Sport

Otters seal bonus point victory

Published

8 years ago

October 30, 2017

By Jonathan Twigg

A GD Harries sponsored Narberth maintained their second place in the Championship at the Lewis Lloyd Ground on Saturday (October 28) with a bonus point 27-3 victory over bottom side Glynneath.

Head coach Sean Gale was delighted with the result saying his players ‘delivered all I asked of them’.

He added: “We were expecting a gritty performance from Glynneath but we knew we had a strong set piece which would allow us to maintain enough possession to press for victory. We are a developing side with many new faces gelling together and we are in the same position as last year. We could have been more clinical with our execution as we tried to keep the ball in hand but it’s important to remember we took maximum points.”

Defending into a strong breeze the dominant set piece came to the fore from the start as the Otters forwards disrupted their opponents scrum with captain Alex Jenkins and his fellow second row Ryan Banner winning the early line out battle.

Glynneath were robust in their tackling, rowing very close to a line which referee Chris Oliver monitored carefully. Full back Ianto Griffiths pinged over his first penalty attempt for an indiscretion after ten minutes when visiting hooker Craig Tennant was deemed to have committed a high a tackle.

Flanker Pat Roberts alongside props Bradley Davies and Tom Slater made inroads into the visitors’ territory and the pressure of swift hands and a visionary performance from outside half Jack Rogers eventually saw the game’s opening try just beyond the quarter of an hour mark.

Jenkins again won clean line out ball before picking up a pass after his fellow forwards went through several phases of gaining yards close to the halfway line. He made 20 metres before finding wing Liam Hutchings on the outside who drew the final man after a 25 metre blast, putting number 8 Richie Rees clear into the 22 and a 10-0 lead thanks to the trusty left boot of Griffiths extended.

Glynneath got themselves on the scoreboard five minutes later when centre Jack O’Reilly kicked a penalty in front of the posts after the home pack were guilty of putting hands in a ruck after Tennant and flanker James Perry drove the red and blacks back into the game.

Narberth’s game management suited the conditions as they defended a strong breeze, working around scrum half Nick Gales lead with close passing to their surrounding ‘pods’.

This frustrated the visitors with further indiscretions conceded as their passion affected their play and hooker Tennant saw yellow for holding the ball after a tackle ten metres short of his own line, from which Rogers set up an attacking line out.

The ball was moved around the field as the Otters burrowed for a try, which came with a minute of the half remaining.

Glynneath were punished after their scrum disintegrated without Tennant and Gale took a quick penalty to thrust towards the line, Roberts on his shoulder to set up time for Rogers to put a cross field kick into the hands of winger Hutchings to cross wide out, for a 15-3 half time lead.

An expectant home crowd anticipated the blue and blacks to cruise towards victory in the second period although this didn’t materialise as rugged defence accompanying a plethora of stoppages for injuries sustained by Glynneath prevented any continuity.

They failed to take the ball further than the home 22 yard line not allowing much action for the ‘Balcony sponsors’, The Glenn Hotel to watch over as their ‘mine host’ Slater plied his trade below.

For the final fifteen minutes the side who have popular entertainer Max Boyce as their President opted for uncontested scrums which diminished a threat from the back row of Roberts, Rees and flanker Tom Powell playing off the front foot.

Griffiths at full back was playing with a skills set which would fit at a higher level and the introduction of a dynamic replacement scrum half Lewys Gibby asked questions of a tiring side, with Hutchings and centre pairing Paul Davies and Joe Hutchings finding space to run into.

Replacement Ryan Davies finished off a move after man of the match Roberts again did the hard yards for a 20-3 lead and the finale was completed to cement the bonus point victory as the game edged towards its end as the flanker claimed a try of his own. He intercepted the ball as Glynneath ran the ball from deep and coasted in under the posts for Griffiths to convert.

Narberth make the trip to Port Talbot on Saturday (Nov 4) to take on Tata Steel, two places and two points below them.

Related Topics:Championship Glynneath Narberth pembrokeshire Rugby

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Awards celebrate all that is good about Pembrokeshire sport

Published

2 days ago

December 2, 2025

Herald Sport

PEMBROKESHIRE’S sporting community came together on Friday evening as Folly Farm hosted the annual Sport Pembrokeshire Awards – a night dedicated to honouring achievements across every level, age group and discipline.

