Sport
Scarlets try-fest secures semi-final place
SCARLETS welcomed Toyota Cheetahs to Parc y Scarlets for the Guinness PRO14 Final Series quarter-final on Saturday (May 5) looking for a victory to keep the Championship-retaining run alive.
A beautiful Spring evening was the perfect touch for a final home game of the season as the Scarlets faithful came along to say a fond farewell to the individuals moving on at the end of the season.
The home side crossed the whitewash for six fantastic tries as the sun set on Parc y Scarlets’ season and the team didn’t disappoint putting in one final performance to keep the home winning record alive.
Scarlets got the scoreboard ticking over after five minutes of play with winger Steff Evans crossing in the corner. The ball came out from a Cheetahs line out as play continued despite an injury to Rob Evans in midfield. Rhys Patchell and Hadleigh Parkes made strong breaks through centre field and made the all-important territorial gains putting Evans in over the whitewash. Halfpenny added the conversion.
A penalty then came Scarlets’ way just inside Cheetahs territory as the game headed towards the quarter of an hour mark. Halfpenny stepped up for the long range penalty but the ball hit the upright and the Cheetahs looked to play from deep. Scarlets are on heightened alert and Tadhg Beirne wins the turnover in their 22. They were given another penalty and Halfpenny made amends for his earlier miss to make it 10-0.
Within a few minutes Scarlets were back on the rampage from inside their own half as Gareth Davies gets the ball away from the scrum. Centre Parkes motored up the outside and finds Halfpenny in support who cuts a great line to the whitewash before converting his own try.
Cheetahs then got their first points on the board after 21 minutes of play with outside half Johan Goosen slotting a penalty.
Halfpenny was replaced by Dan Jones and Patchell stepped up for a long range penalty. He has the range, just like Halfpenny did earlier on in the half, but it sailed just wide of the upright.
With just a few minutes remaining in the first half Steff Evans made a wonderful break in midfield. He danced around five or six Cheetahs defenders, frees himself, puts in a chip over the top and scores a second try! Patchell added the conversion and the Scarlets looked comfortable with a 24-3 half time lead.
Scarlets fired in to action early on in the second half with a try from winger Tom Prydie. The Scarlets put the Cheetahs under huge pressure in their half and after scrum half Gareth Davies was replaced by Jonathan Evans the Scarlets pack got the ball flowing through the hands with Scott Williams putting in a wonderful pass before Prydie touches down under the posts. Patchell added the conversion.
Wyn Jones made a return to the field on the 45 minute mark, his first game since the Six Nations campaign when he injured his hamstring.
Whilst John Barclay receives a standing ovation from the entire ground, including the coaching staff, captain Ken Owens goes and scores from the rolling maul for their fifth try of the evening with Patchell converting.
Replacement scrum half Jonathan Evans crossed for the region’s sixth try on the hour mark as he dashed towards the whitewash from the 22 line. He dives in time to touch down and Scarlets go 43-3 ahead.
With fifteen minutes remaining Tadhg Beirne was replaced by Aaron Shingler. An emotional send off as Parc y Scarlets erupts. Every man, woman and child were on their feet.
Scott Williams leaves the field of play at Parc y Scarlets for the last time as a Scarlet. Another emotional farewell.
The Cheetahs cross the whitewash with ten minutes remaining after frantic defensive work by the Scarlets. The TMO is called upon for foul play earlier on in the phase where Tom Prydie is manhandled without the ball and the try was disallowed.
It was the Cheetahs who finished the game strongly with fullback Clayton Blommetjies scoring Cheetahs’ only try of the evening.
That was the last action of the games and the Scarlets sealed an impressive 43-8 win. They now go on to play Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium on Friday, May 18.
Sport
Local Angharad James-Turner leads Cymru in historic Euro ’25 play-off final
TONIGHT (Nov 29), Pembrokeshire’s own Angharad James-Turner will captain the Cymru Women’s national football team in the first leg of their crucial Euro 2025 play-off final against the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff. As the youngest player ever to accumulate 100 caps for Cymru, Angharad’s leadership and experience will be invaluable as Cymru battles for a spot in next summer’s European Championship.
A star in the making
Angharad James’ footballing career began in the heart of Pembrokeshire, where she first showcased her talent with local club Manorbier Ladies, not far from her hometown of Haverfordwest. Her ability on the pitch quickly caught the attention of larger clubs, and at 16, she joined the Arsenal Academy. By 2011, she had made her debut for Arsenal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, marking the start of an illustrious career.
