Renowned over the years as a formidable opponent up front, Ebbw Vale’s backline are doing their best to suggest their side are more than a one-trick pony.
Many sides have succumbed to the up the jumper tactic at Ciner Glass Community Stadium for more years than most care to remember and even though hookers Ieuan Morris and Joe Franchi share 21 tries between them, the Steelmen outside backs are giving their forwards a good run for their money in the try scoring charts.
Morris has plateaued at the top of the try stakes with 13, having seen his front row colleague Franchi move to third in the pecking order with eight tries, with Cardiff’s Alun Rees jammed in between the two with nine.
Wingers Dafydd Thomas and Ewan Bowden have reached seven tries alongside centre Ethan Phillips as five Ebbw Vale players fill five of the top eight spots.
Elsewhere RGC’s full back Dion Jones is quietly going about his business to become an influential player for the north Walians.
Only three other players have had more game time than Jones. He has clear daylight between him and the trailing field in the contact off-loads category – he has made 26 offloads with Llandovery veteran Adam Warren and Carwyn Parry next up with 16 each.
Jones has made nine line-breaks, only Bridgend’s McCauley Rowley (11) and RGC teammate Caio Parry (10) are ahead of him while he has also been a threat in attack, beating 39 defenders – only Aberavon’s Scott Deleno has beaten more with 44.
Super Rygbi Cymru statistics update
| Points total (Kick Success %) | Player | Club |
| 125 (85%) | Billy McBryde | RGC |
| 83 (62%) | Keillen Cullen | Aberavon |
| 75 (62%) | Josh Phillips | Swansea |
| 69 (81%) | Kieran Meek | Pontypool |
| 67 (78%) | Elis Price | Carmarthen Quins |
| Tries Scored | Player | Club |
| 13 | Ieuan Morris | Ebbw Vale |
| 9 | Alun Rees | Cardiff RFC |
| 8 | Joe Franchi | Ebbw Vale |
| 7 | Dafydd Thomas/Ethan Phillips/Ewan Bowden | Ebbw Vale |
| 7 | Wade Langley | Newport |
| Match Starts / Apperances (Min) | Player | Club |
| 12/12 (1047mins) | Caio Parry | RGC |
| 12/12 (1042mins) | Carwyn Penny | Newport |
| 12/12 (1033mins) | Ashton Evans | Aberavon |
| 12/12 (1016mins) | Dion Jones | RGC |
| 12/11 (987mins) | Frankie Jones | Aberavon |
| Rucks Involved In | Player | Club |
| 288 | Joseff Powell | Llandovery |
| 220 | Osian Davies | Llandovery |
| 211 | Charlie Probert | RGC |
| 191 | Josh Skinner | Newport |
| 178 | Callum Bowden | Swansea |
| Contact Offloads | Player | Club |
| 24 | Dion Jones | RGC |
| 16 | Adam Warren | Llandovery |
| 16 | Carwyn Penny | Newport |
| 15 | Lee Rees | Llandovery |
| 14 | Multiple Players | – |
| Carries (Collision Dom %) | Player | Club |
| 157 (59%) | Ashton Evans | Aberavon |
| 117 (41%) | Dafydd Thirsk | RGC |
| 113 (43%) | Lewys Millin | Carmarthen Quins |
| 109 (39%) | Scott Matthews | Pontypool |
| 102 (33%) | Shaun Evans | Carmarthen Quins |
| Line-breaks | Player | Club |
| 11 | McCauley Rowley | Bridgend |
| 10 | Caio Parry | RGC |
| 9 | Dion Jones | RGC |
| 8 | Aaron Warren | Llandovery |
| 8 | Matteus Young | Cardiff RFC |
| Defenders Beaten | Player | Club |
| 44 | Scott Delnevo | Aberavon |
| 39 | Dion Jones | RGC |
| 37 | Matteus Young | Cardiff RFC |
| 33 | Lewis Edwards | Swansea |
| 31 | Caio Parry | RGC |
| Dominant Tackles | Player | Club |
| 14 | Tom Phillips | Carmarthen Quins |
| 13 | Jac Howells | Carmarthen Quins |
| 12 | Iestyn Richards | Carmarthen Quins |
| 8 | Multiple Players | – |
| 7 | Multiple Players | – |
| Tackles (Collision Dom %) | Player | Club |
| 130 (68%) | Lewys Millin | Carmarthen Quins |
| 120 (74%) | Callum Bowden | Swansea |
| 106 (73%) | Dafydd Thirsk | RGC |
| 106 (71%) | Charlie Probert | RGC |
| 101 (59%) | Ashton Evans | Aberavon |
| Turnovers Won | Player | Club |
| 23 | Scott Matthews | Pontypool |
| 20 | James Brown | RGC |
| 18 | Joseff Powell | Llandovery |
| 17 | Callum Bowden | Swansea |
| 16 | Ben Roach | Newport |
| “Post Tackle” | Player | Club |
| 121 | Scott Matthews | Pontypool |
| 82 | Shaun Evans | Carmarthen Quins |
| 77 | Lewys Millin | Carmarthen Quins |
| 73 | Dafydd Thirsk | RGC |
| 72 | Charlie Probert | RGC |
| Passes / Offloads (Accuracy %) | Player | Club |
| 576/15 (95%) | Lee Rees | Llandovery |
| 484/13 (92%) | Morgan Lloyd | Pontypool |
| 445/3 (97%) | Scott Whitlock | Aberavon |
| 432/4 (93%) | Dafydd Buckland | Newport |
| 427/12 (85%) | Connor Dever | RGC |
| Success Penalty (Total %) | Player | Club |
| 10 (71%) | Billy McBryde | RGC |
| 9 (90%) | Kieran Meek | Pontypool |
| 9 (82%) | Elis Price | Carmarthen Quins |
| 8 (100%) | Jack Maynard | Llandovery |
| 7 (88%) | Keillen Cullen | Aberavon |
| Success Converison (Total %) | Player | Club |
| 35 (90%) | Billy McBryde | RGC |
| 24 (77%) | Evan Lloyd | Ebbw Vale |
| 22 (81%) | Jac Lloyd | Newport |
| 22 (59%) | Josh Phillips | Swansea |
| 21 (88%) | Dorian Jones | Ebbw Vale |
| “Work + Tackle” (Total %) | Player | Club |
| 17 (30%) | Scott Matthews | Pontypool |
| 16 (28%) | Ryan Bean | Carmarthen Quins |
| 16 (15%) | Charlie Probert | RGC |
| 15 (20%) | Osian Davies | Llandovery |
| 15 (19%) | Ethan Fackrell | Swansea |
| 15 (12%) | Lewys Millin | Carmarthen Quins |