Whitland Youth 16 pts. Aberystwyth 5

This was a great game of rugby and a credit to both sides. The Aberystwyth side had a resolute defence which kept the Whitland backs in check for most of the afternoon. However, their big forwards could not cope with the Whitland pack who turned in one of their best performances of the season.

Led by the strong front row of Gethin Lewis, Will Ebsworth and George Kerr, who set the platform for the excellent back five to get about the field and supply plenty of ruck and turnover ball for the Whitland backs, who were willing to run everything. Centres Jamie Harris and Ryan Davies and forwards Charlie Preece, Casper Lewis and Gethin Lewis all got behind the defence, but were unable to get the final try-scoring pass away.

Even when Aberystwyth managed to gain control of ball, the defensive line speed of the backs, along with the fierce tackling of the Whitland back row, meant they were unable to break out of their own half.

Pressure eventually told, with Whitland winning two rare penalties, both of which Steffan James kicked. Considering that they had spent the whole of the first 35 minutes in their own half, Aberystwyth coaches and players would have been delighted with their defence who had kept the score down to 6-0.

The away side started the second half with purpose and attacked hard, resulting in a scrum on the Whitland 22-metre line, which led to a penalty. This was the first time during the game that Aberystwyth had been within range, but they missed the kick at goal.

An Aberystwyth lineout was won by Whitland and the ball moved quickly back and forth across the field, which caused the Aberystwyth backs to stray offside on the 10-metre line. Steffan James kicked a long penalty to take the score 9-0.

The home forwards continued the pressure by disrupting the opposition scrum, forcing the away side to run poor ball out of their own 22, and when a tackle under the posts led to Whitland counter-rucking and winning fast ball, outside-half Steffan James threw a long pass out to the unmarked right wing Josh Thomas to score. James added the conversion.

From the restart, a succession of penalties against the home side allowed Aberystwyth, for the first time in the match, to maintain pressure in the Whitland 22-metre area. Eventually, a further penalty led to a short range try for number eight Billy Thomas. The conversion was missed.

After 58 minutes, Whitland lost influential captain and open-side flanker George Griffin to injury and Aberystwyth almost took immediate advantage when their centre Luke Hesden scrambled over the try line, only for referee Erian Edwards, who was up with play all afternoon, to disallow the score for a double movement.

After a rare Steffan James missed penalty, he went on to control the final 10 minutes. Showing good vision and maturity, he changed tactics as he started kicking the ball deep into opposition half, which put the home forwards back on the front foot and helped his side see out a tough game as winners and maintain their position on top of the league .

Among the crowd was Mr. Meredith James, who was visiting Whitland RFC for the Old Players Reunion on Saturday. Meredith, a native of Lampeter Velfrey, won a Welsh B cap and was captain of the triumphant Bridgend RFC side that won the Schweppes Cup (WRU Welsh Cup) in 1979 and 1980, also playing in the same competition finals of 1981 and 1982; he chose Steffan James as his man-of-the-match.