From there, James has played for an impressive array of clubs across the globe, including Notts County, Yeovil Town, Everton, Reading, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, and Tottenham Hotspur. Her versatility as a midfielder, as well as her time playing as a fullback at Spurs, has earned her a reputation as an exceptional player who can control the game and set up her teammates with key assists
Now 30, James has become the heartbeat of the Welsh national team. She was named Cymru captain in October 2024, taking over the leadership role from Sophie Ingle. Despite the big shoes to fill, Angharad has proven herself to be more than capable, leading her team through tough qualifiers, including the pivotal play-offs for Euro 2025
A champion on and off the pitch
Angharad’s international career is nothing short of remarkable. She made her senior debut for Wales at just 17 and reached 100 caps in 2022, the same day Wales qualified for the World Cup play-offs for the first time. Her contribution to Welsh football has been pivotal, and she was named to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics
Off the pitch, Angharad is equally impressive. She’s a proud Welsh speaker and regularly conducts interviews in Welsh, despite the challenges of living abroad for much of her career. In a recent social media post, she spoke about her ongoing commitment to the language, sharing her belief that it’s important to keep Welsh alive and accessible
In addition to her football career, Angharad is also a proud co-owner of a coffee van, “Two Sides Grind,” which she runs with her partner Amy James-Turner and their dog, Betsy. The duo is working towards one day owning a coffee shop, demonstrating Angharad’s entrepreneurial spirit
A historic moment for Pembrokeshire
For those in Pembrokeshire, Angharad’s journey is a point of immense pride. From her early days in Manorbier to becoming the captain of Wales, she is an inspiration to young athletes across the county. Her determination, humility, and skill make her a true role model, not only in Wales but around the world.
As Cymru takes on the Republic of Ireland in tonight’s crucial first leg, Angharad James-Turner’s leadership will be central to their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2025. Whatever the outcome, Pembrokeshire can be proud of one of their own leading the charge for Welsh football at the highest level.
Wales v Ireland – how to follow all the action
Wales v Republic of Ireland (first leg)
29th of November, Cardiff City Stadium. K.O. 19:15pm
- Match Of The Day Wales – BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer
- Radio Wales Sport and Chwaraeon Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds
- Follow all updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
Republic of Ireland v Wales (second leg)
3rd of December, Aviva Stadium. K.O. 19:30pm
- Match Of The Day Wales – BBC One Wales, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer
- Radio Wales Sport and Chwaraeon Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds
- Follow all updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
Sport
Pembrokeshire Knock-Out Cup quarter-final report
HAVERFORDWEST edged out St Davids in a thrilling encounter under the new floodlights at St Davids, advancing to the semi-finals of the Pembrokeshire Knock-Out Cup. The decisive moment came in the second half, with Dylan Williamson crossing for a crucial try in a fiercely contested match that featured five tries, four yellow cards, and relentless effort from both sides.
Match Overview
First Half
Early Advantage for St Davids
St Davids struck early, igniting the scoreboard just three minutes in. Centre Morgan Griffiths broke the line before full-back Iwan Davies dived over in the corner. Bob Froy’s conversion gave the Saints a 7-0 lead, and a subsequent penalty from Froy extended the advantage to 10-0.
The Saints’ early dominance was underpinned by hooker Rhys Price’s control in the scrums and No.8 George Raymond’s powerful carries.
Haverfordwest Respond
Haverfordwest fought back as winger Scott Candler’s elusive run created an opportunity for full-back Matty Phillips to score from close range. Jack Codd added the conversion, cutting the deficit.
Although Codd missed a penalty shortly after, St Davids capitalized with another three points from Froy.
The momentum shifted again when Haverfordwest centre Iestyn Arnold charged down a kick, setting up Candler for his first try. Codd’s conversion handed the visitors a narrow lead at 14-13.
St Davids quickly retaliated. A dominant scrum near the try line allowed Iwan Davies to claim his second try, with Froy converting to restore a 20-14 lead.
As the half neared its conclusion, Haverfordwest’s Jamie Phillips was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements. Despite being a man down, Haverfordwest’s Ioan Hawkridge-Jones broke through to earn a penalty, which Codd converted from 35 metres, leaving St Davids ahead 20-17 at halftime.
Second Half
Physicality Takes Centre Stage
The second half saw a tighter contest, with tempers flaring and scoring opportunities scarce. Froy missed an early penalty for St Davids, and the game descended into a series of physical confrontations. Haverfordwest centre Gabe Thicker and St Davids replacement hooker Chris Cooper were both sin-binned after a heated exchange.
