Ebbw’s defence of the Principality Premiership title got off to a disappointing start with a 24-22 defeat at Parc y Scarlets on Sunday afternoon.

The Steelmen opened the scoring within the first minute when Josh Lewis, back in Ebbw colours after two years at the Scarlets, sliced through mid field and fed Jared Rosser whose pace took him clear of the Llanelli defenders to score. Lewis converted.

Llanelli’s riposte was immediate. Taking the game to Ebbw, they won a series of penalties that Billy McBryde converted, giving the hosts a 9-7 advantage and seeing Ebbw reduced to 14 men as the referee’s patience ran out.

Ebbw eventually won a decision, for a free kick from a scrum offence, and scrum half Chris Thomas took a quick tap that caught his opponents flat-footed, to score under the posts. Lewis converted for 14-9. The first half’s final score was a Lewis penalty that sent theteams in at half time with the score at 17-9.

Five minutes into the second half, Ebbw won another penalty and Lewis found a great touch to set up a catch and drive, finished by Mathew Williams. It was 22-9 and, minutes later, the Steelmen had a great chance to score a fourth try that would have taken the game beyond Llanelli and gained the bonus point. However, the 5m lineout was fluffed and Llanelli cleared. In fairness, the rest of the game belonged to them, with Ebbw frequently upsetting the officials and conceding a raft of penalties, enabling the deadly McBryde to kick for attacking positions. A second yellow card for Ebbw saw the tide turn strongly in the home team’s favour and, in the last 15 minutes, tries came for Taylor Davies and Dion Jones, and a successful conversion of the latter, with just 5 minutes to go, would probably have won the game for Llanelli. McBryde’s touchline attempt was wide but, four minutes later, there was a certain inevitability when Ebbw conceded another penalty in front of their posts, and the number 10 made no mistake to give his team a famous 24-22 victory.

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Cafodd ymgais Glynebwy i amddiffyn teitl Uwch Gynghrair y Principality gychwyn  siomedig iawn, gyda cholled 22-24 yn erbyn Llanelli ym Mharc y Scarlets brynhawn Sul.

Sgoriodd y Gwyr Dur yn y funud gyntaf ar ôl i Josh Lewis garlamu trwy’r canol cyn bwydo Jared Rosser, a chyflymder yr asgellwr yn ei gymryd yn glir o amddiffynwyr Llanelli. Trosodd Lewis.

Ymatebodd Llanelli ar unwaith, gan gymryd y gêm i Lynebwy ac ennill cyfres o gosbau i roi cyfle i faswr, Billy McBryde, a lwyddodd dairgwaith i roi mantais i’w dîm gan 9 pwynt i 7. Roedd yn amlwg bod y dyfarnwr yn colli amynedd gyda chwaraewyr Glynebwy, ac aeth Gethin Robinson am sbel 10 munud ar y fainc gosbi.

O’r diwedd, ennillodd Glynebwy benderfyniad, am gic rhydd yn dilyn trosedd sgrym, a chymerodd mewnwr Chris Thomas dap cyflym, yn dal ei wrthwynebwyr ar gamfa a sgorio o dan y pyst. Trosodd Lewis am 14-9, ac ynteu’n sgorio cic cosb cyn yr egwyl i roi’r fantais i’w dîm gan 17-9.

Pum munud i mewn i’r ail hanner, enillodd Glynebwy gosb unwaith eto. Sefydlodd cic Lewis gyfle am “catch’n’Kynes” ond, yn y pendraw, “catch’n’Chunk” oedd e; y bachwr pobolgaidd Mathew Williams yn cyflawni’r cais.  22-9 oedd hi erbyn hyn a, munudau yn ddiweddarach, roedd gan y Gwyr Dur gyfle anhygoel i sgorio eu pedwerydd cais a fyddai’n cymryd y gêm tu hwnt i Lanelli ac ennill y pwynt bonws. Fodd bynnag, aeth leinowt 5m yn dipyn o lanast a chliriodd Llanelli.

A dweud y gwir, roedd y tîm cartref yn meistroli gweddill y gêm, gyda Glynebwy yn aml yn peri gofid i’r swyddogion ac ildio llu o gosbau, gan alluogi i McBryde bwyso’n drwm arnyn nhw. Gwnaeth ail gerdyn melyn i Lynebwy achosi i’r llanw droi’n gryf o blaid y tîm cartref ac, yn y 15 munud olaf, daeth geisiau i Taylor Davies a Dion Jones. Methodd McBryde drosi yr ail, ac roedd Glynebwy dal ar y blaen, 22-21. Ond, pedwar munud yn ddiweddarach, ac yn anochel, ildiodd Glynebwy gic cosb arall o flaen y pyst, a gwnaeth McBryde ddim camgymeriad i ennill y gêm i Lanelli, 24-22.

Roedd yn brynhawn siomedig iawn i Lynebwy, a bydd rhaid iddynt wneud yn well llawer iawn yn erbyn Pontypridd ddydd Sadwrn nesaf.