Rumney : 15.M.Milsom 14.D.Clements 13.S.McIntyre 12.P.Niblett 11.G.Niblett 10.A.Harding (Capt)  9.B.Morris 1.M.Gee  2.N.Ritchie  3.D.Bartlett 4.A.Jones 5.M.Kelly  6.A.N.Other 7.R.Sutton 8.C.Barker Replacements : D.Clark D.Simons S.Coles J.Greedy C.Ford J.Harris

 

Scorers for Rumney : D.Clements try, S.McIntyre try, A.Jones try and conversion, B.Morris try, A.Harding conversion

Scorers for Llanharan : M.Roper 3 tries, O.Ford try, R.Emms try, C.Malone 2 tries, C.Bevan try, M.Davies 7 conversions

Referee : Hadyn Davies, Bethesda

Rumney started this game well, causing Llanharan plenty of problems, with flanker Neil Coles and centre Stuart McIntyre carving out big gaps and forcing the home side into giving away penalties. Slowly however, Llanharan began to exert pressure and it was good tackling and kicking by the Rumney defenders that kept them out, but in the twelfth minute a take against the head allowed the Dairymen to set up a series of threequarter movements and finally outside half Mark Roper cut through to score the opening try. Full back Marc Davies added the conversion and soon Llanharan were on the attack again, taking play to within ten metres of the Rumney line, but No8 Carl Barker made a vital interception and sprinted sixty metres before passing inside to flanker Ryan Sutton, whose clever flick to lock Michael Kelly allowed him to send left wing Dan Clements away under the sticks for one of the outstanding tries of the season, the successful conversion bringing the scores level at 7 - 7. The home side soon struck back with Roper supplying hooker Richard Emms with a try scoring pass and Davies' conversion restoring the lead to 14 - 7. With twenty five minutes gone Rumney had the put-in at a scrum on the Llanharan ten metre line, Barker picked up and linked with half backs Ben Morris and Adam Harding who supplied McIntyre with a well timed pass and although he still had a long way to go, the centre evaded all tacklers to score an excellent try. The visiting forwards were contesting well in the set pieces and a good take in the lineout by lock Anthony Jones allowed Coles and centre Paul Niblett to carve up the midfield and return the ball to Jones to score a well created try, which put his side into the lead at 14 - 19. Rumney continued to press in the Llanharan half but a breakout just before half time saw Roper cross for his second try and Davies' conversion restored the home side's lead to 21 - 19.

The second half started with further Llanharan pressure but outstanding work at the base of the scrum by Barker and breaks by McIntyre kept them at bay until the forty sixth minute when Roper found his way through the defence to complete his hat trick of tries. The sin binning of Barker resulted in Llanharan regaining dominance at forward and influential No8 Colin Malone finished off a push over try, increasing the lead to 31 - 19. From the restart Sutton received his marching orders for a second bookable offence and although Coles and Kelly in particular continued to attack, numerical supremacy took its toll and Llanharan ran in tries by Chris Bevan, Malone and prop Owain Ford. In injury time loose play allowed Jones to claim possession, and a linking movement between Morris and Coles gave Rumney a final try as the elusive scrum half touched down under the posts, with the conversion bringing the game to an end at 54 - 24.

Shaun Lee, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "A very good performance from the squad. We took the game to Llanharan and played good rugby, scoring some very good tries. At half time the game was evenly balanced, with the score being 21-19, but due to over eager play we were punished with the sin binning of two players, which allowed the opposition a huge advantage. As a consequence they used this opportunity and built up a comfortable lead. It is very important that the players learn from this indiscipline and they will become a better side for it. The squad battled for every scrap of the ball and scored a fine try towards the end of the game. Rumney's Man of the Match was scrum half Ben Morris."