Birchgrove 30 pts. Tenby United 7
On a bright and sunny day, made for running rugby, Chevron sponsored Tenby United travelled east along the M4 to bottom club Birchgrove in search, not only of their eighth win of the season in division four west, but also the elusive try bonus points.
But it was not to be as the United came away suffering their biggest loss of the season, beaten by a side that obviously wanted and needed the win more than they did.
Coaches Davies and Katalau were mystified by the way Tenby played, considering they dominated possession and were playing a side that they had comfortably beaten 33-0 earlier in the season. Some serious talking and actions will be needed to ensure that this performance is not repeated if Tenby are to maintain any aspirations they have for promotion out of the division.
Kicking off on a pitch much smaller than Heywood Lane, Tenby immediately threw the ball around, showing the brand of rugby they intended to play, and for the first three or four minutes, Birchgrove did nothing but tackle and chase, with play switching constantly as inter-passing between forwards and backs stretched their defence. But they held firm and Tenby failed to make any telling break through the thin red line of Birchgrove defenders, despite this early domination.
A huge clearing kick by their number 10, Anthony Evans, took play to the Tenby five-metre line and some very sloppy defensive play by the visitors, allowed the home side to go over for the first try of the afternoon - a shock score that set the trend for the afternoon, as Tenby never really recovered from this situation.
The conversion by Evans gave the home side a surprising 7-0 advantage.
Birchgrove kept the pressure on and in going for an interception, Tom Lewis was harshly deemed by referee Williams to have done so from an offside position, and Evans slotted over a well-judged penalty to extend the lead to 10-0. Despite these early set-backs, Tenby continued to throw the ball around, but failed to capitalise on their constant stream of clean possession, with the home side cutting down centres Heywood and Brace, and not allowing the moves to develop or get any 'go forward'.
One slick move, with Mike Georgiau entering the line, released winger Jimmy Davies, but he dithered when a head down and go for it approach would have been more productive and all Tenby got for their efforts was a penalty, given for the home side killing the ball at the breakdown.
Tom Lewis failed with his attempt at goal and the United came away empty handed.
Tenby were lucky not to go further behind when a penalty given for entering the ruck from the side was marched 10 metres nearer the posts when some unnecessary back-chat was aimed at referee Williams. The penalty attempt by Evans just sailed wide.
Tenby upped the pace, with winger Paul Luger and fullback Georgiau prominent, and both flanker Tim Kaumaitotoya and captain Ifan Davies tested the home defence with several threatening runs, but it was Birchgrove who finished the half on a high when Tenby failed to drop on a rolling ball deep in their 22 and an infringement at the ensuing ruck presented Evans with the opportunity to take the home side out to a healthy 13-0 lead.
Tenby started the second half as they had started the game, with the ball seeing plenty of air as it passed through many pairs of hands, but there was no penetration and slowly the defensive line pushed the Seasiders backwards, and when Birchgrove got the ball, Tenby compounded their frustration by falling-off tackles.
In an attempt to stop a threatening situation developing, flanker Timoci Kaumaitotoya attempted to slow the ball down, an offence referee Williams had overlooked during the first half when committed by the home side, only to get yellow- carded for his efforts.
Despite being down to 14 men, Tenby were slowly starting to get back into the game, as the constant tackling put in by the home side was beginning to have an effect on Birchgrove, as penalties were now coming thick and fast, but Lewis was unable to take advantage of the situation as two attempts early in the second half failed to reach their target.
Missed tackles by Tenby were aiding the Birchgrove cause and added to this, huge accurate clearance kicks by the influential Evans constantly sent the United back into their half every time they made inroads into home territory. Hard won possession was also being aimlessly kicked away and any game plan that Tenby had was now in tatters.
Kaumaitotoya had now rejoined the game and Smith was replaced by Wyndham Williams, but it was Birchgrove who capitalised on the changes as they put immense pressure on a defensive scrum and the Tenby back row were still attached as the half-backs released the flanker and the number eight, who powered over under the posts. The successful conversion took the score to 20-0. Switching Georgiau and Tom Lewis, and bringing on Katalau for Gareth Edwards, was the last attempt coach Davies had to try to inject some sense of purpose into the dispirited Tenby side, but this last-ditch tactic backfired almost immediately as hooker Lewis was straight red-carded by referee Williams for some over-aggressive rucking, and to compound the issue, Evans fired over the penalty. Whereas Tenby had come in search of the try bonus point, it was the home side, lifted by their opponents being reduced to 14 men, who were now in search of the extra point, and putting the United scrum under pressure deep in their own half, a simple rapid transfer of the ball between the half- backs released centre Howells, who galloped over the line unopposed. The successful conversion took the score out to 30-0.
Try as they might, Birchgrove failed in their attempt to obtain the vital try needed for the bonus point and, surprisingly, based on their efforts put in during the first 75 minutes, it was Tenby who finished the game on a high, with several slick attacking moves putting the tiring home side under pressure.
Their belated efforts were rewarded when winger Paul Luger was adjudged to have been tackled without the ball by referee Williams, who awarded a penalty try, which was duly converted by Lewis as the game was ended.
Talking to coach Gareth Davies in the evening, he was still baffled as to why this inept performance was put together by his team and will study his notes carefully as he prepares what needs to be done during the two weeks leading up to the next game, home to Neyland on Saturday, March 1. Ironically, as the results emerged from the weekend games, it will be another encounter involving teams needing the points for differing reasons as Tenby try to get their show back on the road, while Neyland will be in search of points vital to them as they cling on to division four status.
Tenby fielded: Michael Georgiau, Jimmy Davies, Gavin Brace, Mark Heywood, Paul Luger, Tom Lewis, Rhys Thomas, Lee Tucker (Ben Cray), Mike Lewis Scott Payne, Ifan Davies, Gareth Edwards (Emori Katalau), Timoci Kaumaitotoya, Sam Smith (Wyndham Williams), Emyr Hughes.