutting the line to good effect, making 20 yards into the opposition 22 before being scragged by her opposite number, Megan Griffiths.

Met recycled the ball well, with Swansea forced to repel several surges, but their resolve was broken when Ruck spotted a gap at the breakdown to dart over for her first of the afternoon.

The hosts were restricted to lone attacks by fly-half Peita McAllister and centre Robyn Lock, who individually made good headway, but each time lacked the support necessary to keep the move alive.

The capital side ended the first half very much on the front foot, but Swansea managed to hold out any further breaches before the break, with flanker Emily Roberts and back row Chante Lee instrumental in keeping the visitors at bay.

The second half carried on where the first left off with Met once again on top, and they didn’t have to wait long before they were celebrating their second try.

A solid five metre scrum provided the platform with Ruck showing great pace to get on the outside of the Green and Whites’ defence and cross.

It was all Met now, with centre Marie Griffiths and winger Cath Salter both making ground.

However, the third try once again showcased the individual ability of Ruck, as she spied space behind the Swansea line and chipped over the static host defence to re-gather neatly and claim her hat-trick.

Swansea attempted to get something out of the match with Lock and McAllister continuing to provide the attacking threat, but a mistake in midfield saw Met’s Griffiths seize the ball in her own 22 and set out on a length-of-the-field run. The centre was caught agonisingly short of the line by Lock, but Ruck was on hand to collect a neat offload and complete her tally.

The Green and Whites finished the stronger side but they were unable to claim a consolation score.

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BUCS Rugby: Swansea Uni Women 10-21 Bath Uni Women

Bath produced some gritty defence to dispatch Swansea and complete the double over their BUCS Western 1A rivals at a windswept Sketty Lane.

The visitors had no real right to win the match having been starved for possession and territory for the majority of the game, but clinical play in the opposition 22 ensured they won the battle on the scoreboard.

Two late tries Bath claimed in the first half was ultimately the difference between the two sides, with the hosts never recovering from the blow.

Bath’s fly-half Harriet Waller was the standout player for the English university side, notching up 11 of her side’s points through a try and six points from the tee.

In the first minute, a huge hit by Swansea back row Chante Lee set the tone for this brutal encounter that was dominated by the forwards, as conditions were unconducive for an expansive game.

Swansea started brightly but failed to make any of their attacking endeavours pay, with prop Amy Boyd gaining good yardage around the fringes, while scrum-half Rhian Perry injected much-needed impetus into Swansea’s attack.

And Perry nearly provided a crucial breakthrough for the hosts when, on the half hour mark, a quick tap penalty saw her evade multiple defenders, only for a great tackle from Bath full-back Chloe Dunbreck to deny her the whitewash.

For all of the Green and Whites’ domination they could not find the killer pass, while the opposition back line showed flashes of danger, with Dunbreck and centre Aly Stroud gaining ground with ball in hand.

With Swansea not making the most of their chances, the first opportunity Bath created they converted.

A Swansea lineout in their own 22 was lost with Llinos Honeybun sweeping the ball wide and, after several phases of play, Dunbreck showed great pace to get on the outside of the defence and dab down. Waller added the extras.

With halftime nearing, an aimless hack through from Bath caused chaos in the Swansea defence; Swansea full-back Meg Griffiths managed to gather the ball but the hosts had insufficient numbers at the breakdown, and Bath bagged a turnover that saw Honeybun race away to cross the whitewash. Waller slotted over the conversion for a halftime 14-0 lead.

The start of the second half saw Swansea determined to reduce their arrears, playing at a higher tempo that eventually paid dividends when Perry burrowed over after a quick tap penalty.

However, failure to regain the restart gifted Bath good field position and the English visitors took full advantage.

Waller received the ball in the opposition 22 and the Swansea defence was caught in two minds: centre Katie Jones rushed up while her team mates remained static, and, when Waller stepped the onrushing Jones, she proceeded through the large gap and crossed unopposed.

Flanker Emily Roberts and prop Boyd led by example as they refused to let their side’s heads drop.

Perry, having been at the heart of every Swansea attack, was once again involved in a second score. The scrum-half made headway with a quick tap penalty, with the ball eventually popping up for Jones to touchdown.

The final quarter of the match was a one-sided affair with Swansea very much on the front foot, but, Bath’s defence showed great grit and determination to hold their hosts out.

