UWIC 40 pts.

With another week off league rugby because of the autumn rugby international matches in Cardiff, the Otters arranged a friendly fixture away to UWIC.

Matches between Narberth and UWIC have been entertaining games over the years when the two teams were in the same division. There is now a geographical separation in Division One East and Division One West, but the clubs play the same type of entertaining running rugby.

UWIC have always had fitness and pace at their disposal, but now have another string to their bow in a formidable pack.

In the end, these qualities told, especially when the Otters played a large chunk of the second half with 14 players and for a period of 10 minutes with 13 players.

Although play was a bit disjointed by the referee's whistle, both teams attacked at every opportunity and the scene was set in the second minute when Narberth wing Jonathan Morgan intercepted the ball and raced up the left touchline from the halfway line to cross near the left corner for a try converted by Nick Jones.

Just over 10 minutes later, the students levelled the scores from a scrum in front of the posts when the ball was moved left for centre Alex Carlton Palmer to race over for a try converted by outside-half Simon Humperstone.

The same scoring combinations was at work after 25 minutes, when Carlton Palmer made a break when the ball was released from a scrum and crossed for a try converted by Humperstone.

When UWIC hooker Mike Catris scored a try in the 31st minute to finish off a break by winger Elfyn Davies for another try converted by Humperstone, the Otters were really on the back foot.

The points gap was opened up to 21 on the stroke of half-time when centre Sean Hawkey crossed for a try in the right corner, again converted by the accurate Humperstone.

Narberth had to start strongly in the second half and came out of the blocks on all cylinders.

Fullback Adrian Killa came into the line after two minutes to finish off a good move from switch of play, to run over in the right corner for a try converted by Nick Jones.

Five minutes later, replacement hooker Gareth Flynn scored the third try for the Otters, but this time Nick Jones was unable to convert.

Hopes of a full staged Narberth recovery were dashed after 17 minutes when centre Neil Davies incurred the wrath of the referee to pick up a red card and when number eight Jamie Bohata was yellow carded, the visitors were down to 13 players.

In the last 20 minutes of the match, UWIC took the game away from Narberth, firstly with a try by replacement flanker Luke Dyckhoff, converted by Simon Humperstone, and finally when Dyckhoff scored again, but this time Humperstone was unable to convert, to blemish his otherwise 100 per cent record.

Commenting after the match, Otters' backs coach Clive James gave his usual fair assessment of proceedings when he said: "In some ways, it was a frustrating afternoon. We came up with the intention of using the whole squad, which we did, and despite the result it was a worthwhile exercise.

"Unfortunately the game was not allowed to flow and we suffered a blow when centre Neil Davies picked up a red card midway through the second half and at one time we were down to 13 players when Jamie Bohata was yellow carded.

"Overall there were some pleasing individual performances, especially by young players such as hooker Aled Harries, flanker Thabani Sangwani and winger Jonathan Morgan.

"When we were down to 13 players for a while, we defended very well, the contact area was good, but in the end the lack of number of players on the field told.

"From a league point of view, it rubber-stamped our selection policy and a number of the young players put their hands up to be considered for selection for the first team squad. There were a lot of young players on the park who gave everything, but the team management man-of-the-match award goes to experienced lock David Ebsworth."

Tomorrow (Saturday), Narberth are without a league fixture again as Wales are playing Australia at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, in the last of this season's autumn international matches.

The following Saturday, December 6, Narberth will be home to Bonymaen.

Narberth fielded: Adrian Killa, Tom Bonnell, Richard Davies, Neil Davies, Jonathan Morgan, Nick Jones, Andrew Davies, Tom Slater, Aled Harries, Justin Hughes (capt.), David Ebsworth, Alex Jenkins, Jamie Bohata, Rion Whatmore and Richard Sharpe-Williams.

Replacements: Rhys Davies, Steve Martin, Gareth Bevan, Gareth Flynn, Dan Smith and Thabani Sangwani.