Sport

Phillips: We’ve got a big match in us

Published

6 years ago

March 14, 2019

WALES Women head coach Rowland Phillips believes his side can raise their game for their final Women’s Six Nations Test, against Ireland on Sunday (Cardiff Arms Park, 1.30).

Phillips has made two changes to the starting line-up with Elinor Snowsill starting at 10 and Alisha Butchers slotting back into the back row at blindside flanker.

Phillips said, “We want to capitalise on the confidence we’ve gained from the win over Scotland.

“We’ve shown a huge amount of character throughout this tournament – to hold Italy out at the end of that game and to come back from behind to win in Scotland showed remarkable attitude – and skill for such a young side.

“Despite that, I don’t feel we have shown how good a side we are and we’d like to do that on Sunday.

“Ireland are in a similar place as us. They played well against France last weekend. They have a strong back row and players who can make a difference. We certainly won’t be under-estimating them.

“However, we want to focus on ourselves, show what we can do with the ball and produce a better all-round performance. There’s a big game in us and hopefully we can showcase that on Sunday.”

Alisha Butchers, who earns her first start in the tournament since the opening round, is looking forward to some home comforts.

“Being at home lifts us girls massively. We’ve only had one home game this year and although England were tough opposition, we lifted our performance for our home support.

“Travelling away isn’t always accessible for our families so having them there boosts us. I love having my mum and dad and my brothers and sisters there, I can’t wait. There’s very much a family feel ethos and hopefully we can produce an entertaining game.”

“Last week’s game was really exciting and a good stepping stone for us. Moving forward I think we need to stick to our game plan, carry on working on our physicality and keep building as a team.

“Our performance was good last weekend but it can an still be better. We can use the confidence and momentum created by that victory to up our game and also spread the ball a bit more.”

Alisha is now working as a Hub Officer at Y Pant and Bryn Celynnog schools in the Pontypridd area, increasing the range of opportunities for girls to engage with rugby.

“I love it. I’ve already seen a huge increase in the number of girls playing the game and that inspires me – the thought that I’m having an impact on the next generation. They are both brilliant schools and we are getting 40 or more girls training now which is fantastic.

“Traditional 15 a side full-contact rugby isn’t for everyone so we make sure there are different formats and different opportunities all girls to enjoy taking part. A lot of them enjoyed the Rookie Rugby events we held recently, some play touch rugby, others enjoy crash mat rugby which is an introduction to contact or full contact rugby for the more established players who are keen.

“Hopefully a few of the girls – and boys – from the schools will come and support us on Sunday and bring their parents along to see what our game is all about. A few of the girls have role models within the squad, some are inspired by our captain Carys Phillips so I’ve promised they can have some photos after the match.”

Tickets available to print at home from www.cardiffblues.com/tickets and from 10am Sunday at the WRU shop, Westgate Street.

Wales Women V Ireland (Sunday, March 17, 1.30pm, Cardiff Arms Park):

Lauren Smyth (Ospreys); Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets), Hannah Jones (Scarlets), Lleucu George (Scarlets), Jess Kavanagh (RGC); Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Caryl Thomas (Dragons), Carys Phillips (capt, Ospreys), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Gwen Crabb (Ospreys), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Bethan Lewis (Dragons) Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys)

Replacements:

Kelsey Jones (Ospreys), Cara Hope (Ospreys), Cerys Hale (Dragons), Alex Callender (Scarlets), Manon Johnes (Cardiff Blues), Ffion Lewis (Scarlets), Robyn Wilkins (Blues), Lisa Neumann (RGC)

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News

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association results

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

Herald Sport

THE RESULTS of the catch-up games played over the Christmas/New Year period are as follows:

Llanteg 10 – 0 Hundleton
Reynalton 8 – 2 Badgers
Cosheston 10 – 0 St Twynnells

Updated League Table

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	S/D	Points
East Williamston	10	9	0	1	127	74
Carew	10	7	1	2	86	65
Reynalton	11	7	0	4	31	62
Hundleton	11	6	0	5	65	60
St Johns	10	7	0	3	69	58
Cosheston	11	6	0	5	33	54
Llanteg	9	3	0	6	-22	44
St Twynnells	11	3	0	8	-108	41
Badgers	9	3	1	5	36	40
Kilgetty	10	3	0	7	-85	40
Lamphey	10	1	0	9	-155	22

Singles tournament success

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the singles tournament this weekend. After a competitive Round Robin in the morning, players were divided into red and blue streams for the afternoon knockout stages.