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Swansea land first blow on road to Varsity

Swansea University clinched their maiden win in the BUCS Premier South A with a 28-0, clinical victory over Welsh Varsity rivals Cardiff at a wet and windy Sketty Lane.

The hosts went into the match on the back of four defeats, including a heavy home loss two weeks earlier to league leaders Hartpury, but completely overpowered their visitors with a one sided second half showing.

The Green and Whites' defence was what ultimately won them the match- their tackling was ferocious and their line speed in the blitz defence left the Cardiff backs with nowhere to turn.

Excellent physicality by the Swansea forwards at the breakdown saw the Red and Blacks muscled out of proceedings, with the back row unit of Ollie Young, Jack Perkins and Adam Scanlon a constant thorn in the visitors' side.

After a difficult start to the season, Head Coach Richard Lancaster was delighted with his side’s first win of the campaign.

“We really billed this as a must win game. After the loss to Hartpury, we really targeted our defence and that was a huge positive for us today. We won the match in the first half - they really hammered our line but our defence stood firm, and that set us up for the win."

Cardiff were playing with the strong wind at their backs in the opening half but were unable to utilise it to their advantage, and although they huffed and puffed in attack, were unable to break down the solid host defence and trailed 5-0 at the interval.

Like all matches between the two teams, the opening exchanges were of a ferocious offering but, coupled with the atrocious weather conditions, the match failed to ignite.

Martyn Fowler’s side had most of the early territory and possession and had the first chance at points, with fly-half Dan Brownlee hitting the upright with one penalty before dragging another wide.

Swansea gradually grew into the match and used their forward dominance to good effect, with referee Jamie Morgan repeatedly pinging the visitors at the breakdown. And they opened the scoring after a sustained period of pressure in their opponents' 22, a Swansea scrum ten metres from the line providing the platform for the attack.

No 8 Scanlon picked up the base and made inroads towards the whitewash. The ball was then quickly recycled and, after a few more phases, it was shipped wide where lock Josh Walker bulldozed his way over. Fly-half Jack Shields missed the difficult extras.

The remainder of the half saw Cardiff having the majority of the territory and possession but the visitors were simply unable to manufacture a way through, with Perkins scavenging well at the breakdown while locks Walker and Jon Barley were a constant nuisance at ruck time.

The second half started in scrappy style with neither side able to gain the upper hand, despite perhaps the Cardiff backs looking to counter attack more with the ball in hand with the wind in their faces. Full back Ben White cut the line well on a number of occasions as Brownlee looked to open play up.

Meanwhile, the Red and Blacks' most dangerous player in attack was scrum-half John Preddy, whose quick tap penalties and sniping around the fringes had the Swansea defence scrambling on numerous occasions.

With the conditions not conducive to running rugby, this first bit of real class in the back line came just before the hour mark from the home side with Swansea full back Elliot Jones finishing off a well executed move.

Quick ball off the top of the line-out saw Shields find replacement Andrew Claypole with an inside ball to cut the line beautifully, before popping the ball to Jones to touchdown. Shields also slotted the easy conversion for a 12-0 lead.

From that point on, Cardiff were always chasing the game and their indiscipline began to tell when three quick-fire penalties saw the visitors leak nine points via the boot of Shields, with the Red and Blacks' Jack Wilson also earning a yellow card in that time.

By this time, the vocal student support was in fine voice as the home fans urged their side to finish the clash in style, and Lancaster’s men didn’t disappoint.

Shields, on half way, spotted space in behind the Cardiff back three and chipped through, the ball bouncing kindly for Claypole who gathered well before being scragged.

The ball was quickly recycled with Jones stopped metres from bagging his second, but Young was there to pick up and drive over for a much deserved score. And the icing on the cake came with the last kick of the game, as Shields fired over the conversion.

Swansea travel to Cyncoed next Wednesday when they clash with Cardiff Met in another Welsh derby encounter, while Cardiff host Exeter on November 20.

Star Man-Jack Perkins.

Swansea: Tries: J Walker 15, E Jones 57, O Young 80+2; Cons: J Shields 58, 80+3; Pens: Shields 63, 66, 77.

Cardiff: 

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Swansea University 10-46 Hartpury College

Swansea suffered their fourth straight BUCS Premier South A defeat when they were comfortably dispatched by Hartpury at Sketty Lane.