The awards recognise exceptional performances, inspiring journeys and the volunteers who keep local sport thriving behind the scenes. The ceremony was once again presented by Ceri Coleman-Phillips of BBC Wales Sport, supported by Cris Tomos.

Lifetime honour for Premier League star

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Pembrokeshire’s own Simon Davies.
The former Wales winger enjoyed a distinguished Premier League career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

Davies scored in the 2010 Europa League final for Fulham, won fifty-eight caps for Wales – scoring six – and captained his country during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. He was named Welsh Footballer of the Year in 2002 and Fulham’s player of the season in 2007–08. After leaving the club in 2013, he returned to his boyhood side Solva AFC, famously paying £3 subs to play against St Ishmaels.

Special recognition for Wales Women’s Street Football Team

Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas introduced the evening’s Special Award, honouring the players of the Wales Women’s Street Football Team for their remarkable run to the quarter-finals of the Homeless World Cup in Oslo.

The squad trains in Haverfordwest and included five outstanding Pembrokeshire players – co-captains Tor Planner and Marie Tilley, alongside Claire Mantripp, Sam Lewtas and Bryony Davies. All have overcome personal challenges, including homelessness, mental health difficulties and social exclusion, yet wore the Welsh jersey with pride on the world stage.

The team was led by manager Jo Price, former Wales and Arsenal goalkeeper.
Support staff included Anji Tinley, Manager of the Garth Youth & Community Project and a Pembrokeshire County Councillor.

Cruising Free honoured after rowing the Atlantic

The Chairman’s Award for 2025 was presented by Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman Cllr Maureen Bowen to ‘Cruising Free’ of Neyland Rowing Club, who achieved one of the world’s toughest endurance feats – rowing 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

Sophie Pierce, Janine Williams, Miyah Periam and Polly Zipperlan completed the gruelling crossing from Lanzarote to Antigua, raising money for cystic fibrosis and the Paul Sartori Foundation.

At 32, Sophie became the first person with cystic fibrosis to row an ocean, while 70-year-old Janine became the oldest woman ever to complete the challenge. The team’s achievement was hailed as a powerful example of determination, unity and courage.

Parkrun pioneers win School Award

The School Award went to the Federation of Tavernspite and Templeton Schools – the first Parkrun School in the UK.

The federation has built a Parkrun curriculum with Parkrun UK, using the weekly event to boost physical activity, support wellbeing, and develop leadership through the Parkrun Ambassador scheme. The schools were praised for exceptional inclusion, providing adapted PE equipment, wheelchair races and strong support for disadvantaged pupils. Estyn has highlighted their work as best practice.

A strong year for Pembrokeshire sport

Summing up the event, Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said:
“My congratulations go to everyone who won awards and all those nominated. We are so lucky to have such a strong sporting scene here in Pembrokeshire, and my thanks go to all those who work so hard to ensure people of all ages and abilities can take part in the sports they love. Thanks also to our sponsors Valero, Folly Farm and Pure West Radio for supporting this celebration each year.”

Full list of winners

Girls U16: Ava Tyrie (Brazilian Ju Jitsu – Pembroke MMA)
Boys U16: Ned Rees-Wigmore (Hockey)

Club of the Year: Milford Haven Hockey Club (MAIN PHOTO)
Junior Disability: Jake Evans (Llangwm RFC)
Young Volunteer: Alannah Heasman (Haverfordwest High School)
Junior Team: Merlin’s Bridge FC Under-14s 2024/25
Unsung Hero: Jenny Lewis (Clarbeston Road AFC)
Senior Team: Fishguard & Goodwick Ladies Hockey Club
Male Achievement: Liam Bradley (Triathlon)
Female Achievement: Sanna Duthie (Running)
Disability Sport: Rachel Bailey (Boccia)
Club Organiser: Silfan Rhys-Jones (Fishguard Table Tennis Club)
Coach of the Year: James North (Kilgetty AFC)
School Award: Tavernspite & Templeton Federation of Schools
Chairman’s Award: Cruising Free (Neyland Rowing Club)
Special Award: Street Football Wales
Lifetime Achievement: Simon Davies (Wales, Spurs, Fulham, Everton & Solva AFC)

Sport

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls: Week ten results

Published

4 days ago

November 30, 2025

Herald Sport

The Friendly League continues as Reynalton close the gap on leaders East Williamston

THE LATEST round of fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League produced another mix of tight contests and emphatic victories.

