Playing their fifth game in 15 days, Tenby ended their campaign with an excellent win at Trimsaran to ensure that the home side finished below them in Division Three West. of the National League.
Due to a spate of cancelled games earlier in the season, Tenby travelled east to play the last of their rearranged games at Trimsaran in the hope that by next season the WRU will introduce some firm rules to address the front row issue that has plagued local clubs.
At least Tenby have finished their league programme for the season - both Pembroke Dock Quins and Haverfordwest still have games to slot in before the May 15 deadline. Inventive excuses based on the unavailability of the necessary front row forwards, inadequately managed and policed by the WRU, is an issue all local clubs hope is resolved come the start of the next campaign.
Fielding a very young and experimental XV, coach Gareth Thomas instructed the players to stick to a simple game plan and go out and enjoy themselves. With the journey fresh in their minds (and bodies), Tenby started very slowly and allowed the home side to dominate the early stages and were lucky to hold out for the initial 20 minutes before a rumbling maul set-up close to the Tenby line resulted in the first score.
The score went unconverted and two missed penalties in quick succession from in front of the posts acted as the wake-up call Tenby needed to kick-start their game into action.
With quick ball from the set-pieces and rucks, the new halfback combination of Andrew 'Pewee' Davies and Mark Stevens started to get their young backline into the game and stretch the home side's defence with threequarter play that was well supported by the entire pack.
In one such sweeping attack of inter-passing, Dan Shooter crossed to level the scores and Pewee Davies, pressed into kicking duties with regular kicker Darren Rees swapping his number 15 shirt for a set of whites, added the extra two points to put Tenby in the lead.
The remainder of the half saw the visitors repeating the slick handling that led to their first try and the home side did well to restrict any additional score. Wingers James Davies and soccer convert Dai Merrick were fed with a stream of passes that they either exploited by making inroads into the Trimsaran half or linked back inside to supporting colleagues.
Trimsaran were helped considerably in this aspect of defensive play by an official that for whatever reason did not seem to let any ruck or maul develop sufficiently to allow the next phase to materialise. This caused the game to slip into a start-stop-start mode and did not allow the game to flow.
The score remained at 5-7 - this despite Tenby having Justin Richards yellow-carded for an alleged offence in a maul he was not even part of.
With Tenby now dominating all aspects of play, this 10-minute period playing with 14 players was more than adequately absorbed.
Coach Gareth Thomas was full of praise for his players at half-time and encouraged them to continue to throw the ball about and use their obvious pace to test and stretch the tiring home defence.
With Ifan Davies and Chris 'Cone' James dominating the lineout - this despite the home side having a second row that dwarfed the Tenby duo - the visitors had their usual attacking platform and accurate throwing-in by Mike 'Penfold' Lewis, backed by superb lifting by Gene Hocking and props Scott Payne and Lee Tucker, ensured that this dominance continued.
Quick ball allowed Mark Stevens to show his class with a superb break that was carried on by the supporting players to allow 'Pewee' Davies to cross wide out for a try, which he also converted.
In an attempt to counter the threat posed by the speedy United threequarters, the home side reverted to slowing down the ball at every opportunity.
Undeterred, Tenby continued to test the home defence and number eight Anthony Griffiths, supported by his fellow back row partners Justin Richards and 'Cone' James, started to get into the act by breaking away from the scrum, testing the defensive capabilities of the home side back row and half-backs with some slick attacking moves.
From one such move, the ball was released to the backs to allow the impressive Dai Merrick to run in from the halfway line. Scott McLaughlin added the extra two and United were now 20-5 in the lead.
The second half saw forwards Gareth Edwards, Mark Brace and Mark Badham replacing Ifan Davies, Mike Lewis and Lee Tucker, substitutions which did not disrupt the dominance being exerted by the visitors.
With the game drawing to a close, it was somewhat of an anti-climax when Trimsaran crossed for a converted try - despite what appeared to be a blatant knock-on.
Finishing as 21-12 away winners was a result coach Gareth Thomas was well pleased with.
With scrum-half (cum wing) Will Crockford being tried out at fullback, Mark Stevens getting his first senior outing at fly-half and Scott McLaughlin and Dai Merrick switching from the round ball game, the young threequarters fielded were very experimental. It took a little time for them to settle-in, but once they had overcome the 'newness factor' they revelled in the freedom they got from the quick ball won by the forwards and, with pace to burn, tested the home defence at every opportunity.
All 11 forwards fielded played their part in this entertaining game and as well as supplying a continuous stream of quick clean ball from the set-pieces and ruck situations, were there to support the threes at every opportunity.
All in all, a very gritty and creditable performance, coming off the back of a sequence of three defeats, and just the conclusion to a season needed to get players and coaches thinking of season 2004/5 and pre-season training and the kick-off in September.
Tenby: Will Crockford, James Davies, Dan Shooter, Scott McLaughlin, Dai Merrick, Mark Stevens, Andrew Davies, Lee Tucker (Mark Badham), Mike Lewis (Mark Brace), Scott Payne, Ifan Davies (Gareth Edwards), Gene Hocking, Justin Richards, Anthony Griffiths, Chris James.