Going into the match, Hartpury had won their previous two league games while their hosts had lost three times on the road.

The West Country side’s pack was the dominant force of the day as they pushed and shoved their Swansea counterparts all around the park.

The Green and Whites’ misery could have been made worse if the visitors’ backs had executed in more ruthless fashion.

Swansea had started the brighter side with a strong wind behind them, but two breakaway tries in quick succession from the visitors saw the Gloucester outfit notch up a 12-0 lead, with Swansea’s defence more than suspect.

The first score was an opportunistic touchdown, with winger Cameron Roberts racing away to cross in the corner after a promising Swansea attack broke down.

The second was a well-worked try from the opposite wing, Mark Harrison, after great interplay from full back Jacob Perry and centre Ben Roberts that set-up Harrison to finish off and go under the posts.

Despite this, Swansea were gifted the opportunity to bag their first points shortly after with a shot at the posts thanks to an error at the restart, and fly-half Jack Shields duly obliged.

Hartpury’s 12 point lead was shortly restored with a penalty of their own from Gareth Thompson.

Using the strong wind, however, Swansea began to assert themselves and work their way into the match.

After a long spell of pressure, the hosts worked the ball out-wide and Shields cut an exquisite line to dance over, leaving the visiting defence clutching at thin air. The fly-half then dusted himself off and added the extras.

The hosts should’ve gone in at least on par with their visitors as they were camped on the opposition try line but couldn’t fulfil their attacking enterprise.

Number 8, Adam Scanlon, had the best chance but opted for a ‘Hollywood’ offload instead of taking the contact mere feet from the whitewash.

With the wind at their backs this time, Hartpury got off to a flying start after the break.

After gaining good field position, the pack drove towards the whitewash and with the maul gathering pace, Swansea were forced to illegally halt it metres from the line. The resultant penalty was taken quickly with scrum-half Mitchell Spencer burrowing over.

It was all Hartpury now and the visitors extended their lead through a penalty try which had been on the cards all afternoon. A Hartpury scrum moving at a rate of knots close to the Swansea line saw the Green and Whites disintegrate under the pressure, and the referee had no choice but to go beneath the posts.

With the result a foregone conclusion, the final twenty minutes descended into a scrappy affair, although the West Country side did manage to help themselves to another three touchdowns.

Centre Roberts got his rewards for an industrious afternoon with a well-taken solo effort, while tight head prop Jimmy Lichfield crashed over and, late on, Harrison bagged his second after gathering a cute chip from Perry.

When the final whistle blew, Swansea looked out on their feet with their resolve seemingly broken by their submissive performance at the scrums. Richard Lancaster will know his troops will need to put together a better performance when they welcome Varsity rivals Cardiff to Sketty Lane in a fortnight’s time if they are to claim their first win.

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Cardiff Met bag Twickenham Cup final place

CARDIFF Met are through to the BUCS Championship showpiece final at Twickenham having dispatched defending champions, Hartpury, 27-13 at Cyncoed.

 It was once again a commanding  performance from the Met pack, who dominated the West Country side up front from start to finish.

 The front three of Brynley Toms, Tom Emery and Jordan Saunders consistently put their opposition under pressure at scrum time, while locks Josh Walker and Miles Normandale put in some monstrous hits.

 Captain Kyle Tayler was a nuisance at every break down, while Sam Cross once again provided some great link play and on more than one occasion, seemed to defy the laws of physics as he gathered line-out ball from extreme positions.

 Photos courtesy of Joseph Kiff

 

 Met’s Director of Rugby, Chris Davey, paid homage to his side after the match.

“Undoubtedly, I thought we were the better, stronger team today. Our pack has been a force to be reckoned with all season and today they came up trumps. Hartpury had the England Students front row, but I think our boys showed perhaps the England student selectors have made a couple of errors, especially with how we dominated the scrum platform.

After getting those two early tries on the board, we really dominated proceedings and it's no more than this group deserve. They’ve been a great group all year and it's great to see them have the opportunity to go to Twickenham.”

It was a nervy start from both sides with a lot of silly errors, but it was the visitors that had the first chance of points as referee, Jason Langdon, penalised Tayler at the break down, and fly half Luke Cozens lived up to his flashy green boots to clinically fire home from 45 metres.