Kilgetty were beaten 8–2 at home by Hundleton, while Reynalton delivered the standout performance of the week with a 10–0 win over East Williamston. Llanteg also impressed, defeating Carew 8–2.

Elsewhere, St Twynnells claimed a 7–3 win away at the Badgers, and Lamphey ran out 7–3 winners against St Johns. Cosheston had the bye.

League table – Week ten

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	S/D	Points
East Williamston	8	7	0	1	+130	62
Reynalton	8	5	1	2	+64	50
Hundleton	8	4	1	3	+3	42
Llanteg	8	4	0	4	–5	41
Badgers	9	3	1	5	–21	41
St Johns	8	3	1	4	–6	38
St Twynnells	8	4	0	4	–34	37
Lamphey	9	4	0	5	–15	36
Kilgetty	9	4	0	5	–49	36
Cosheston	8	3	0	5	–13	35
Carew	7	3	0	4	–54	32

Reynalton’s dominant win means they move within touching distance of leaders East Williamston, setting up an intriguing second half to the season.

Sport

South Africa run riot as Wales suffer record defeat in Cardiff

Published

5 days ago

November 30, 2025

Herald Sport

Wales 0–73 South Africa
WALES endured one of the heaviest defeats in their history on Saturday as world champions South Africa ran in 11 tries at the Principality Stadium, producing a brutal 73-0 demolition that exposed the gulf between the sides and underlined the scale of the rebuilding task facing Welsh rugby.

The fixture, arranged outside the international window, left Wales without several first-choice players and short on experience. South Africa, by contrast, arrived in Cardiff at full strength and in ruthless form. What followed was a one-sided contest from the opening minutes to the final whistle.

First-half dominance

The Springboks established their authority early, their scrum immediately overpowering the Welsh pack and setting the tone for the afternoon. Tries from Gerhard Steenekamp, Ethan Hooker and Jasper Wiese put the visitors 21-0 ahead, with Wales struggling to exit their own half and repeatedly conceding penalties under pressure.

Wales’ lineout functioned reasonably well and there were brief flashes of ambition from Joe Hawkins, Joe Roberts and Rio Dyer, but every half-chance dissolved through handling errors or South Africa’s suffocating defensive line. A late surge from the Boks saw Morne van den Berg cross just before the break for a 28-0 half-time lead.

Second-half collapse

Any hopes of containment disappeared after the interval. South Africa emptied their bench—bringing on yet more power—and immediately cut through Wales again. Wilco Louw, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (twice), Canan Moodie, Ruan Nortje and Eben Etzebeth all scored in a relentless second half.

Wales’ discipline faltered under the pressure. Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright were both shown yellow cards, with Wainwright’s high tackle sent to the bunker for review. South Africa’s own discipline cracked late on when Etzebeth received a straight red card for making contact with the eye area of Alex Mann—an incident captain Siya Kolisi later claimed was accidental.

Reaction

Player of the match Andre Esterhuizen, who produced a series of thunderous carries and turnovers, said the Springboks “worked really hard” to complete their Autumn clean sweep, praising Wales for “never giving up”.

Kolisi was gracious in victory but said he did not want the Etzebeth incident to overshadow the performance, adding: “The only way a team gets better is by playing the best. Wales will be stronger for facing this.”

Former Wales captain Dan Biggar, working as a pundit, was blunt in his assessment. “There are players there that aren’t at this level now, and may not play this level again,” he said. “I don’t think anyone learned anything from that.”

A difficult day for Welsh rugby

For Wales, the defeat will strengthen scrutiny of the WRU’s scheduling and long-term planning. A young and inexperienced squad battled gamely in patches—Mann, Hawkins and Dyer among those showing fight—but the mismatch was stark.

A crowd of around 50,000, well below capacity, reflected the mood of supporters as another bruising year for Welsh rugby nears its end.

Head coach Warren Gatland will now attempt to piece together the positives from a chastening afternoon, but the bigger questions facing the structure of the game in Wales remain unanswered.