CARMARTHEN QUINS 41 pts

WHITLAND nil

Just two weeks into the season and Whitland are already starting to feel the heat in National League division one.

The newly-promoted Borderers were completely outgunned by near neighbours Carmarthen Quins who notched up a useful 41 points to nil victory.

The Green and Whites only just lost out in the promotion race to the Quins two seasons ago, although they defeated them on each occasion they met.

However, the Quins have obviously adapted well to life in the highly competitive upper echelons and had done their homework on Saturday, running in five tries without reply.

Although the Borderers' back division looked useful enough with the ball in hand, they did not really get enough workable possession to prove a potent threat.

You can have the fastest backs in the game, but without the ball they can do little and the Quins had targeted Whitland's set-piece work, particularly around the linesout, to deny them the platform.

Whitland's problems were further compounded when influential scrum-half Rob Phillips was sin-binned after six minutes for a professional foul and then skipper Phil Morgan was sidelined for 10 minutes in the final third as referee Mr. Nigel Williams again punished the Borderers' indiscipline.

Carmarthen's strengths lay in the Paul Arnold and Paul Matthews lock duo, who supplied quality possession at the linesout, while back row trio of Alan Mason, Phil Beynon and Stuart Jenkins always looked to capitalise in the loose.

The Quins enjoyed the platform to play an expansive game, with centres Emyr Jones and Darren Simpson and wings Warren Leach and Deiniol Evans posing constant threats, and Whitland did well to restrict the homesters to an 11-point lead at the break.

Stand-off Giles Thomas set the ball rolling with a penalty after Phillips' indiscretion, and after he and Whitland's Daniel Griffiths had failed with further attempts, number eight Stuart Jenkins crashed over for the Quins' first try.

Thomas failed with the conversion attempt, but added three more points just before the half-time break.

In the second half, Whitland's defence held out reasonably well for 20 minutes, with the Quins only having another penalty from Thomas and a try from winger Warren Leach to show for their efforts.

When Borderers' skipper Morgan was sin-binned, however, the homesters took full advantage of the tired Whitland defence to put the game beyond any doubt with two tries in quick succession, one apiece from Jones and Simpson.

Replacement flanker Paul Morgan grabbed the fifth touchdown with the last move of the game.

Thomas converted one try and added two more second half penalties, while another replacement, Julian Howells, banged over the final conversion to complete the scoreline.

The result leaves the Borderers propping up the rest at the foot of the division, but the Green and Whites have the skill and tenacity to effect a quick turn around given the right conditions, and they will be looking for a sharp upturn in form tomorrow (Saturday) when they welcome Llandovery to Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn.

Whitland fielded: Craig Richards, Steve Butcher, Domenic Setaro, Sengili Tuihalamaka, Steve Hartland, Daniel Griffiths (Simon Rogers), Robert Phillips (Andrew Jenkins), Gareth Williams (Andy Webster), Steve Gerrard (Richard Emms), Ricky Davies (Romeo Colella), David Ebsworth (Marc Hughes), Steve Thomas, Mike Buckingham, Phil Morgan (capt.), Fakataha Molitika. Sub - Lee Banfield.