Their lead would only last a matter of minutes, however, as Met regathered the restart before an innocuous kick over the top created chaos in the Hartpury defence. As the bounce avoided the back three, it fell into the grateful arms of Met’s Guy Wood, who showed great pace and power to cross, Matt O’Brien adding the simple extras.

TRY TIME: Guy Wood powers over the whitewash for Met

The hosts continued to cause problems with wing Pierre Tucker nearly latching onto an O’Brien chip. The forwards were pushing the Hartpury pack all over the pitch with a Met driving maul making good ground. With Hartpury defending the whitewash for their lives, a turnover gave them the chance to clear their lines, but scrum half Grant Hancock’s kick could not evade the towering presence of lock Normandale, and the man mountain reclaimed his charge-down for the simplest of scores.

The English side seemed dazed by the frantic, yet calculated start from their hosts, but regrouped with a good spell of pressure themselves. After several phases of play in the opposition 22, the ball was spread wide and Ricky Cano fed wing Ian Clark, who rounded the cover defence to scamper over out wide. Cozens stepped up and slotted the difficult extras.

In a frenzied period of play, Met almost immediately restored their advantage, as Ben Aten-Burrett and James Beal made good yardage with strong runs, and Hartpury were penalised for offside. O’Brien punted to the corner and from close range, there was certain inevitability to what followed. The lineout was gathered by the Met forwards as they rumbled over the whitewash, with Normandale bagging his second of the afternoon.

 

The Welsh capital side were on the front foot for the remainder of the half, pinning Hartpury into their own 22, but the hosts were unable to make their pressure pay and it was Hartpury that were to have an unlikely final say of the half.

Centre Alex Dancer, who was a threat as first receiver all afternoon, produced a wonderful line break and Met were forced to concede the penalty. On the stroke of half time, Craig Jackson stroked over the three pointer to trail 17-13 at the break.

Cardiff continued the second half in the same dominant vein as Hartpury were forced to repel wave after wave of assault, with the back line perhaps a little guilty of spurning a number of gilt edged chances.

Referee Langdon became frustrated with the repeated infringement from the visitors as centre George Boulton was yellowed for coming in at the side. And Met made the man advantage pay, as a great move off the back of the scrum saw Rhodri Davies scampering over from 15 metres out.

Scrum-half Rhodri Davies races clear

As Boulton returned to the fray for Hartpury, the visitors lost Liam Gallagher to the sin bin for not retreating 10 at a penalty, and they were once again at a disadvantage as they faced an ever increasing uphill battle. When O’Brien fired over a drop goal from half way, you sensed there was no way back for the BUCS Championship holders.

Cross then looked to have sealed the victory for Met in emphatic style with a breakaway try from their own half, but just when the home faithful began to celebrate, confusion reigned as the assistant referee spotted an infringement and play was brought back for a Hartpury penalty.

The final 15 minutes was all Hartpury, yet they failed to find the platform to unleash their backs and Met remained composed under increasing pressure.

Cardiff Met celebrate after the final whistle

Cardiff Met will face old foes, Durham, in the final who beat them in the showpiece at Twickenham in 2011. The Welsh students will undoubtedly go into the match with the desire to go one better than their predecessors.

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Cross and O’Brien Star as Met Romp into the Semis

Cardiff Met booked their BUCS Championship semi-final spot in emphatic style, running rampant in a 9-try victory over Northumbria at Cyncoed.

Sam Cross races away for his second of the afternoon

Photos courtesy of Joseph Kiff

The capital side are having a stellar year in both University and domestic competitions, having already secured the BUCS South Premier A title, while they currently sitting third in the Swalec Championship.

Captain Sam Cross lead by example for the hosts with two of Met’s nine tries, while fly-half Matt O’Brien notched up 24 points in a commanding performance at the fulcrum.

RAMPAGE: Jordan Saunders was a nuisance in the loose for the Northumbria defence

The hosts were far too strong for the visitors with the Met pack dominating proceedings, allowing their exciting backs to have free reign and carve their rivals apart.

Northumbria’s pack surely realised it was going to be a long afternoon when their scrum was decimated early on by the Welsh students’ eight man drive, and from the resulting penalty, O’Brien found touch inside the opponents’ 22.

Good line-out ball provided the backs with ammunition and after three phases of play, O’Brien’s cute dink over the defence was welcomingly collected by wing, Pierre Tucker, to dab down out wide. O’Brien missed the conversion, but added a simple penalty not long after for an 8-0 lead.

