Match Report – Ebbw Vale RFC 48 Bridgend Ravens 17

Steelmen score big

Ebbw Vale ran in eight tries against Bridgend Ravens on Thursday night, in a game played in front of the S4C Clic camera’s.

The home side were quick out of the blocks. Within a minute, referee Craig Evans awarded a penalty to the hosts inside the Bridgend twenty. Outside half Evan Lloyd kicked the penalty to the corner.  From the resulting lineout, the Ebbw forwards set up a rolling maul, which ended with number eight Ryan Jenkins powering over the line to score the games first try. Fly half Lloyd was unsuccessful with the conversion.

Moments later. A smart 50:22 kick by the hosts number ten Lloyd, gave Ebbw a lineout in the Ravens twenty-two.

From the lineout, the hosts forwards and backs made inroads into the visitor’s defence. Quick ball out of the ruck to Lloyd, saw the number ten take the tackle and pass out to winger Ryan Gardner, to score in the corner. Lloyd was unable to add the extras.

With the away side having some ball, from a scrum in the Steelmen’s twenty-two, Bridgend were awarded a penalty. After a kick to the corner, the visitors were awarded a further penalty from the lineout. Referee Evans showed second row Curtis Gregory the yellow card for early contact at the lineout.

The away side scored their first try of the game when from the lineout, hooker Corey Lewis barged over the line. The visitors fly half Paul Short sent the conversion through the posts.

Within minutes Ebbw Vale scored their third try of the game. Good play by the backs saw scrum half Rory Harries chip the ball through in the Ravens twenty-two and outsprint the covering defence to score. Lloyd missed the conversion.

Referee Evans awarded the Ravens a penalty just outside the hosts twenty-two. Fly half Short kicked the penalty to reduce the deficit to five points.

Around the half hour mark, referee Evans awarded Bridgend prop Harry Olding a yellow card for not wrapping his arms at a tackle.

With the visitors reduced to fourteen men, a lovely kick down the line by Ebbw winger Ryan Gardner, saw the last line of the Bridgend defence have no option but to take the ball into touch. From the resulting lineout, referee Evans awarded the Steelmen a penalty try when the away side’s hooker Corey Lewis collapsed the rolling maul. Lewis was subsequently sent to the sin bin for ten minutes to reduce the away side to thirteen.

Being on the backfoot, the Ravens only stopped Ebbw from scoring a further try when the ball was knocked on, when at the line. From the scrum five metres out, an almighty push by the Vale pack, saw them win the ball against the head and power over the line for Ryan Jenkins to score his second try of the game. Fly half Lloyd was unsuccessful with the conversion.

From the kick off, Ebbw Vale reclaimed the ball. A kicking contest was eventually ended when the Assistant referee judged a Bridgend kick to have gone out of play on the full. With play taken back into the Ravens half, a lineout to Ebbw saw the ball won and make its way out to centre Harry Wilson on his debut. Making a half break and passing the ball to flanker Kobi Ress in the tackle, Rees showed his strength and speed from outside the twenty-two to fend off tackles and charge over the line. Outside half Lloyd added the two points.

Half Time: Ebbw Vale RFC 34 Bridgend Ravens RFC 10

With the game twelve minutes into the second half and the score not changed Ebbw coach Jason Strange replaced the front row of Luke Garrett, Ieuan Morris, Adam Williams and Cameron Regan with Morgan Williams, Joe Franchi, Adam Court and Jack Pope.

After a long kick put into the shadows of the Bridgend post, the away side tried to play out from their goal line. A tackle by the hosts fly half Lloyd saw the Steelmen regain the ball. On the try line, hooker Joe Franchi, assisted by prop Adam Court powered their way over the line for the captain to touch down. Lloyd kicked the conversion.

Early contact at a scrum in the home sides half by the Steelmen saw referee Evans award the Ravens a free kick. From the resulting free kick, the visitors went through the phases. The ball eventually went out to winger Cameron Ellis to put a cross field kick in to be collected and scored by replacement scrum half Callaghan Smith. The conversion was kicked by Smith.

The hour mark saw Ebbw coach Strange replace centre Harry Wilson with the returning Ethan Phillips, Jacob Hopkins came on for Kobi Rees and Lewis Young replaced Ryan Jenkins.

With fifteen minutes left in the game, a scrum from a not straight Bridgend lineout, saw referee Evans award the home side a penalty. With Lloyd kicking to the corner, a lineout on the five-metre line, saw replacement Jacob Hopkins peel off the maul and beat the tackle to score the games final try of the evening. Lloyd kicked the conversion.

Ebbw Vale try scoring scrum half Rory Harries was replaced by Dan Buffrey.

With the game inside the last ten minutes, pushing and shoving off the ball ended with the assistant referee adjudging replacement centre Ethan Phillips to have thrown a punch. Referee Evans consulted his assistant and showed Phillips a red card to reduce Ebbw Vale to fourteen men for the remainder of the game.

Full Time: Ebbw Vale RFC 48 Bridgend Ravens RFC 17

Tries: Ryan Jenkins (2), Ryan Gardner (1), Rory Harries (1), Penalty try (1), Kobi Rees (1),  Joe Franchi (1), Jacob Hopkins (1)

Conversions: Evan Lloyd (3)

PLEASE NOTE: The red card given to Ethan Phillips has been rescinded and Ethan will be available for the next match against Carmarthen Quins

Ebbw Vale RFC next game is at home against Carmarthen Quins on Sat 5^th April 2025, with kick off at 2:30pm.

Written by Alex Kinsella-Evans