Sport

George kicks Wales to victory

Published

6 years ago

March 11, 2019

AMY Evans, Player of the match in Wales Women’s dramatic 17-15 win over Scotland, has hailed the vital importance of Wales Women’s last-gasp victory over Scotland in the Six Nations on Friday night (Mar 8).

Rowland Phillips’ side sealed their first victory of the Women’s Six Nations in Glasgow as Lleucu George showed nerves of steel to kick a match-winning conversion with the final action of the match. “It was so important to get the win this evening,” said prop Evans who produced a stand-out display.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match after our last two encounters against Scotland being so close and we’re all elated to get the win. It was a massive defensive battle in Italy and we managed to put some attacking plays together against England.

“This game was about putting those two elements together and we managed to score two tries and keep them out when we needed to. When Scotland scored at the end, our heads dropped slightly, but Elinor Snowsill gathered us behind the posts and said ‘It takes 10 seconds to score a try, we’ve got six minutes left, and we just need belief.

“We all knuckled down, believed in ourselves, and it was just down to pure hard word and graft in the end.” Scotland had led through Jade Konkel’s seventh-minute try, but a penalty, then a try, by Bethan Lewis put Wales ahead.

Sarah Bonner crossed from a line-out to level and Chloe Rollie put the Scots ahead with five minutes left.

But George successfully converted Siwan Lillicrap’s try to give Wales their first win of the campaign. Evans believes Wales can still improve further and will take confidence from their Scotland win.

“We left lots of opportunities out there that we didn’t exploit, but with the conditions we knew it was going to be a close game,” she added. “We needed to keep it tight rather than risk errors by going out wide.

“We pride ourselves on our set-piece. As a prop that’s what I judge myself on. We had a lot of penalties from the scrum which gave us a platform to play from so we are pleased there and our attacking line-outs were really good too.

“We’re looking forward to coming home for our final game against Ireland. It’s another big game and it will be great to finish the Six Nations with a home crowd behind us.

“Ireland is always a big occasion and a game we play with a lot of heart and passion. We’ll go back and work hard this week and give it our all.”

Head coach Rowland Phillips is equally buoyant on the effect the win will have on the squad. It will lift the whole group.

“We’ve spoken a lot about the character of this group in adverse situtations and to come back and score the try and for a a 19 year old on her first start in the centre to slot the conversion epitomises a real never-give-up attitude.

“To get a win is going to help the development of this group no end. Whatever I say is not going to have the same impact as a win. Getting that result creates an extra energy, step in the stride of the players.

“We’ve put a lot of effort in this campaign. We probably created some opportunities that we we didn’t take on Friday, but we knew it wasn’t gong to be easy. Scotland were physical and very direct.

“We put ourselves under pressure but to manage that last block was really pleasing.

“It’s been a tough tournament, starting with France away. Ireland have always stepped up in the Six Nations and it feels better to come home with a first win under our belt. Everyone will be excited now to get on the pitch against Ireland.

“Women’s rugby is really growing and we’ve had some fantastic coverage and profile during this tournament.

“Friday night’s match was probably one for the purist but I think many people would have seen the character of the group during that match, and the attitude and determination of the girls to represent their country. We have a few bumps and bruises which we’ll assess this week but our preparation and conditioning work pre-season has really helped our fitness and you always bounce back quicker after a win!”

Wales Women play Ireland at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday, March 17, 1.30pm. Tickets available from Cardiff Blues ticket office

Sport

Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

4 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.