Oli Edwards drives towards the whitewash

Met’s front five were winning the physical contest, and their supremacy paid dividends; after quick, recycled ball, Ben Axten-Burrett and Kyle Tayler combined well to send Cross over for his first of the afternoon.

Northumbria, who struggled to gain any foothold in the match, made a rare foray into opposition territory, with winger Oli Foster looking dangerous with the ball in hand, and they were soon to get their first points when Toby East dropped a goal.

The visitors had a period of ascendancy with a number of promising attacks, but fundamental errors proved costly as inopportune knock-ons spoilt valuable field positions.
The final ten minutes of the half saw the Welsh students back in control, with flanker, Tayler, and hooker, Tom Emery, both barging over after great forward work to lead 29-3 at the break.

TRY TIME: Kyle Taylor shrugs off the tackle of Finlay Coxon-Smith to cross.

The visitors started the second half with a much higher intensity, centre Ryan Martin showing quick feet to make good yardage. Tom Scourfield and Tom Grimes produced powerful carries, and the visitors got their breakthrough when Martin showed great pace to finish off a lovely move in the 22, with East adding the extras.

But that was as good as it got for the visitors as Cardiff unleashed a torrent of sustained attack on the Northumbrian whitewash. Replacement scrum half, Rhodri Davies, reacted first when the ball popped out of the Northumbrian scrum in their own 22 to cross, and with that, any hope of a Northumbrian comeback were quashed.

Cross stretches to claim quality line-out ball
Photos courtesy of Joseph Kiff

Davies’ introduction provided a fresh impetus in the Cardiff backline as O’Brien, Cross, Jack Lavin and Miles Normandale all touched down in the final ten minutes.

Cardiff Met will now host Hartpury  next Wednesday March 6 in the semi-finals of the BUCS Championship, for the chance to play for the crown at Twickenham.

Cardiff Met 64-10 Northumbria

Cardiff Met: Tries: P Tucker 7, S Cross 21, 72, K Tayler 34, T Emery 40, R Davies65, M O’Brien 69, J Lavin 75, M Normandale 80+3; Cons: M O’Brien 21,34,40,66,69,73,75,80+3; Pens: M O’Brien 11.

Northumbria: Tries: R Martin 52; Cons: T East 54; Drop Goals: T East 25.

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Swansea Uni WRFC 15-12 UWE WRFC

Swansea University Women’s Rugby team remain in the hunt for a top two finish in the BUCS 1 A Western Division, after they saw off a spirited UWE side at a chilly Sketty Lane.

Due to injuries, the Bristol side made the journey down the M4 with only 12 players for the match which was also reduced to two 30 minute halves.

Both sides got off to a nervy start with handling errors hindering any attacking progress as they battled for ascendancy at the breakdown.

Swansea started the match playing with the wind at their backs but it was the visitors that were to break the deadlock.

The Green and Whites were penalised at the ruck with the quick thinking of Megan Preece and Joanna Smith combining well to send Tammy Howells clear on the overlap to touchdown.

Going behind seemed to wake the hosts up with centre Robyn Lock a threat whenever she had the ball in hand, while captain Eliza Slinn provided a much needed link between the forwards and backs.

With Swansea perhaps guilty of looking for contact rather than utilising the vast space on offer, the best move just before the break gave the hosts parity before the interval. Slinn broke the initial tackle in midfield before her clever offload put Lock into space, but the centre was scragged just short. The ball was then quickly recycled by Stephanie Evans, however, as her floated pass left wing Sasha Owen with the simplest of finishes.

The second half started at a much higher intensity and with Swansea’s Chante Lee and Nia Morgan both making probing runs, it seemed to be only a matter of time before the Green and Whites were to break the visitors’ resistance.

Lock was once again the catalyst with the centre combining with Lee to create space for hooker Morgan Simpson to bulldoze her way over out-wide.

UWE really had failed to get going and when Lock got the ball 40 metres out in midfield, you knew there was only one thing on her mind. Out of nothing, the centre scythed through the defence and with clear space in front of her, she showed great pace to out gas the cover and cross under the posts. If her running was sublime, her kicking skills were the polar opposite as her third conversion attempt in a row only threatened the daisies.

The hosts then conspired to be the catalyst of their own downfall, failing to clear their lines on multiple occasions.

