Last season’s Division 1 East champions made it five out of five as they ran in five tries to thrill their fans. The tries flowed from Ronny Kynes, Tom Ashmead, Josh Lewis, Josh Davies and Wes Cunliffe, while Newbridge, who suffered their first defeat of the campaign, scored a charged down try at the start of the second half through Tom Edwards.
In a game the Steelmen dominated, Ronny Kynes got the first try after Dan Haymond’s early penalty. A catch and drive from a lineout following a penalty saw the Newbridge forwards back-pedalling quickly allowing Kynes to grab the try.
Ebbw’s second was scored by Tom Ashmead, whose scintillating run-in from half way saw him turn would-be tacklers inside out. It was 18-0 at half time but it could have been much more had Ebbw taken all their chances, one three man overlap somehow overlooked by the home side.
Newbridge were clearly wounded by the first half and came out strongly after the break. In the first minute, former Ebbw scrum half Tom Edwards charged down Haymond’s clearance and Burnett kicked the conversion to make the score 18-7. Any prospects of a fightback were nullified though when Josh Lewis capitalised on a kick ahead to score.
And the bonus point was in the bag when replacement scrum half Josh Davies darted over after sustained pressure by the superb Ebbw pack. That made it 30-7 but the Steelmen weren’t done and a brilliant break by the hungry-looking Wes Cunliffe appeared to have put Davies in for a second score.
When he was tackled short, the alert Cunliffe, who had run a great supporting line, was on his shoulder to accept the pop pass and register his side’s fifth try.
Ebbw Vale’s win took them to the top of the table as they leapfrogged over Bargoed, who won a nail biting encounter against the students at Cardiff Met, 21-20. There was just one try to separate the sides, with prop James Howe’s touchdown making the difference for visitors.
Wing Gareth Dare and Lee Pearson also scored for Bargoed, while Pierre Tucker and wing Connor Truman for Cardiff Met made the lives difficult for the away side.
Meanwhile, Pontypool lie bottom of the Championship, having lost at home to Bridgend Athletic 23-22 despite scoring more tries. Outside half Elliott Goodman, Matt Thomas and Clayton Gullis crossed and Gullis also added seven points with the boot.
But a last gasp conversion that went in off the post from Steve Lewis, who notched 13 points, allowed Bridgend Athletic to steal the win. Dan Davies and Lloyd Evans scored the away team’s tries as they moved up to fifth from bottom.
Whitland, like Pontypool, are still without a win, but they were at least able to celebrate a draw at Glamorgan Wanderers after late penalty by Scott Newton ensured that the result stood at 20-20.
Meanwhile, full-back Sean Summers and centre Ryan Evans’s tries meant Llanharan saw off Beddau in a 15-10 win for the black and blue side while Narberth thrashed Bonymaen 35-12 in a mid-table clash.
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