Sport

Blues made to work for win over Quins

Published

3 years ago

January 16, 2022

HAVERFORDWEST maintained their 100% record in League 3 West A on Saturday (Jan 15) but they were made to work for their 17-11 win by a determined Pembroke Dock Quins side.

It was a pulsating encounter and the teams will do it again in the near future with their Pembs KO Cup quarter final at Bierspool still to be played.

The Quins kicked off on a very still day without an ounce of wind anywhere and went straight on the attack and forced a penalty after just 5 minutes.

Up stepped Outside Half Euan MacDonald and he made no mistake and put the Quins 0-3 in front.

From there on the Quins were in the ascendancy, and it seemed it was only penalties that was giving the Blues respite.

The Quins’ lineout showed a big improvement from previous weeks with Flanker Liam Scourfield winning some good ball.

Euan MacDonald tried his luck from a long range penalty but unfortunately for the Quins it just went wide of the upright.

The Blues started to hit back in the last ten minutes of the half and they were camped inside the Quins’ 5-yard line.

The Quins gave away a penalty try, and with only one minute of the half remaining that seemed to be that.

As the match went into added time, the Quins chased the ball down well and forced a Blues lineout 10 yards from their own line.

The Quins had clearly not read the script, and pinched the ball and went straight at the Blues line.

After holding on to possession well they finally recycled left and outflanked the Blues defence with a try for Full Back Sam (Rasher) James who dived over in the corner.

Euan MacDonald missed the conversion but the Quins, against the odds, went in at the break 7-8 in front.

The Quins recently have not had the best of starts after the break, but this time it was different. They were soon in the Blues’ half, attacking with some fine driving runs and some accurate kicking from the Half Backs.

They caught the Blues holding on, and up stepped Euan MacDonald to stretch the lead to 7-11.

The question now was could the Quins keep this intensity up and what were the Blues going to do about it?

We soon had the answer as the Quins were penalised and the Blues kicked to the corner. They won the Lineout and Prop Terry Lovell crashed over for an unconverted try to put his side in front at 12-11.

Now it was the Quins’ turn to answer some questions and they duly did, as once again they were camped in the Blues half. A drop Goal attempt from Scrum Half Jonathan Rogers went narrowly wide as the Quins desperately tried to regain the lead.

The Quins Scrum was struggling as the game was entering the final few minutes, which resulted in penalties which relieved the pressure for the home side.

Right on time Right Winger Jack Blockwell scored in the corner for another unconverted try. Could the Quins do what they did at the end of the first half? The answer was no but it was not for lack of trying.

The Quins can take a lot of Pride from this match, having lost No8 and Captain Harry Owen to a head injury, and without the ball carrying of Flanker Hywel Baker, which was a big loss to them.

The win moves the Blues up to second in the table and they are now the only unbeaten side in the division and they also have two games in hand on leaders St Clears.

On Saturday, January 22, Haverfordwest are in action in a preliminary round of the WRU Bowl competition as they take on Tylorstown.

The sides are next in league action on Saturday, January 29, when the Blues travel to Llanybydder while the Quins host Tregaron.

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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.