UWE, who had been largely anonymous for the majority of the half, still showed flashes of creativity with the pace of their backline presenting a real threat for the tiring Swansea defence.

As the match moved into the final five minutes, Smith, Preece and Howells got the UWE back line moving forward, and a hack through put Swansea full back Lee under pressure and she was penalised for the illegal use of a shoulder.

Preece took the quick tap penalty and with the Swansea defence in disarray, Kiara Martin darted over and Smith landed the extras to set up a grandstand finish.

With both sides unable to control either the possession or the tempo of the game, a frantic, frenzied finish was on the cards and it didn’t disappoint as UWE’s Preece broke from her own 22, but a desperate tackle from Gemma Booroff forced a knock-on and Swansea were able to clear their lines and clinch the victory.

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Table toppers Exeter battle to thrilling Swansea win

Top of the table Exeter battled to a thrilling 31-26 BUCS  Premier South A victory over Swansea at Sketty Lane.

On a frosty afternoon it was very much a game of two halves, with the visitors having the better of the first having looked the more threatening from the outset, with scrum-half Robert Coote keeping the Swansea defence on their toes.

A quick tap penalty from Coote nearly sent Toby Bain clear, but the centre was unable to gather the ball with the line at his mercy.

With Exeter dominating proceedings Swansea did show some promise of their own, however, as Ben Thomas and Ianto Griffiths combined well to penetrate the Exeter defence and drive Swansea into their opponents’ 22.

Having watched Swansea a couple of times already this season, I have noticed that they have been prone to switching off at line-outs, and this was once again the case today as Coote collected the tap-down to drive through the middle and cross unopposed for Exeter’s opening try. Alistair Chisholm added the simple conversion.

With their tails up, the table-toppers began to run the ball from all areas but in doing so, they let Swansea right back into the game with centre Ben Mitchell intercepting a floated pass out-wide to race home – Griffiths’ extras drawing the sides level.

Exeter regrouped and were ahead moments later, however, as Bain showed great pace to get on the outside of the drift defence and touchdown out-wide to restore Exeter’s lead.

The English side continued to press before the break with Swansea’s Liam Myatt and Sam Soul forced into making try-saving tackles, but the Green and Whites’ defence was to succumb again in the closing stages of the opening half.

Following sustained pressure, second row Ben King barged his way over to double Exeter’s lead going into the interval.

After the break, Swansea emerged a much more determined outfit with some bone-crunching hits from Reuben Tucker and James McWilliams-Grey setting the tone for the hosts.

Richard Lancaster’s men were rewarded for their intensity just five minutes into the half, when prop Myatt crashed over from close range.

At this stage, there was only one side in it with Swansea dominating the scrum after the introduction of Steff Jones up front and McWilliams-Grey and Tucker gaining the hard yards in the loose.

Against the run of play, however, Exeter looked to break from their own 22 with Swansea winger Hugo Jafari adjudged to have deliberately knocked-on to halt the attack and was yellow carded for his crime.

With a man down, the momentum switched and now Exeter were the ones on the front foot as Aaron Straminski hacked through and outpaced the cover defence to touchdown.

But yet another twist was to come as Swansea failed to lie down and after a series of phases, hit back through a McWilliams-Grey touchdown.

Exeter attempted to regain their composure, reclaiming the ball before being rewarded for their endeavour with what proved to be a vital Chisholm penalty to give them some breathing space.

Still two scores down and with five minutes remaining, Swansea knew they needed something special and Myatt produced: a barn-storming run down the left wing saw the prop brush aside tackle after tackle to set-up replacement Connor Lloyd, who duly crashed over to set up a grandstand finish.

The Green and Whites desperately tried to put together one last meaningful attack but the visitors stood firm to seal a well-deserved seventh win of their campaign.

Swansea: Tries: B Mitchell 21, L Myatt 45, J McWilliams- Grey 70, C Lloyd 76; Cons: I Grffiths 21,45, B Thomas 70.

Exeter: Tries: R Coote 17, T Bain 27, B King 39, A Straminski 63; Cons: A Chisholm 17,27, 63, F Gillies 39; Pens: A Chisholm 75.

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Swansea University outclass Welsh rivals in 15-try thriller

Swansea University overcame Welsh rivals Glamorgan 60-32 in a try-fest at Sketty Lane, with centre duo Sam Soul and Elliot Jones starring for the hosts.

