Trimsaran 15 pts.

Tenby United 43

Coming off an excellent gutsy mid-week performance in the Chevron Pembrokeshire Knock-out Cup, with a well merited 17-16 win against Haverfordwest, Coastal Cottages sponsored Tenby United again travelled east on Saturday, with Trimsaran the opposition.

Kicking-off with a much-changed side from the mid-week win, Tenby went straight on the attack and a combination of fullback Dan Colley and centre Gavin Brace created a gap for rampaging number eight Sam Smith and only a superb tackle by the home fullback prevented an early score.

Maintaining their all-out attack approach, it was wing Dai Meyrick that next benefited from a swift exchange of passes, involving both backs and forwards, as he was released on the outside of his opposite number, only for an infringement by the desperate home sides defence to bring the promising move to a halt. The resulting penalty attempt by Jimmy Davies sailed wide of the uprights.

Undeterred by missing this initial early opportunity to open their account, Tenby mounted another well co-ordinated attack, with Toby Smith, Dai Meyrick, Gareth Nock, Lewis Davies, Gareth Edwards and captain Nicky Guymer combining to put Gavin Brace over for a try which was converted by Davies.

This latest burst of attacking play saw the home side sharpen up their tackling and to their credit they kept Tenby at bay for long periods. With newcomer Ilaisa Torau and stalwart Gareth Edwards prominent in the lineout and the Tenby back row dominant at the breakdown, Tenby had the majority of possession, but a speculative kick by Toby Smith presented the home fullback with the chance to show his attacking ability, but the scrambling Tenby defence just held firm.

The Tenby set-piece was also totally dominant with the home side's pack being shunted backwards at a great rate of knots, but to their credit they stole a strike against the head when Tenby decided to take a scrum under the shadow of the home posts from a penalty awarded for collapsing a driving maul, allowing them to clear their lines.

During the next attack the home fullback was injured and following a lengthy stoppage was stretchered off. Tenby took advantage of the disruption caused by the reorganisation that followed with a series of pick'n'drives while camped on the Trimsaran line and when the third attempt to drive the Trimsaran eight over their line was prevented by collapsing a scrum, the referee awarded a penalty try which again was converted by Davies and Tenby eased into a 14-0 lead.

For whatever reason, Tenby allowed the home side back into the game with a series of silly penalties and from one such award, which was compounded by some remarks made by a disgruntled Tenby forward and 10 metres added, allowed Ryan Edwards to get the home side on the scoreboard.

From the resulting restart, a clean catch, outrageous dummy and run by burly Johnny Lane put Sam Smith clear and he cleverly linked up with prop John Palmer, who was eventually brought down.

This only slowed down the inevitable as Tenby continued to make ground toward the Trimsaran line as Sam and Toby Smith, along with Ilaisa Torau, Palmer, Gareth Edwards and Nicky Guymer mounted a series of attacks and eventually, having stretched the home defence from one side of the field to the other, wing Dai Meyrick was put clear to score wide out, taking Tenby into a comfortable 19-3 lead at half-time.

Not being aware what was said by the respective coaches at half-time, it was the home side that started the game fired up, with Tenby aiding their cause by giving away a series of needless penalties.

Their cause was not helped when scrum-half Richard Rossiter limped off the field with an ankle injury, with Gavin Brace slotting into the number nine position and Simon Stanford taking his position on the wing as the threes adjusted their line-up.

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, prop John Palmer was yellow carded and it came as no surprise that the home side added to their score. Following a concerted attack, aided by some pathetic attempts to tackle by Tenby, they were awarded a somewhat fortunate penalty try for 'advancing' and with the two points added by Ryan Edwards the scores narrowed to 19-10.

In an attempt to get their act back together, coach Katalau took off Lane and substituted Luke Dedman, with Ilaisa Torau leaving the field to accommodate replacement prop Laurens Brit. These minor changes had an immediate effect, as from an excellent catch and drive, headed by Gareth Edwards, newcomer to the fray Luke Dedman was deemed to have scored and with Davies again adding the extras Tenby were 26-10 in front.

The initiative grabbed by Trimsaran at the start of the second half had now been grabbed back by Tenby, whose cause was aided by a yellow card for a trip at a quickly taken penalty, which when the penalty was retaken, Toby Smith put wing Dai Meyrick clear, only for the flying winger to be brought down just short of the try line.

From the resulting scrum, Trimsaran were shunted off their own ball and a pick-up by number eight Sam Smith resulted in a try under the sticks, which went unconverted, but Tenby were now sitting comfortably on a 31-10 lead and back in the ascendancy. With the 10 minutes up for Palmer, he stayed of the field along with Torau and replacement Rob Tully joined his team mates.

Immediately from the restart, the Tenby eight set up the platform needed to suck the home side into the breakdown and Dan Colley benefited from the open spaces to gallop through the thin line of defenders to link with Simon Stanford, who sped over under the sticks to complete a move initiated way back on the Tenby 22. Another successful conversion by Davies pushed the score along to 38-10.

Calling on whatever reserves they had in the tank, along with a few strokes of luck, the home side were rewarded when the ball squirted out of a scrum on the Tenby line and, despite having the opportunity to clear the danger, a charge down and the corner flag offered the home side an opportunity to add to their score, which Ryan Edwards took to take the scores to 38-15.

The final score of the game came when from a quickly taken penalty, fly-half Toby Smith fed the ball to the lively Gareth Edwards, who ran a superb line to score under the sticks. Overjoyed, the jubilant Edwards scooped up the ball and trotted around to add the two points with a quickly taken drop at goal.

Enough said about that attempt the better as the referee blew for time, with Tenby coming away with a substantial 43-15 victory to keep up their winning sequence.

An excellent way to start the second month of the season and potentially with two away fixtures on the road against middle of the table opposition and one at home, confidence is high that at the end of the month the team will be able retain its position as one of the top two teams in the league.

Tenby fielded: Dan Colley; Dai Meyrick, Arthur M-M, Gavin Brace, Jimmy Davies; Toby Smith, Richard Rossiter (Simon Stanford); John Palmer (Laurens Brit), Nicky Guymer (capt), Lewis Davies, Gareth Edwards, Johnny Lane (Luke Dedman), Gareth Nock, Ilaisa Torau (Rob Tuttle), Sam Smith.