Cardiff 20 Ebbw Vale 36

Magnificent Ebbw Bring Home the Bonus Point Win

Report by Alex Kinsella-Evans

A superb display by the Steelmen forwards laid the foundations for a bonus point victory.

With the away side taking the game to the hosts straight from the kick off, a penalty was awarded after a late tackle on scrum half Jon Evans. The resulting penalty was kicked into the home side twenty-two. From the lineout, the Ebbw forwards set up a maul which ended in hooker Ieuan Morris diving over the line to score the games first try. Outside Half Evan Lloyd successfully added the two points.

Shortly afterwards, the referee awarded a penalty to the Rags, just inside the Ebbw Vale half. Young fly half Harrison James stepped up and sent the ball through the uprights to get his team’s first points of the game.

After the referee penalised Cardiff again, another kick into the home sides twenty-two by Ebbw fly half Lloyd, once again saw the forwards charge towards the line. However, this time the referee awarded a penalty try to the Steelmen after only an infringement stopped the forwards from crossing the line.  As a result, the referee showed the Rags flanker Nathan Hudd a yellow card.

From a scrum just inside the away side’s half, the referee penalised the Ebbw Vale pack. From a similar position to their first penalty, number ten James was on this occasion unsuccessful with his kick.

Ebbw scored their third try of the game after a superb 50:22 kick by the Steelmen’s centre Ethan Phillips, saw number two Morris score his second try of the game after the forwards set up another maul from the lineout. Fly half Lloyd was successful with the conversion to put his team eighteen points in front of the hosts.

Cardiff got their first try of the game, when from a lineout inside the away side’s twenty-two, hooker Alun Rees dived over the line. Outside half James added the extras.

A further penalty by James, saw the home side reduce the deficit to eight points before both sides were reduced to fourteen men. The home side’s Harrison James and Steelmen’s Jon Evans spent ten minutes in the sin bin for an altercation off the ball.

Some excellent kicking from Ebbw’s Evan Lloyd kept the away side in the Cardiff half. With only minutes left in the first half, from a lineout inside the Rags twenty-two, a driving maul by the away side’s forwards provided number eight Ryan Jenkins with the platform to score his teams fourth try of the game. Lloyd brought the half to a close by successfully kicking the conversion.

Half Time: Cardiff 13-28 Ebbw Vale

Shortly after the game resumed, the home side scored their second try of the game. A clever back move resulted in winger Kodie Stone scoring a well taken try after finishing off a length of the field attack. James kicked the conversion.

The Steelmen’s marksman Lloyd put his team eleven points ahead from a penalty, after the referee penalised Cardiff for ill-discipline.

Straight after, Ebbw coach Jason Strange replaced the impressive Ieuan Morris with co-captain Rhys Francis and the hard-working Cameron Regan with Gethin Williams.

Lloyd uncharacteristically missed the uprights for the away side after the referee once again penalised the Rags.

With Ebbw Vale applying the pressure, a wonderful break of the line by fly half Lloyd, saw the outside half throw an audacious out of the back of the hand pass to supporting winger Harry Rees-Weldon, who went over the line to score his first try for the team. Lloyd unluckily missed the extras.

Further replacements from Ebbw, saw the exceptional Luke Garrett and excellent Harry Drane be replaced by Morgan Davies and Adam Court, Jakub Malecki replaced the industrious Curtis Gregory, Chad Thomas came on for the superb Ryan Jenkins, Rory Harries replaced the brilliant Jon Evans and Kieran Meek came on for the wonderful Evan Lloyd.

No further points were added to the scoreline, despite the best efforts of both sides. However, the home side was reduced to fourteen men for the last few moments of the match when flanker Nathan Hudd was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Full Time: Cardiff 20-36 Ebbw Vale

Scorers: Tries: Ieuan Morris (2), Ryan Jenkins, Harry Rees-Weldon, Penalty try

Pen: Evan Lloyd   Cons: Evan Lloyd (3)

Ebbw Vale’s next game is away to Neath on Saturday 23 September 2023 in the cup, where coach Strange will no doubt be hoping the squad can continue their good form.