Club Scribe Spotlight & Cardiff Met team for Sat.

Scribe's Spotlight on Cardiff Met In half a century of rugby, few institutions can claim to have done more in the production of rugby talent. Galaxies of stars have received their final grooming at the campus and a high percentage of players in the upper echelons of the game can claim to have graduated from this Cardiff university. Sir Gareth Edwards actually gained his first cap while there, and in the modern game both sides of the border it’s not hard to find those who had their grooming at Cyncoed.

Free flowing rugby is still their traditional hallmark, and their rugby philosophy made them Sevens kings many times, success extending to the European sphere of this specialist branch of the game - winners in Grenoble in 2007 having already been crowned BUSA champions. Their reputation on the British scene in the fifteen a side game is underlined by regular BUCS honours.

The demands from two directions, university and national league, are considerable and contrary to common belief they may have superb facilities but are not full-time players, training taking place in the evenings after studies have finished.

Our own former captain and coach Chris Davey was the senior don for a few years in what was then the UWIC rugby set up. He was highly regarded in the game after his success with Wales Under 20s.

Their emblem in a Henry V bowman from the Hundred Years war, symbolising an ability to be resilient and victorious, deadly accurate against the odds - hope they’ve left the bows behind today! Whatever, it’s a pleasure to renew league competition with the students.

At the end of last Premiership season, they had only managed 7 wins in 24 outings, and were just 6 points above safety, though they finished with a good victory at Llanelli Wanderers. There was a cup quarter final, but they came up against in-form Bargoed. They did respectably in the BUCS Super championship with a mid-table finish.

And what a prospect we have today. Our boys have produced some scintillating rugby in a 100% return to the championship. The students have a similar record, and with their fast and open game, it should be quite a thriller. Can’t wait!

MEMORY LANE WITH THE SCRIBE

SWALEC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP May 6 2015

LLANHARAN 21 CARDIFF METROPOLITAN 13 (HT 5-6)

We knew the target – a single bonus point would keep us in the championship and send Tondu down.

We did more than enough, a whole hearted display seeing off the students for a precious victory.

A young team that had grown in strength and confidence since the turn of the year, inspirationally led by Scott Malone, truly came of age on a night when a westerly gale and torrential rain graced proceedings.

Encouraging signs that things were becoming better had appeared in the second half of winter, and coaches Colin Malone and Dennis John, the latter magnanimously stepping back into the breach when Matthew Lloyd left, began to see the reward for their investment in undoubted, if somewhat raw, talent.

Against the Met there was ultimate composure, commitment and competence as we earned our worthy reprieve.

We faced the elements in the first forty, and did what was necessary at just 6-5 down to set the scene for second half dominance.

Our sixth placed opponents were given early evidence of what was to come with Nathan Huish and his pack strong in the set pieces, but two penalty kicks by Jacob Chilcott gave them a 6-0 advantage on the half hour.

However, we got the motivational score we wanted before the turn around as Huish, Rory Martin- Smith and Jack Davies made headway, assisted by the unsung grafting of Theaker, always probing thoughtfully.

A penalty to the corner gave Huish the chance he thrived on and the doughty hooker was over wide out for the important try.

We did not have the best of starts with the gale at our backs after the turn around as the set piece suffered a few wobbles, but it soon got back on course.

Met paid the price for some talking back as ten metres were added to a penalty and young Harrison Evans, an example of a player who has rapidly found his feet at a higher level in the game, drilled over the kick to give us the lead.

Then it was Evans’ up and under that created a foothold inside the defending twenty-two, and Huish came away from the lineout to set the backs in motion. Sam Edwards, a perpetual threat with co centre Tom Farrah-Evans, broke through the mid field for the clinching try as the third quarter came to an end.

Evans converted and then struck another decisive penalty for an 18-6 lead after Morgan Williams, like fellow winger Josh Clark an ever-alert member of the back division, had come agonisingly close to getting the touchdown as the ball drifted just out of reach propelled by the wind over the dead ball area.

We were now well in control, Evans landing yet another superb kick for a fifteen-point lead.

Useful re-energising came as Aled Rees, Gethin Cashmore, Tom Williams, Ollie Smyth and Mike Powell were sent on, and although there was a converted touchdown for prop Will Norton from a short-range penalty drive right at the end, our triumph was by then a foregone conclusion.

Llanharan tries – Nathan Huish and Sam Edwards; con and pens 3 – Harrison Evans.

Cardiff Met try – Will Norton; pens 2 – Jacob Chilcott; con Lewis Pearce.

Llanharan:

15 Geraint Llewellyn14 Morgan Williams (Mike Powell 74) 13 Sam Edwards

12 Tom Farrah-Evans 11 Josh Clark (Ollie Smyth 72) 10 Harrison Evans

9 Nick Theaker 1 Simon Collins 2 Nathan Huish (Gethin Cashmore 70)

3 Tom Piper (Aled Rees 66) 4 Jack Davies (Tom Williams 71) 5 Bill Carey

6 Scott Malone (C) 7 Rory Martin-Smith 8 Huw Thomas

Table top Clash. ⚫🔵⚫🔵🏉

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