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Record-breaking City too strong for Swans

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By Jonathan Twigg

EXPECTATION wasn’t one of those words which was running closely to Swansea’s hearts as the side, rock bottom of the Premier League welcomed table topping Manchester City to the Liberty Stadium on Wednesday (Dec 13), with anything short of a superhuman performance could prevent a landmark fifteenth consecutive win for City.

Swansea had overcome West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in a dour fixture three day before at the same venue and the home side started the game based on a strong defensive organisation, making the swashbuckling City line up look for space between the stoic lines.

Half chances came and were wasted by a jaded visiting offensive unit, perhaps the emotion of the weekends Manchester derby hanging over them?

The Swans had acceded to allowing music in the changing room, a gesture which wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by mercurial leader Pep Guardiola, where Oasis were charged with pumping up the volume.

There was no storm in a tea cup here and the normal football service resumed just before the half hour when Silva ghosted into the penalty area unnoticed to put City on course for that record breaking win, removing the Spurs record which had stood since 1961 to the annals of time, though few will forget the late, great manager Bill Nicholson’s tenure at White Hart Lane.

Ten minutes before half time a Kevin De Bruyne free kick from the left hand corner of the penalty area doubled the lead when he shot through a plethora of bodies to leave Fabianski grasping at thin air.

37 years ago to the day a famous Welsh talisman made his debut for the then league champions Liverpool, at Portman Road, Ipswich and how the all whites could do with such an icon these days.

They have an abundance of effort which was encouraging for the home support, but the difference in quality between the two sides was evident telling its own story in terms of league position.

The mantra instilled through ‘Pep’ allows his side to play with confidence but more importantly without fear which forced errors from a Swansea side guilty at times of sloppy defending.

A sprightlier second half from Swansea came courtesy of Tammy Abraham, the on loan Chelsea striker making an immediate impact off the bench for Tom Carroll, with his pace to worry a normally composed central defensive partnership of Mangala and Otamendi.

The spirt shown didn’t last, with the visiting fans singing ‘glad all over’ to their manager, watching the diminutive Silva slip through from the left hand side of the penalty area to make it 3-0.

Football is to be appreciated, with the movement, skills and desire to work as a team epitomising a side with a willingness to win, for each other but more importantly the team.

City were human, Aguero wasting a gilt edged opportunity when he was clear with a four on two overlap, whilst Ederson made a wonderful reflex save from a deflective shot from Mesa to keep the score line 3-0.

Fabianski was on top form and without him the City would have been home and dry long before Aguero, a man for match winning occasions notably a 2015 championship strike in injury time, drove with determination to leave a wake of several trailing bodies to score a fourth with five minutes remaining.

In contrast Ki Sing-Yeung’s body shape didn’t give him the freedom to pull a consolation goal back for his beleaguered side, who remain bottom of the Premier League, adrift of safety by two points.

The match statistics show the dominance, with nearly five times the number of shots rifling forth under the ‘blue moon’ and each pass greeted with a continuum of ‘ole’.

Swansea have a long way to go in the season where one swallow doesn’t make a summer and the important message for Paul Clement is one of keeping the faith as he has 20,870 loyal backbenchers believing in him.

He takes his side to Merseyside twice in the next 12 days with a dogfight at home against fellow relegation candidates Crystal Palace on Saturday (Dec23) sandwiched between.

They end the year travelling to Vicarage Road to play Watford with the hope they will have gleaned close to eighteen points before Tottenham Hotspur arrive at the Liberty to start the New Year.

Hope reigns eternal that 2018 will be a better one for Swansea as without hope the reliance of Father Christmas bringing some fortune hangs above the managers’ head. Mistletoe, that gift is not where the minimum is a cup of good cheer.

Sport

This weekend’s Division 4 West rugby roundup

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THE latest fixtures in Division 4 West delivered intense clashes, narrow escapes, and exhilarating victories as teams showcased their determination and skill. Here’s a breakdown of the matches and standout moments.