Williamson’s Match-Winning Try
The decisive moment arrived at the hour mark. Arnold broke through St Davids’ defensive line from 40 metres out and expertly offloaded to Dylan Williamson, who finished the move with a vital try. Codd’s conversion pushed Haverfordwest ahead 24-20.
Late Drama
Haverfordwest’s substitutes Terry Lovell and Dan Berry shored up the scrum, allowing the visitors to dominate possession and territory in the closing stages.
In a final twist, St Davids captain Nathan Foster received a yellow card, leaving the Saints with 14 men for the final moments. Despite their spirited efforts to launch a late attack, St Davids couldn’t break through Haverfordwest’s resolute defense.
Haverfordwest now look ahead to the semi-finals, while St Davids exit the competition with their heads held high after pushing their higher-league opponents to the limit.
Politics
‘Long way to go’, admit bosses of crisis-hit WRU
WELSH Rugby Union chiefs admitted the governing body still has a long way to go after an independent review unveiled a “toxic” culture of bullying and misogyny.
The Senedd’s culture committee scrutinised representatives of the WRU, which has been rocked by allegations of sexism, racism and homophobia over the past year.
Labour’s Hannah Blythyn pressed the witnesses about the women’s team being given a three-hour ultimatum in contract talks, asking if this is how the WRU treats employees.
Richard Collier-Keywood, chair of the WRU since July 2023, told the committee he and Abi Tierney, the chief executive, have since apologised to the players for serious failings.
He said: “That was not something that should have happened … we absolutely should not have given the players a three-hour ultimatum to sign the contracts … it’s certainly not the practice which I want to see in the WRU.”
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “You’ve made it clear that you believe you have taken significant steps in terms of changing attitudes towards cultural issues.
“Given that everybody’s eyes were on you … and in particular your attitude towards women within the organisation, do you feel you need to reassess how far forward you believe you have come as a union in light of the failings?”
Mr Collier-Keywood replied: “Yeah, I think we’ve definitely reflected on that and I don’t think we were fooling ourselves up to that point either … we recognise we have a long way to go.”
He explained that two board members led an in-depth review of the contract negotiation process, with their report expected to be published in full in the coming weeks.
Criticising “misreporting” of the review’s conclusions by the Daily Telegraph, he said: “There were many failures … but they were not to do with sex discrimination.”
Ms Tierney told the committee: “Everybody went in with the best intentions but … tensions and frustrations arose during the process.”
Mr Collier-Keywood explained the findings emerging from the review: “I don’t think that we as the WRU set out a clear process such that everybody brought in ….
“We were not clear of the roles of individuals in that process, both from a WRU perspective nor, in particular, the people who the players thought would be representing them.”
He added: “We had not fully appreciated the fact that we were dealing with a situation where we had players who were in a high-performance environment but they were also contracted to the WRU as employees.”
Mr Collier-Keywood pointed out that men are contracted to the regions, saying: “We weren’t treating the women as employees to the full extent of that term. That was confusing and difficult and we were not fulfilling our obligations towards the women.”
Delyth Jewell, who chairs the Senedd’s culture committee, questioned progress against recommendations made by Anne Rafferty’s 2023 independent review.
Ms Tierney accepted the WRU had not lived up to the standards expected as she stressed: “Transformational change is hard. I would say colleagues are really feeling that at the moment and it will take time for things to feel better, I think.”
Mr Collier-Keywood added: “Years of previous culture does take time to change and yes we’re impatient to do that but we’re also realistic in terms of not claiming false dawns.”
Asked about a £7.5m loss in latest accounts, Mr Collier-Keywood told Senedd members the WRU is on track to take £5m out of its cost base in the current year.
“We both now believe our finances are more sustainable,” he said, explaining that the WRU made a £24m profit but drew on reserves to allocate £31m to rugby.
Pressed about the impact on participation, Ms Tierney told the committee meeting on November 27 she is saddened that concerns around culture may deter women and girls
But she stressed: “I think it would be unfair for me to sit here and say we won’t ever have any more headlines again because I think culture is a journey.
“It’s how we respond to those headlines that is so important.”
Ms Blythyn, a former minister who was previously responsible for fair work in Wales, did not envy the chief executive’s task of having to turn the WRU around.
She said: “We’ve heard of the glass ceiling but there’s a glass cliff – a tendency for women to come in at a point where an organisation or institution is at the precipice.”
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