The Green and Whites, playing in front of a home crowd for the first time in the BUCS South Premier A, helped themselves to nine tries in a match where defence was almost non-existent, but attacking skill was copious.

Captain Jonathan Vaughan was making his first start for the Green and Whites this term and directed his troops well while impressing in the loose and providing a safe pair of hands in the lineout, while prop Steff Jones was a nuisance at the breakdown all afternoon and made the hard yards with the ball in hand.

The hosts were on top from the get-go and never relinquished their lead as they raced into a 12-0 advantage, thanks to some lovely backs interplay. A jinking run from outside half Ianto Griffiths broke the Glamorgan defence with Soul on his shoulder to cross after just 3 minutes, before wing Jackson Szabo sent Elliot Jones clear.

Glamorgan, who have yet to pick up a victory, looked stunned but after catching Swansea asleep with a short attacking lineout, the Blue and Yellows worked the ball wide for Jack Barrett to go over in the corner.

However, their revival was quickly quashed as Szabo showed great awareness to send full back Ben Thomas over the whitewash, swiftly followed by Jones’ second of the afternoon as the diminutive centre put on the afterburners to go beneath the posts.

The second half was a much more equal affair with both sides running in five tries each in an unstructured but high tempo exchange. Glamorgan’s Matt Smith flourished in the unbroken style of play with the centre helping himself to four wonderfully well-taken tries, while Joe Bridger also touched down for the visitors.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when the Green and Whites’ number 8, James McWilliams-Grey, went on a barn storming 60-metre burst that saw him barge multiple defenders out of the way for Soul to capitalise on the overlap and go over for his second of the afternoon.

Shortly after, Szabo notched up a well-deserved touchdown while Andrew Claypole also got in on the action, before replacements Josh Hammett and Adam Scanlon put the fixture beyond doubt.

Although Swansea coach Richard Lancaster will be happy with the win, he will know his defence will need to improve markedly when they visit Bath next week. Glamorgan on the other hand will look to build on the positives when they welcome Cardiff to Trefforest.

Star Man – James McWilliams-Grey.

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Sub Setter at the double for Cardiff Met

Cardiff Met University 26 Glamorgan University 5

A LATE try double from replacement scrum-half Cameron Setter propelled Cardiff Met to a bonus-point win over Glamorgan at Cyncoed this afternoon, writes David Williams.

The hosts came from behind after an early Ben Cullen score but it wasn’t a totally convincing display from Cardiff in an error-strewn BUCS Premier South A League match in the Welsh capital.

For the home side it was a third win from four games this season while the loss was a fourth in a row  for pointless Glamorgan, who face a tough trip to Swansea next Wednesday.

Actually, it was Glamorgan that made the better start as they enjoyed the majority of the early possession and took a surprise lead when full-back Cullen came into the line and was on hand to touch down from close range. Matt Morgan missed the conversion.

After a shaky opening, Cardiff’s dominance up front began to show and despite fly-half Cooke missing a penalty the home pack won two scrums against the head in quick succession. It was a show of power that would continue throughout the match.

Cooke had a hand in Cardiff’s first try on 19 minutes when he fed flanker Tom Hall and the skipper burst through a couple of weak tackles to slide over. Cooke added the extras to make it 7-5.

Despite going in front, Cardiff’s game, and Glamorgan’s come to that, couldn’t flow as turnovers, knock-ons and some indifferent refereeing decisions made the encounter a frustrating stop-start affair.

Cooke missed a second penalty before the half was out but it was Glamorgan who again got out of the blocks the quicker when the second period got under way. Morgan came within inches of regaining the lead for his men when a scruffy drop-goal crashed against the crossbar and back into play.

Cardiff left wing Pierre Tucker looked dangerous throughout and he nearly got on the scoresheet but couldn’t quite chase down Jamie George’s kick ahead on the hour mark.

But from another Glamorgan scrum to go against the head, this time just five metres from their own line, Cardiff No 8 Patrick Roberts bulldozed his way over for Cooke to convert with around 10 minutes left.

Setter then went over for the third try a few minutes later, cutting through a gaping hole in the opposition defence to touch down, and Cooke slotted the easy conversion to make it 21-5. With the rain lashing down the hosts now went in search of the all-important fourth score.

