Hendy 20 pts.

Tenby United 59

 

Due to a combination of the recent adverse weather conditions, and various cup/bowl competitions, playing league rugby on consecutive weekends was a somewhat new experience for Coastal Cottages sponsored Tenby United, who travelled to Maes Gwilli to play Hendy, having last achieved that experience way back on October 16 and 23.

Although they were closer to the foot of the table rather than the top, Hendy are not a team to be taken lightly, especially on their own patch, as Abeaeron had discovered the week previous when a comfortable half-time lead was totally overturned as the rampant home side ran in six tries and came away with a splendid 43-29 victory.

Kicking off with a slight breeze at their backs, the home side had a taste of what was to come as Tenby went straight into attack mode with a crisp handling move involving Jason Ronowitz, John Palmer, Toby Smith, Gareth Edwards, Sam Smith and Simon Stanford, only for a forward pass to bring the promising opening to a halt.

Undeterred, Tenby were intent on continuing to play attacking rugby and Wyndham Williams, Mark Heywood, Dan Colley, supported by Simon Stanford, combined well and again tested the home defence as they probed for an opening, and a first score.

Only five minutes into the game, a strike against the head was capitalised on by the reliable Sam Smith who, having broken through the initial line of Hendy defenders, released the supporting Jason Ronowitz, who went in under the sticks. With Jimmy Davies adding the extras, Tenby had earned seven points from their early endeavours.

Hendy were struggling to live with the pace of the game and the direct running of the Tenby threequarter line, with centre Mark Heywood leading the way, and it came as no surprise when a neat move involving Sam Smith and scrum-half Dan Thomas, which threatened the Hendy defensive line, was continued by skipper Nicky Guymer, who skilfully scooped up the ball as it rolled free from the tackle area and linked with Gavin Brace, who in turn released fellow centre Mark Heywood, who strolled over unopposed. Jimmy Davies obliged with the extra two points and the Sseasiders had established an early healthy 14-0 lead.

To their credit, the home side had defended well and one or two missed tackles, and a touch of complacency by Tenby, allowed them back into the game when first wing Matthew Jones went over wide out, to be followed by scrum-half Gruff Jones, who robbed Dan Thomas at the base of the scrum, to scamper over. With the two conversions sailing wide, Hendy had very quickly got back into the game at 14-10.

Coming onto the field at the next stoppage, coach Arthur M-M had some stern words for his team and slowly they started to reclaim the high ground as they stemmed any attacking platform set-up by the home side, and got back into attack mode themselves with adventurous (and birthday boy) fullback Dan Colley, Toby Smith and Mark Heywood leading the way. Their sterling efforts were rewarded when livewire flanker Jason Ronowitz gathered a loose ball, deep in the Tenby half, and simply outpaced the entire home defence to score under the posts to re-establish a healthier 21-10 lead.

The remainder of the half saw a determined home defence keep Tenby at bay and when they had the opportunity, Hendy attempted to stretch the Tenby defensive line by employing a high hanging wide-out kick over the onrushing defensive line, a ploy eventually snuffed out by the Seasiders when put into practise.

The half ended with a bonus point try from deep in the Tenby half, with a quick throw in, as the opposition ambled to the lineout, and forwards Sam Smith and Wyndham Williams released Mark Heywood who simply ran straight through the stretched home defence to give Tenby a 28-10 half-time lead.

Any thoughts Hendy had of repeating their Houdini escape act again this week were quickly dispelled, as down to 14 men, with second row Martin Wilkes yellow-carded in the final minutes of the first half, they were unable to hold the Tenby threes in check as a crisp handling move was carried on by the supporting Wyndham Williams, who just about made the line, and with Jimmy Davies adding the extra two, with his fifth successful conversion, Tenby were now sitting with a healthy 35-10 lead.

The attacks on the Hendy line were coming thick and fast and next it was rangy lock Gareth Edwards, and the very impressive Jason Ronowitz, who threatened and, with the ball being quickly recycled from the breakdown, it released the hard-working front row of skipper Nicky Guymer and props Lewis Davies and John Palmer, who were halted just short of the home line.

Hendy showed that they to were keen to attack and only a superb cover tackle by Jason Ronowitz brought their hopes of adding a third try to a grinding halt.

That was the final contribution of Ronowitz, as he was replaced in the back row by Nicky Guymer, whose place in the front row was taken by Terry John.

With a flowing move that involved Sam Smith, Mark Heywood, Dan Colley and Jimmy Davies, centre Gavin Brace was just squeezed into touch on the corner flag as he dived over the try line.

But from the resulting phases of play, fly-half Toby Smith sliced through the bedraggled home defence to release centre Mark Heywood, who surged over for his third try, stretching the lead out to 42-10.

Ringing the changes, Arthur M-M came on for Toby Smith, who had a very balanced game, Rhys Thomas replaced young Dan Thomas, who recovered well from a shaky start, and Rob Clarke came on for the industrious Lewis Davies.

Despite the raft of new players joining the fray, which usually unsettles a side, Tenby kept up the pressure and Jimmy Davies released Sam Smith who, despite the long run-in, managed to just keep in front of his chasers and flopped over the line, presenting Jimmy Davies with his seventh, and as it turned out, final conversion, and a haul of 14 points.

Switching from scorer to provider, Sam Smith ripped the home defence to shreds and neatly off-loaded to wing Simon Stanford, who turned what was left of the home defence into shadows as he jinked through to score wide out. With Russ Millns deciding the conversion was good, while his opposite number from Hendy kept his flag down, referee Mark Johns favoured the home side and gave them the sympathy vote, taking the score to 54-10.

Smith and Stanford were quickly back in the actio,n releasing lock Gareth Edwards, who despite stumbling just short of the line, managed to scoop the ball to the supporting Mark Heywood, who in turn kindly placed the ball in the hands of flanker Luke Dedman, who slid over in the corner.

With the game well won, Tenby annoyingly switched off, and to their credit, the battling home side crossed for two unconverted tries to at least come away with a four-try bonus point, as the game ended 59-20.

It was a good workmanlike performance from the United, with good contributions from all the players and an excellent all-round team performance. Special mention, however, must go to Jason Ronowitz, whose sheer pace was much to much to handle for the home side, Sam Smith, who caused absolute chaos with his barging runs, and finally Mark Heywood, whose direct running always had the home side struggling.

With Amman United also collecting five points for their 50-0 hammering of Cefneithin, in the only other Division Four West league game played, the top two sides are obviously in form and are starting to breakaway from the chasing pack, with games in hand.

Tomorrow's (Saturday's) fifth round WRU Bowl game down at Amman will be keenly contested as both sides battle to reach the last eight in the competition, and also put a marker down for the outstanding league game yet to be scheduled at Heywood Lane.

Tenby fielded: Dan Colley; Jimmy Davies, Gavin Brace, Mark Heywood, Simon Stanford; Toby Smith (Arthur M-M), Dan Thomas (Rhys Thomas); John Palmer, Nicky Guymer (capt), Lewis Davies (Rob Clarke), Gareth Edwards, Wyndham Williams, Luke Dedman, Sam Smith, Jason Ronowitz (Terry John).