Red Stream Winner: Simon Hall (Reynalton)
- Runner-up: Andrew Maclean (East Williamston)
Blue Stream Winner: Margaret Richards (Reynalton)
- Runner-up: Chris Clarkson (Lamphey)

Upcoming event

The next tournament will be the Doubles, held at Heatherton on Saturday, 15th February. Entry forms will be distributed shortly once details are finalized.

Sport

Pembrokeshire Second Division Match Report – January 11, 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

Herald Sport

A THILLING weekend of football in Pembrokeshire’s Second Division delivered key results that tightened the race for promotion and intensified the relegation battle.

Narberth 2-0 Hakin United II

Narberth bolstered their title aspirations with a commanding 2-0 victory over league leaders Hakin United II. Brychan David broke the deadlock with a clinical finish, and Jordan Williams secured the win with a second goal. The result leaves Narberth just two points behind Hakin in a hotly contested title race.

Merlins Bridge II 0-2 Fishguard Sports

Fishguard Sports continued their march towards a top-three finish, claiming a vital 2-0 win away at Merlins Bridge II. Ieuan Llewellyn coolly converted a penalty to give Fishguard the lead, while Luke Thomas added a second to seal the victory. With games in hand, Fishguard remain firmly in contention at the top end of the table.

Lawrenny 1-2 Neyland

Neyland edged a close contest against Lawrenny with a 2-1 win that keeps their top-half ambitions alive. Thomas Cole scored for the home side, but goals from Aidan Rees and Jack John secured all three points for Neyland in a hard-fought encounter.

Monkton Swifts II 1-7 Johnston

Johnston produced a dominant performance, thrashing Monkton Swifts II 7-1. Ryan Doyle netted twice, with further goals from Steve Allen, James Larsen, Marcus Allen, Callum Rees, and Joey George. The emphatic victory consolidates Johnston’s strong campaign, while Monkton Swifts II remain perilously close to the relegation zone.

Carew II 3-3 Solva

Carew II and Solva played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in a match filled with excitement. George Davies scored twice for Carew, with Charlie Perkins also on target. Solva responded with two goals from Josh Bland and an own goal that levelled the match. Both sides remain stuck in mid-table, with the result doing little to ease their relegation concerns.

Sport

Haverfordwest cruise to comfortable 33-0 win over Cefneithin

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

Herald Sport

Haverfordwest 33 – Cefneithin 0

HAVERFORDWEST made a strong return to league action at Pembroke Road with a convincing 33-0 victory over bottom-placed Cefneithin. Despite a six-week absence from competitive rugby for the visitors, both sides put in a commendable effort to play expansive rugby in challenging conditions.

The Blues wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring within the first minute of the match. After receiving the ball around halfway, centre Jack Evans made a powerful break, evading defenders and linking up with supporting players. The move culminated with scrum-half Liam Eaton receiving the ball and passing to outside-half Jack Codd, who slotted over the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Haverfordwest’s forwards controlled the set-pieces, but their attempts to run the ball often resulted in knock-ons, as they looked to flick passes rather than build consistent phases. Cefneithin, on the other hand, showed more composure in their play, particularly through their half-backs Jack Willingham and Aled Thomas, and their back row of Raymond, Roberts, and Dickie.

The Blues’ midfield duo of Jack Evans and Matty Phillips posed constant threats, and it wasn’t long before they added to their tally. In the 24th minute, after some powerful carries from Jack Clancy, Jake Evans, Josh Young, and captain Karl Busch, Codd orchestrated a move that saw Evans slice through the Cefneithin defence to score under the posts. Codd converted the try, albeit off the upright, to make it 14-0.

Haverfordwest continued to press, but missed opportunities came in the form of a line-out throw-in that went crooked after Codd had kicked them close to the Cefneithin try line. However, the Blues weren’t to be denied, and soon after, another well-placed diagonal kick to the corner resulted in a fumble from the Cefneithin defence, allowing winger George Hopkins to pounce and dive over the line. Codd added the conversion from the touchline to give Haverfordwest a commanding 21-0 lead at the break.

The second half saw the Blues continue their dominance. The bonus-point try came in style when winger Guy Barrons was involved in a quick-moving attack. Quick hands among the forwards, including Dan Berry and Tom Carrington, created space for full-back Owain Roberts to break through and score under the posts. Codd’s simple conversion extended the lead further.

By this stage, Cefneithin had opted for uncontested scrums due to injuries, but the Blues kept pushing forward. A late fifth try came courtesy of back rower Mikey Griffiths, who dotted down after a determined run. Although the try was unconverted, Griffiths was later named man of the match for his tireless performance.

With this win, Haverfordwest maintain their strong position in the league, while Cefneithin will look to regroup after a challenging return to action.