Dreigiau Emlyn 7-10 St Davids

St Davids claimed a narrow 10-7 win over Dreigiau Emlyn in a hard-fought match. Celt Davies put Dreigiau Emlyn on the scoreboard with a try, converted by Llew Morgan. St Davids responded with tries from Ethan Griffiths and Dan Murphy, with Bob Froy converting one. Despite Dreigiau Emlyn’s strong defensive stand, St Davids held on for a slim victory.

Llangwm 23-21 Pembroke Dock

In a thrilling contest, Llangwm edged out Pembroke Dock by just two points, finishing 23-21. George James led Llangwm’s scoring with a try, two conversions, and three penalties. Gethin Thomas added a try, pushing Llangwm into a narrow lead. Pembroke Dock fought back with tries from Harry Owen, Danny Wilkes, and Morgan Rogers, all converted by Ben Hathaway. However, Llangwm’s precise penalty kicks clinched the close contest.

Llanybydder 24-31 Pembroke

Pembroke emerged victorious in a high-scoring 31-24 match against Llanybydder. Llanybydder displayed resilience with tries from Arwel Williams, Matthew Rollings, Ifan Mason-Evans, and Griff Morgans, two of which were converted by Rollings. Pembroke’s offense proved too strong, with tries from Robin Badham, Jack Oliver, Fraser James, Dai Rogers, and Toby Edwards, alongside three conversions by Josh Greenwood. Pembroke’s offensive depth secured the win in this lively encounter.

Neyland 20-23 Narberth Athletic

Narberth Athletic pulled off a close 23-20 victory over Neyland, with Shane Rossiter at the heart of the action, scoring all of Narberth’s points through three tries, two penalties, and a conversion. Neyland responded admirably, with tries from Luke Griffiths-Dawes (2) and Josh Watts, while Oli Rothero added a conversion and a penalty. Rossiter’s consistent performance under pressure proved decisive, securing Narberth Athletic’s hard-earned win.

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WRU to apologise over contract dispute but denies sexism claims

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THE WELSH RUGBY UNION has announced it will apologise for its handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team but refutes recent allegations of sexism.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Chief Executive Abi Tierney acknowledged significant failings in the process, admitting that it is “absolutely clear” the governing body owes an apology to the players.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood acknowledged ‘failings’ (Pic: BBC)

The BBC reported this week that a leaked email showed players were threatened with exclusion from both WXV2 and next year’s World Cup as talks deteriorated. On August 2, players were given a “final offer” ultimatum with a strict three-hour deadline. If they didn’t sign, matches against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia were set to be cancelled, and contracts withdrawn.

This episode surfaces amid recent claims of sexism and inequality, less than a year after an independent review condemned the WRU’s internal culture following a BBC Wales investigation.

“This is not a good day for us; we totally accept that. We should have done better and didn’t, but we’ve learned our lessons and will keep trying to improve,” said Collier-Keywood.

The WRU is expected to publish recommendations from a review of the negotiation process later this month, which has been fast-tracked following a Telegraph report on Thursday.

Key findings of the report

The WRU has disclosed early findings, which include:

  • A failure to recognise the growth and change in the women’s professional game.
  • An error in issuing the three-hour signing deadline.
  • Strong differences on how to develop women’s rugby in Wales.
  • Players were inexperienced in negotiations and left isolated.
  • Players considered striking before a match against Scotland on September 6.
  • Poor communication and lack of transparency escalated tensions, worsened by inappropriate behaviour at various stages.

The report states that sexism was not a factor behind the failings.

“There are sweeping criticisms in the report along with clear recommendations for change,” Collier-Keywood said, emphasizing the need for an apology and further engagement with the national team.

‘Sexism not apparent’

Independent board members Alison Thorne and Claire Donovan, who conducted the review, stated that while inappropriate behaviour was noted, sexism was not evident.