They came close when replacement prop Jordan Saunders went on a Graham Price-esque run deep into Glamorgan territory but moments later Setter darted over from a quickly-taken tap penalty.

It wasn’t always pretty but another bonus-point victory puts Cardiff – away to Exeter in a week’s time – in a healthy position in the table while Glamorgan can take heart from their performance despite the defeat.

Man of the match – Tom Hall (Cardiff Met)

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Cardiff land first blow on the road to Varsity

Cardiff University RFC landed the first blow on the road to the Welsh Varsity with a hard-fought 22-10 win over Swansea at Llanrumney, a victory that sees them extend their unbeaten run against their bitter rivals to four matches.

In a fiercely contested match, it was Cardiff’s centre duo of Max Woodward and captain Ross Wardle that shone through, as the hosts outscored the Green and Whites three tries to one.

It was a taut and tense affair from the outset with both sides trying to establish their authority over proceedings, but it was the Red and Black’s that launched a string of attacks with loose kicking from the Swansea outside half Josh Hammet allowing Cardiff full back Elliot Jones to launch a number of threatening counter attacks.

The Swansea line, however, stood with back row Reuben Tucker and prop Nicky Thomas making monster hits to keep the opposition at bay. The visitors did begin to settle down and the back three of Jackson Szabo, Andrew Claypole and Glen Lewis looked dangerous with the ball in hand.

Just before the interval, however, Cardiff began to turn the screw and three penalties in quick succession in the Swansea 22 surely should have brought a card for the visitors but referee Kelvin Shorte failed to produce even a warning. 

The Red and Blacks were desperate to make their abundance of territory and possession pay and were getting closer and closer. Back row James Thomas made hard yards before fly half Matt Purssell was held up short after a cute show and go, while Ben Mitchell had to produce a huge hit to stop Wardle in his tracks.

Another infringement from the Swansea forwards saw Cardiff kick to the corner with a cleverly rehearsed lineout, catching the visitors’ defence asleep, allowing flanker Rhys Luckwell to dive over and take a deserved 5-0 advantage into the break.

Swansea struck first after the interval with Hammett on target with a penalty but an injury to prop James Ben saw a lengthy delay as he was removed from the field.

After getting themselves back into the game, Richard Lancaster’s men failed to claim the restart and immediately handed the impetus back to Cardiff. The Green and Whites once again impinged at the breakdown, with Purssell making no mistake from the tee.

It then went from bad to worse for the Green and Whites when scrum half George Hardy should have mopped up Howell’s hack through, but the bounce evaded him and Woodward pounced for his side’s second of the afternoon. Purssell added the extras to take a 15-3 lead.

Cardiff were now well and truly in the ascendancy but some great link-up play from Jack Perkins and James McWilliams-Grey saw Swansea them make a rare foray into the opposition 22. The ball was recycled quickly with Hammett throwing a miss pass to Szabo, who timed his run perfectly to slice through and go over unopposed for a converted try.

With the game firmly on a knife edge, both sides knew the next score would prove crucial – Woodward burst through midfield scything passed defenders to set up Wardle, who still had work to do to cross out wide to put the game to bed. 

Swansea never gave up and should have crossed again after a lovely break from Hammett saw his floated pass just elude Claypole and so the chance went begging. The Green and Whites continued to threaten but a strong display from the Cardiff defence muted any attack.

Star Man – Max Woodward

Cardiff: E Jones, J Waters, R Wardle, M Woodward, R Howell, M Purssell, B Phillips, J Ben, J Sould, B Thayer, J Sawyer, N Huntley, G Lee, R Luckwell, J Thomas. Reps- A Rees, R May, B Egan, A Devereaux, J Neville, M Lesis, J Flower, M O’Connor.

Tries: R Luckwell 31, M Woodward 53, R Wardle 64. Cons: M Purssell 54, 65. Pens: M Purssell 47.

Swansea:J Szabo, G Lewis, B Mitchell, J Bartlett, A Claypole, J Hammett, G Hardy, J Kaijaks, M Beddows, N Thomas, A Scanlon, J Walker, J McWilliams-Grey, J Perkins, R Tucker. Reps- S McDonnell-Roberts, S Jones, G George, Tim Connolly J Wolfe, J Guy, I Griffiths, E Jones.

Tries: J Szabo 57. Cons: J Hammett 57. Pens: Hammett 44.

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