Ebbw’s good form in the Premiership’s second stage continued with a scrappy but deserved win over struggling Neath. 24 hours before kick off, the pitch was covered in snow, so congratulations must go to the ground staff for producing a surface that, although soft, was perfectly playable.

Ebbw’s forward power provided the platform for the victory, with early scrum dominance setting up penalty opportunities that kept the Blacks back pedalling. Dai Jones took one quickly to catch Neath napping as he darted over for the try which his half back partner, Dai Langdon, goaled. On 30 minutes, a Langdon penalty to touch set up new dad Ronny Kynes for a touch down from a driving maul. Langdon converted to put his side 14-0 up at half time. The scoreline hardly reflected Ebbw’s supremacy, and there were undoubtedly lost opportunities for more scores on an afternoon when handling and even staying upright were difficult.

Neath appeared reinvigorated after the break, and full back Ed Howley brought them back into the game with two early penalties. At 14-6, Ebbw needed to settle nerves, and Langdon’s 50th minute penalty did just that. However, a combination of Neath’s brave defence and Ebbw’s rustiness after a 3-week lay off meant that the Steelmen didn’t score again until the last minute when a series of forward drives opened up space out wide and Toby Fricker scored in the corner. The game finished at 22-6, with Lewis Young, enjoying life in the Premiership as a Steelman once again, named as European Heritage Man of the Match. Rhys Clarke, outstanding in all he did at blindside flanker, couldn’t have been far behind him, and there were others pushing hard for the honour, too.

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Petasai rhywun wedi dweud, bore dydd Gwener, gydag eira yn gorwedd yn ddwfn ar Barc Eugene Cross, y byddai’r gêm rhwng Glynewby a Chastell Nedd yn mynd ymlaen y diwrnod nesaf, mawr basai’r chwerthin ar ei ben. Ond, pob clod i’r gofalwr tir a’i dîm am eu holl waith caled i baratoi’r maes.

Mae gwellhad tîm Glynebwy wedi bod yn amlwg ers trothwy’r flwyddyn, yn seiliedig ar nerth y blaenwyr. Dyna’r stori heddiw, unwaith eto, wrth i Gwyr y Dur gwblhau buddugoliaeth deling ond Bach yn ddisgyswllt.

Bu Castell Nedd yn ildio ciciau cosb yn aml iawn ar ddechrau’r gêm, o dan lach pac y tîm cartref ac, ar 10 munud, bu mewnwr Dai Jones yn mynd drosodd i sgorio’r cais cyntaf. 7-0 oedd y sgôr ar ôl trosiad maswr Dai Langdon. Ar hanner awr bu Langdon yn sefydlu platfform ymosodol gwych yn y cornel, a bu capten Ronny Kanes yn manteisio, gyda Catch’a’Kynes gwych, Langdon yn ychwanegu’r trosiad i fynd a’i dîm i’r egwyl yn y blaen gan 14-0/

Bu Castell Nedd yn dechrau’r ail hanner yn gryf iawn ac yn bygwth amddiffyn Glynebwy o ddifri. Bu Ed Howley yn llwyddo â dau gic cosb, a 14-6 oedd y sgôr. Er bod blaenwyr Glynebwy yn drech na’u gwrthwynebwyr, ni fu modd iddynt fylchu amddiffyn yr ymwelwyr. Bu Gwyr y Dur yn euog o wastraffu cyfleoedd ond, i fod yn deg, fu cyflwr y maes yddim yn helpu. Bu cais ola’r gêm yn dod yn hwyr iawn: Toby Fricker yn croesi yn y cornel.

Bydd y chwaraewyr a’r hyfforddwyr yn hapus dros ben gyda’r fuddugoliaeth, ond yn siomedig iawn i golli pwynt bonws. Seren y Gêm oedd Lewis Young, wythwr Glynebwy.

Dan Haymond, Steffan Thomas, James lewis, Dominic Franchi, Toby Fricker; Dai Langdon, Dai Jones; Joel Harries, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks; Kristian Parker, Lance Randall; Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes (Capt), Lewis Young. Bench: Joe Franchi, Curtis Hicks, Jordan Rogers, Josh Jacas, Jon Davies, Sam Ireland, Tom Hoppe, Lewis Dennett.