“After more than 50 hours of discussions with everyone involved, I did not sense that sexism was part of the issue,” said Donovan. Reflecting on her own 15-year rugby career, she acknowledged the past prevalence of sexism but said the grievances in this case appeared to stem from “a lack of respect and understanding of power dynamics.”

The WRU has also committed an additional £6 million toward women’s and girls’ rugby over the next five years, raising the total investment to £26 million.

Accusations of ‘blackmail’

Despite the WRU awarding 37 full-time contracts, Jess Kavanagh, a former Wales wing, criticised the WRU, suggesting the contract process bordered on “blackmail.” She questioned if the WRU had genuinely learned from past mistakes.

“We’ve heard apologies for years about various issues in the WRU, but apologies mean nothing until we see real change,” Kavanagh said. “Being forced to sign a contract under threat – that’s blackmail. In 2024, that should not happen in any workplace.”

Performance impact

Wales’ performance has suffered during the dispute, with the team finishing at the bottom of the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, managing only one win against Italy. Collier-Keywood acknowledged that the tension surrounding contracts may have contributed to the poor performance.

“There was unnecessary stress, which I believe affected performance. People were distracted, and that’s on us,” he stated.

The contracts were eventually signed just before Wales traveled to South Africa for WXV2 in September, although they lost their opening two matches.

The Welsh government, previously critical of the WRU over a misogyny scandal last year, expressed concern over these latest issues, calling for an urgent meeting with the WRU.

A spokesperson added: “We expect our national sporting bodies to lead by example.”

Government response

On Monday (Nov 5) Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership made a statement in The Senedd. He said: “Today, I met with the Chair of the Welsh Rugby Union, Richard Collier-Keywood, Chief Executive Officer, Abi Tierney, and Nigel Walker, Executive Director of Rugby. This meeting was arranged urgently following media focus over the weekend regarding allegations of sexism faced by the women’s national team in their contract negotiations.

“I expressed my disappointment that Welsh rugby was in the headlines for the wrong reasons, especially in the context of recent history. The aim of the meeting was to seek clarity around the circumstances that have taken place in relation to contract negotiations for women’s players and how improvements to existing process can be taken forward more positively in future.

“The WRU is in the process of concluding an internal review and has already accepted some failings of process and areas for improvement have been identified. I have not yet seen a draft of the review, but a summary has been published by the WRU. The WRU will be looking to meet with the players shortly to issue an apology for those aspects of the process that fell below the standards we would all expect.

“Over coming days, I will be seeking to understand various perspectives on this process and to satisfy myself that lessons are being learned. I am offering to meet with the players to understand directly from them the nature of their concerns and see how we can help all parties move forward constructively. I will also be seeking a meeting with the review’s authors.

“I want to see Welsh rugby, at all levels, grow and thrive. I am committed to working closely with the WRU and the players to deliver a successful sustainable game in Wales which provides better outcomes for everyone.

“I will keep members updated as we make progress matters over the coming weeks.”

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Swansea sign free-agent defender Cyrus Christie

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SWANSEA CITY have bolstered their defence with the signing of 32-year-old Cyrus Christie on a contract until the end of the season.

The former Hull City defender, who has been a free agent since his departure at the close of last season, has been training with Swansea since early October. Head coach Luke Williams views Christie as a versatile addition, capable of covering any position across the backline.

Christie returns to Swansea for a second stint, having previously impressed during a loan spell in the second half of the 2021-22 season. During that period, he made 23 appearances and scored three goals after joining from Fulham. While former Swansea boss Russell Martin had shown interest in making Christie’s move permanent, the Republic of Ireland international ultimately opted to sign with Hull City.

“He is experienced at this level, a powerful athlete who can both defend and attack, so I am really happy,” Williams commented. “We lack some Championship experience, and Christie provides a physical presence that’s especially valuable in the absence of players like Ben Cabango and Harry Darling.”

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