Jared Parry
In a close affair, on a cold Wednesday night at Cardiff Arms Park the University of South Wales’ mens rugby 1sts managed to edge out their rivals from the University of West of England 25 to 22.
After a cagey opening, the game sprung into life when USW winger Pedro Pedatoga powered down the wing and into the 22 only to be stopped by UWE’s Joe Massarella. USW got the ball away from the breakdown, but conceded a penalty for holding on in the next phase.
UWE opted to kick for touch but failed to make it resulting in USW’s Iwan Dawes to break and offload the ball to Rhys Peters who produced the first try of the game. Liam Herdman struck the conversion against the post.
UWE began passing the ball through the line when Tom Davies made a run on the wing to get UWE’s first try. UWE claimed the last pass was forward pass, but the referee had no interest. Oli Radford failed to convert.
USW’s No.8 Logan Walsh was sin binned for a no arms tackle and UWE took advantage playing quick passes, which found Max Mayes out wide to run in UWE’s second try. Oli Radford converted this time.
USW conceded a penalty in their own 22, Oli Radford stepped up to add three points and send the visitors 15-5 ahead going in at half-time.
USW came out firing in the second half when Jacob Skeels made a break into the 22, but Liam Herdman fumbled the offload. Pedatoga also broke down the wing with a kick and chase, but didn’t make it to the end of his kick. But the pressure ended in a USW penalty and Liam Herdman added the three points.
The breakthrough came when Herdman played a cheeky grubber kick through the UWE defence and gathered it to get USW’s 2nd try of the evening. Herdman also converted.
Herdman put another grubber kick through but UWE beat him to it and touched it down. This led to UWE scuffing the drop out kick and USW capitalised and Herdman went over for USW’s 3rd try, and he also added two points with his conversion.
UWE went over with a pick and drive try in the dying moments of the game but it was too little too late as the referee blew up to confirm a USW victory.