Fixture

Caerphilly travelled to New Tredegar last weekend resuming their National League fixtures. Nine tries, 6 conversions, 1 penalty, 60 points for and 0 points conceded, the team went away happy, securing a bonus point within the first 30 minutes of a one sided affair. Player coach and centre Matthew Nuthall and outside half Matthew Hurley grabbed a brace of tries, whilst the latter also converted 6 conversions and a penalty to bag another 25 points in the league this season taking his tally to 146 points in 7 competitive appearances this year.

It took the visitors just 3 minutes to score their first try. Collecting from the kick off. The kick off wasn’t dealt with well and the home side won a scrum. Working their way into the 22 they lost the ball and Caerphilly passed through their backs centre Nuthall making the break up field before releasing wing Ben Candy. Running down the left, Candy was caught inside the 22, but on his shoulder was centre Simon Nuthall to receive the pass and score in the corner.

A 13^th minute penalty from Hurley extended the lead after the home side had been camped in the Caerphilly 22 for 10 minutes, New Tredegar unable to put points on the board and paid the price. Flanker Tom Auxenderry was next to cross the whitewash on 20 minutes finishing another break from deep, whilst Hurley added the spoils before breaking through from the restart and going over for another converted try just a minute later. Number 8 Josh Williams rounded off a forward move, to cross the line, bagging a bonus point with 30 minutes on the clock before the visitors lost winger Will Worthington to injury, pulling up short when chasing a ball over the line, to be replaced by Dan Jones.

The second half saw Hurley grabbing his brace with 50 minutes on the clock, Nuthall adding the first of his as he broke through the centre on the half way line, just before scrum half Jac Jonathon gave way to replacement Tom Candy. A yellow card for New Tredegar’s scrum half on 55 minutes did the home side no favours, although Caerphilly only managed 1 try during Mann’s absence as Nuthall broke through the defence at pace, just yards from the line to cross for Caerphilly’s 7^th try.

Ringing in the changes in the final quarter, Caerphilly kept playing, and should have scored several more tries, poor handling letting them down. Some backchat to the referee after disallowing a Caerphilly try yielded 10 mtrs and a yellow card for no.8 Williams on 72 minutes. This failed to deter the visitors however as they ran in another 2 tries, first by replacement Jones, breaking through to score under the posts, then by winger Ben Candy who ran from the half way line to score in the corner on the brink of the final whistle.

The subsequent win placed Caerphilly above Chepstow in the league and just 4 points behind league leaders Oakdale, the latter having played a game extra. Another break in proceedings for the Autumn Internationals will be followed in 2 weeks with a stern test from 5^th place Usk at the Constructaquote Stadium in Caerphilly.