Red Roses run riot with 11-try demolition in Cardiff

CARDIFF was a sea of red and white on Saturday (Mar 29) as England’s Red Roses tore through Wales in a brutal 67-12 Six Nations thrashing—led by Ellie Kildunne’s lightning-fast second-half hat-trick.

The England full-back, earning her 50th cap, crossed three times in just nine minutes, treating a record Welsh crowd of 21,186 at the Principality Stadium to a rugby masterclass. At just 25, Kildunne’s tally now stands at 39 international tries, and with the form she’s in, you wouldn’t bet against 50 by next year.

Wales started with fire—Jenny Scoble crashed over early to send the home crowd wild—but that only seemed to wake England up.

Maddie Feaunati, fresh off her player-of-the-match heroics against Italy, punched holes in the Welsh line all afternoon and grabbed two tries of her own. Meg Jones, playing for the first time in this year’s tournament after the heartbreaking loss of both her parents, scored a sensational solo effort and pointed skywards in a poignant tribute.

Too strong, too fast, too clinical

Once England got going, the scoreboard barely stopped ticking. Sarah Bern and Feaunati added to the tally before the break, though England were guilty of sloppy passes and scrum penalties that left coach John Mitchell with some notes to scribble down.

But any talk of a Welsh comeback was shut down hard in the second half.

Kildunne turned on the afterburners, riding through tackles like a rodeo star with her trademark celebration on full display. Wales did grab a second through Kate Williams, but it was little more than consolation.

Abby Dow marked her return from injury with two tries, Abi Burton scored twice on her full debut, and Zoe Harrison pulled the strings with class—including a pinpoint cross-field kick to Dow for one of the day’s standout tries.

A record crowd, a rising tide

Despite the result, the day belonged just as much to the fans. Wales smashed the previous record for a women’s sporting crowd on home soil, surpassing the 16,845 set by the national football team. The roof was closed, the flames roared, and the stadium rocked.

Wales fought tooth and nail, refusing to roll over, and did manage to avoid their heaviest defeat to England—an 81-0 hammering from 2005 still holds that title. But the gulf in class was clear.

England’s dominance rolls on—31 straight wins in the Six Nations, 22 unbeaten in all competitions. The question now isn’t whether they’ll win the tournament. It’s who, if anyone, can stop them.

Haverfordwest 64 – Amman United 24
HAVERFORDWEST ran in ten tries to claim a dominant home win over Amman United. Winger Scott Candler crossed for a hat-trick, while Jack Evans (2), Jetman Temaki, Mike Griffiths, Matty Phillips, Liam Eaton, and Guy Barrons also touched down. Amman fought back late, earning a bonus point with two tries apiece from Dylan Matthews and Rhydian Jones.

Pontyberem 14 – Cardigan 32
Cardigan controlled proceedings to secure a bonus-point win over winless Pontyberem. Aaron Evans grabbed a brace, with further scores from Aaron Tomkinson, John Lumb, and Iwan Toft. Shaun Leonard added two conversions and a penalty. Pontyberem responded with tries from Jamie Jones and Daf Lloyd, both converted by Mike Sauro.

Narberth Athletic 27 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 22
Narberth Athletic held off a spirited Quins comeback to remain second in Division 4A after a thrilling Friday night encounter. Brad Cramb crossed twice, with further tries from Declan Cole and Jac Norcross. Shane Rossiter kicked two conversions and a penalty. Jack Price (2), Owain Turner, and Craig Barnett replied for the visitors, with Ben Hathaway converting once.

St Davids 77 – Llanybydder 22
St Davids produced a 13-try blitz to overpower Llanybydder in a one-sided contest. Harvey Lavin, Nathan Foster, Mike Gurney, George Raymond, and Ben Perkins all bagged braces, with Kiron Mason, Morgan Griffiths, and Bob Froy also on the scoresheet. Llanybydder salvaged a bonus point with four tries, including two from Steffan Griffiths.

Division One (West) – Tenby run riot with ten-try demolition of Felinfoel
Tenby United 64 – Felinfoel 19

TENBY UNITED kept up the pressure on Division One (West) leaders Aberystwyth with a ruthless 64-19 victory over Felinfoel at Heywood Lane on Saturday.

The Seasiders delivered a scintillating attacking display, crossing for ten tries in a match that underlined their title credentials. Tenby raced into a 31-7 lead at the break and never let up, blending pace, precision, and power throughout.

Dan Colley and Gwion Jones were among the standout performers—Colley scoring twice and Jones bagging a hat-trick from the wing. Jake Roberts also crossed twice, while George Rossiter and the returning Toby Smith added their names to the scoresheet. A penalty try opened proceedings.

Half-backs Dai Jones and Lloyd Thomas controlled the tempo brilliantly, with Thomas converting six of the ten tries in a composed display from the tee.

Felinfoel showed some resistance, with captain Elliot Dawe grabbing a brace of tries from the wing and full-back Tom Cadell powering over for another. Fly-half Tom Allen added two conversions, but the visitors were outgunned by Tenby’s relentless tempo and attacking ambition.

The result keeps Tenby firmly in the title race and sends a clear message as the season heads into its final stretch.

Tenby United team:
Geraint Jones; Matthew Lewis, Liam Price, Toby Smith, Gwion Jones; Lloyd Thomas, Dai Jones; Ethan Morgan, Kyle Rossiter, Rob Luly; Alex Jenkins, Tom Barrass (capt); Jack Brown, Max Brindley, Dan Colley.
Replacements: George Rossiter, Luke Dedman, Jake Roberts, Dom Colman, Jordan Asparassa, Max Boswell.

Division Two (West)
Captain Lewis leads Seagulls to seven-try rout
Fishguard & Goodwick 67 – Betws 12

FISHGUARD & GOODWICK put in a dominant display to sweep aside Betws 67-12 at home, with new captain Rhys Lewis marking the occasion with a hat-trick from the back row.

The Seagulls were in fine form from the outset, racing to a 41-0 lead by half-time. Their sharp handling, quick recycling and clinical finishing were too much for Betws, who struggled to keep pace.

Lewis led from the front with a superb treble, while Max Jones crossed twice. Dom Sinnet, Mark Jones, Simon James, and Ed Rathbone also got on the scoresheet. Mark Jones was faultless with the boot, kicking eight conversions and adding two penalties for a personal haul of 27 points.

Betws showed heart in the second half, registering two tries through Jonathan Hier, one of which was converted by Andrew Gosnold, but the damage had long been done.

The emphatic win highlighted the growing depth and confidence in Fishguard’s ranks, with young leaders like Lewis showing they can deliver on the big stage.

Fishguard & Goodwick try scorers: Rhys Lewis (3), Max Jones (2), Dom Sinnet, Mark Jones, Simon James, Ed Rathbone
Conversions/Penalties: Mark Jones (8 cons, 2 pens)
Betws try scorers: Jonathan Hier (2)
Conversion: Andrew Gosnold (1)