Saturday’s top of the table clash in the penultimate game before the play-offs will guarantee the winners a place in the final four. The Wizards were the game’s dominant force at Carmarthen as they went into the interval with a commanding 19-0 lead.
Despite an early yellow card for Joe Tomalin-Reeves, the visitors scored three tries before the break courtesy of prop Alex Jeffries, David Pritchard and Stef Andrews. Outside half James Garland converted the first two of those scores as the Quins struggled to get going.
The Carmarthen-based outfit are yet to win since the league was split in two and any hopes of a comeback were hit on the game’s resumption. Ben Davies’ try wasn’t improved upon by Garland, but at 24-0 Aberavon were pretty much home and hosed – and with a bonus point in the bag.
But Aled Thomas finally got the Quins on the scoreboard with a try, but it still seemed like only one result was possible. Quins had other ideas, though, and they came roaring back to set up a nervy finale.
Rhys Williams and Morgan Allen crossed for two further tries and the extras left just three points between the teams. Suddenly it was all the home side, but in the end, they just couldn’t do quite enough to get back into things and fell short by a narrow margin despite two conversions from Craig Evans and one from Aled Thomas.
In Tier 2, Newport retained their unbeaten record in Tier 2 of the Principality Premiership as they put a dent in Bargoed’s hopes of reaching the play-offs with a 15-11 win. The success puts them five points clear at the summit, ahead of regional rivals Cross Keys.
A tight first period saw Wales Under 20 outside half Arwel Robson provide the only points for the Black and Ambers courtesy of a second-minute penalty. Newport also picked up two yellow cards in the opening 40 minutes, as Robson left midway through the half and flanker Rhodri Jones went on the stroke of half time.
The arm wrestle continued in the second period. Bargoed hit the front with two quick-fire penalties from full-back Matthew Lewis, on permit from Newport Gwent Dragons, but the crucial moment in the game came when referee Gareth John awarded Newport a penalty try after 55 minutes.
Robson converted, but Bargoed battled back to regain the lead just after the hour mark with a try from back line replacement Lewis Lippiett, but this time Lewis couldn’t add the extras.
It meant Bargoed, who had won a thriller at Neath the previous weekend, were back in front by just a single point as the game entered the final 10 minutes.
But Newport’s Llywarch Ap Myrddin scored a 74th minute try to pull his team out of the fire. The conversion was missed, but Newport remain on the brink of a play-off place.
