SSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
LLANHARAN 0 RGC 1404 80
The talented WRU sponsored youngsters from north Wales put themselves back in the critical top four with this twelve tries demolition of brave Llanharan who never gave up a hopeless task.
It was the same familiar story for the Dairymen – a regular five minutes or so of useful endeavour, only for the visiting team to ruthlessly exploit the weak tackling once they regained possession.
Although on times Llanharan put some pressure on in the visiting twenty-two, with the set piece doing respectably well, they could not get the morale boosting score their unstinting effort deserved.
Irrespective of the outcome, of major concern was the serious neck injury to RGC wing Tiaan Loots on the stroke of half time. From the first 999 call, it took 90 minutes for a paramedic to arrive – something that speaks volumes for the system in Wales – and everyone wishes Tiaan all the best.
There was a nice occasion at the start though where little local battler Cian Case made a surprise appearance and along with brother Dylan and dad Richard had his picture taken with the team and former Wales and Lions star Phil Davies.
Cian, one of the mini Dairy Tots at the club, has been fighting cancer for several months and was warmly applauded as he led the team out with skipper Huw Thomas.
The home side actually started with a bright move that saw Josh Clark scythe through the away ranks on a 40 metres run, prop Tom Evans adding some force before the movement fell foul of Simon Mills’s whistle.
Nevertheless, it took the RGC outfit no time at all after that to show their credentials, Loots, Will Bryan and Afon Bagshaw all over the line in the opening quarter with James Lang converting two for a 19-0 lead.
Another strong Evans burst offered respite, but the free running rugby career hopefuls made it 40-0 at half time helped by tries from Bryan, Kelvin Davies and Afon Bagshaw, all three added to by Lang.
Even so, Llanharan finished with an attack, Rhys Taylor stopped short as Llan put a penalty to the corner.
After the turn around home outside half Scott Jones put in one nice kick and chase, but his side soon found itself at the other end, with some doughty defence typified by the efforts of Gavin Parsons and Rhydian Worgan.
It allowed Llanharan to get to the RGC corner flag where the industrious Tom Wilson and Kieran Martin drove at the line without profit as the pressure ended with a knock on, and there was one good Owain Howe run as the Dairymen made a fist of it in the third quarter.
However, each time Llanharan broke down the inevitable happened. Tackles were missed and more tries came in the final stages from Lang (2), Richard Hopkins, Danny Cross and Cameron Davies, Lang converting four for a thirty points haul.
Team: 15 HARRISON EVANS14 RHYDIAN WORGAN13 ALEX HUGHES 70) JOSH CLARK12 LIAM UNION 11 GAVIN PARSONS 10 SCOTT JONES 9 ALED JONES 1 RHYS TAYLOR 2 SAM LLEWELLYN (1 SAM PICK 60) 3 TOM EVANS 4 KIERAN MARTIN 5 OWAIN HOWE ( TOM HARRIS 72) 6 PAUL WINTER 7 ( ALED LLEWELLYN 50) TOM WILSON 8 HUW THOMAS (CAPT). UNUSED REPLACEMENT RHYS LANGDON
Their tries: Afon Bagshaw 2, James Lang 2, Will Bryan 2, Tiaan Loots, Danny Cross, Richard Hopkins, Cameron Davies, Kelvin Davies, Sam Jones Lang – 10 cons.