Fixture

Caerphilly exited the Swalec Bowl at Virginia Park last weekend in round 3, capitulating in the second half to a defeat by Bridgend Sports. The home side failed to build on 2 tries scored in the first quarter with the wind in their favour and surrendered the lead in the final third of the game.

The home side opened the scoring after 12 minutes, second row Marc Davies bursting though and crossing with the help of his forwards as Caerphilly lay an early siege on the Bridgend line, the strong wind pushing the conversion wide from centre Simon Skinner.

The Green and White’s, although more like Grey and White’s by this point, increased their advantage 10 minutes later as they turned over ball on the Bridgend 5mtr line, prop Ryan Jones collecting the ball to drive over between the defenders. Again, the conversion was missed, this time by outside half and Captain Nathan Gittings as the wind swirled behind him.

The visitors pulled up their socks and went to work after a stern talking to behind the posts. Their reward was a penalty on 26 minutes, scrum half Darren Lewis converting in front of the posts as the home side were caught offside in the centre during an attack.

Injuries to try scorer Marc Davies and Gareth England at the end of the first half forced some early substitutions and a reshuffle for the home side, not helped by a yellow card to flanker Tom Ogden and Bridgend’s full back as the whistle went for the end of the half.

Unable to build on a good quarter Caerphilly failed to play the wind well in the second half and eventually paid the price as a rejuvenated Bridgend team came out strong in the second period and found themselves level on 57 minutes. During a period of pressure, a great angle was cut at pace by centre Lee Roderick to slice through the Caerphilly defence and score under the posts, Lewis adding the spoils to level the scores

Caerphilly lost prop Kieran Thomas to the sin bin on 62 minutes leaving the home side on the back foot, soaking up pressure and a man short. The pressure finally told as an attempt to clear the ball from their 22 went wrong, the wind holding the ball in the air, the visitors easily gathered. Spinning the ball from right to left winger Jamie Williams was put in space out wide and crossed for a 70^th minute try. Darren Lewis stepped up and converted the difficult conversion leaving the home side with a mammoth task.

Elsewhere, with the 2ndXV game falling foul to the weather, the Youth team travelled to Whiteheads in a re-arranged league game, which they won 10-5 at Tredegar Park, Craig Hudd and Lewys Willacott crossing for Caerphilly’s 2 tries.

Next week sees the last games before Christmas, the 1stXv entertaining Newport HSOB with the 1^st half of the season complete, the 2^ndXV also playing home against Penygraig RFC, kick off 2:00pm. The Youth team game moved to Wednesday 16^th against Abertillery BG, kick off 7:15pm