Sport

Wales kick off World Cup with a win

Published

5 years ago

September 23, 2019

WALES got their 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign off to an excellent start as they secured a bonus point in their 43-14 win over Georgia.

It was the second ever meeting between the two nations and Wales named a strong side for their World Cup opener which boasted some good experience.

Wales were ahead after just three minutes as Georgia were guilty of a couple of errors.

From the second scrum the ball was thrown to Jonathan Davies who burst through to touch down under the posts. From a seemingly easy position, Dan Biggar snatched at the conversion and kicked it against the posts.

Biggar made amends for that miss five minutes later though as he sent a penalty through the posts for an 8-0 lead.

On 12 minutes, Wales had a lineout which was passed to Biggar who made an excellent pass to Josh Adams who in turn found Gareth Davies but when he was tackled, Justin Tipuric was in the right place to pick the ball up and run through to score under the posts. Biggar made sure of the conversion this time around.

Seven minutes later another lineout resulted in Adams being sent clean through and he dived down wide on the left. Biggar added the conversion for 22-0 lead.

Georgia then looked to get themselves on the board but were thwarted on two occasions by Gareth Davies. The second of those was a knock on which gave the Georgians a scrum.

Wales were penalised for collapsing it and after kicking to touch, Georgia worked the ball to the centre but a knock on halted their momentum.

On the stroke of half time, Ken Owens reversed a pass to Gareth Davies who released namesake Jonathan and his pass was picked up by Liam Williams who dived over for Wales’ fourth try and a bonus point.

Biggar landed the conversion for a 29-0 lead at half time.

At the start of the second half, Wales were guilty of collapsing the maul and Georgia kicked to touch. From the lineout they pushed forwards and it was Shalva Mamukashvili who was eventually credited with the try after a TMO check. Fly-half Tedo Abzhandadzeadded the extras.

Seven minutes in Georgia were penalised for bringing down a driving maul and Jaba Bregvadze was shown a yellow card having only come on to the pitch a few minutes earlier. Wales pushed for another score but the Georgians defended well and were able to clear the ball away.

Georgia survived with fourteen men and looked to get themselves another score but Wales were able to keep them at bay.

Just after the hour mark, George North kicked ahead from the right wing and replacement Tomos Williams ran on to touch the ball down. Biggar again added the extras for a 36-7 lead.

With just over ten minutes to go Wales were penalised at the scrum and Georgia powered themselves through with Chilachava getting the try. The conversion was successful.

Tomos Williams then turned provider as he off-loaded for George North who dived over and replacement Leigh Halfpenny added the extras.

Georgia attacked as the clock ticked past 80 minutes but Wales saw the game out to seal the win.

Wales’ next World Cup game sees them take on Australia on Sunday, kick off 8:45am.

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Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

1 day 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

2 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

3 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.