News

Llanhilleth welcomed Chepstow RFC to the Park for what was sure to be a bruising battle and our toughest challenge in the league to date with 1st taking on 2nd and that it proved to be, as they’d beaten us in the earlier league fixture we were looking to put that record straight and gain the win today.

Chepstow had the better of the first half and were the first to trouble the scoreboard with a well taken converted try for a 7-0 lead, Llan squandered a few try scoring opportunities and also missed with a couple of penalty goal attempts to trail 7-0 at the interval.

Llan’s coaches reminded the players that they were in a dogfight and needed to raise their game if they were to come away with the win in the second half, the players responded and scored early into the second period through scrum half Conor Imms who following a sweeping move ran hard to cross the whitewash with a few defenders in toe.

Chepstow stretched their lead with an interception try and conversion through their scrum half who raced under the posts from the halfway line to make it 14-5, penalties were then exchanged through outside half Chris Stevens and the Chepstow scrum half to make the score 17-8 with 15 minutes to play.

Llanhilleth got back to within a score when following constant pressure and penalty infringements in the red zone, from a driving line out hooker Carl Hone crashed over for a try which was converted by outside half Chris Stevens to make it 17-15 with 5 minutes remaining.

The remainder of the game was well contested with Llan having slightly the upper hand which led to a sizzling break from right wing Alex Davies who was  stopped only yards from the line but was penalised for holding on. Chepstow kicked to touch thinking the game was over and the win was theirs but the Referee confirmed there was still playing time remaining.

From the line out Llanhilleth moved the ball to outside half Chris Stevens who cross kicked into to hands of his on running Fullback Luke Morgan to race in into the corner for the match winning try again converted by outside half Chris Stevens for the home team and supporters to go wild in celebration for a final score and hard fought home win of 22-17 and top spot in the league.

A win’s a win and sometimes you have to win ugly and grind out a victory against very determined opposition who will be in the mix come the business end of the season. All at Llan wish Chepstow RFC a successful remainder of their season.

Even though all of Llanhilleth’s starting fifteen and replacements played their part, special mentions go to the front row club of Props Gavin Jones and Terry O’Brien and hooker Carl Hone and openside flanker Alec Teear who were the pick of the forwards and scrum half Conor Imms and Fullback Luke Morgan who were the pick of the backs.

With a break from league action for a few weeks due to the Six Nations, the coaches will now look for a few midweek friendly fixtures to keep the squad ticking over prior to our next league fixtures commencing again mid March. Where we will look to keep our current good run of league form going into the run in of the season.