Crymych 7 pts. Narberth 0
In a closely fought match, Crymych retained the Gareth Edwards Perpetual Memorial Shield with the only score of the match, a converted try early in the second half. For the last four years, Crymych have won the shield and the division four west team did extremely well to win this fixture on Boxing Day, especially as most of the Narberth team have had first team experience in the league this season. Although it was not a full strength Narberth division one team, at least half of the team were division one regulars and on paper they should have had the edge. No points were scored in the first half, in which Crymych gave a good account of themselves and kept a clean sheet, with excellent defensive work whenever the Otters got inside their 22. Early in the second half, Crymych took the lead with a try by prop Jason Nichols. It followed an imaginative up-and-under kick by outside-half and captain Gareth Davies. The Crymych pack charged up in support of the ball and when it was recycled, Nichols was on hand to dive over the line for a try converted by fullback Carwyn Jones. Crymych had withstood a short period of Narberth pressure at the start of the second half and did most of the attacking themselves until the closing stages. The visitors made one last effort to score and were inside the Crymych 22 for the last five minutes of the match, but the home team held out for a deserved win. Speaking after the match, team manager Robert Lewis said: "It was disappointing to lose today, but Crymych came out with the right attitude to win. The Crymych players were hungry for success and the Narberth players seemed to be thinking more about Christmas! We struggled to field a front row for this match and did not have a recognised hooker available. Therefore, we were at a disadvantage in set-piece moves. "Crymych were able to win a number of balls against the head in the scrum and some lineouts on a Narberth throw. "Crymych defended well and had more cohesion generally than the Narberth backs. "Unfortunately we picked up more injuries. Fullback Sion Brace injured an ankle and may have chipped a bone, while prop James Bannister fractured a finger. "Although we must remain optimistic, when you struggle to field a front row each week through injuries, it can make life difficult. It also affects training, as without at least three front row players involved in practice sessions, it is extremely hard to do any meaningful work on scrums and lineouts. "However, we must stick at it and give a good account of ourselves in the home fixture against Llangennech on Friday evening." Narberth fielded: Sion Brace (Neil Davies), Dan Shooter, Steve Martin, Phil Thomas, Tim Plumb, Matthew Davies, Andrew Davies (Gary Nicholas), James Bannister, Gethin Beynon, Martin Bowen, David Ebsworth, Jason Jennings (Emyr Hughes), Chris James, Jack Mason, and Anthony Griffiths, capt.