The Snakes welcomed Beddau to the Ynys on a chilly Saturday afternoon, hoping to extend their winning streak against a Beddau side that has been in excellent form all season. With just one loss in the league, the visitors were full of confidence coming into the match, but Aberdare knew they would need to be at their best to get a result against such a strong team.
From the very first whistle, both teams came out with real intent, eager to dominate. Aberdare looked to start the match fast, but it was Beddau who took the early initiative. A couple of uncharacteristic errors from the home side handed the visitors a penalty and great field position. Within just four minutes, Beddau found themselves deep in Aberdare’s half. Choosing to go for the corner, Beddau secured the line out and set up a powerful driving maul. Despite Aberdare’s efforts to stop the advance, Beddau’s hooker found a small gap at the side of the maul, diving over to score the opening try.
Although Beddau missed the conversion, the visitors were ahead 0-5 after just four minutes.
Aberdare quickly bounced back. Following a clearance kick from Beddau, Jarrad Rees did well to gather the ball in midfield. The home side set up a quick ruck, and when Beddau were caught offside, Aberdare were awarded a penalty. Opting to go for touch, the Snakes set up a maul from the line out just five metres from the Beddau try line. It didn’t take long before Aberdare’s forwards powered through the defence, with Kian Carter breaking free to score. Garyn Payne added the extras, and the home side now led 7-5.
After both teams had exchanged tries so early on, you might have expected a flurry of scores, but the first half was instead dominated by defences. Both sides went at each other, looking for gaps, but neither team was able to break through again. The Snakes defended well, with Beddau also managing to nullify Aberdare’s attacking threat. Despite the frantic pace, both teams stayed solid in defence, resulting in a tense and highly competitive first half.
At halftime, Aberdare led 7-5, a fair reflection of a closely contested 40 minutes.
The second half began much the same as the first, with Beddau applying pressure from the off. A clever 50/22 kick set up a line out in Aberdare’s 22-metre area, and Beddau wasted no time launching a series of attacking phases. After nine phases of hard work, the Beddau attack found a gap on the outside. The Beddau player used sheer power to break through the tackle, diving over to score in the corner. The conversion was successful, and Beddau now led 7-12.
Aberdare refused to be outdone and hit back almost immediately. On his 100th senior appearance, Aberdare captain Thomas Roberts made a brilliant break down the outside of the Beddau defence. He gained significant ground before setting up a quick ruck. With Beddau on the back foot, Thomas Hopkins stepped inside to draw in defenders, and a powerful carry from Daniel Lewis further stretched the Beddau defence. The pressure told, and a well-timed pass from Matthew Lloyd found Garyn Payne, who spotted space behind the defence and delivered a perfectly weighted grubber kick for winger Jarrad Hippsley to chase down. Hippsley gathered the ball to score a fantastic try. Although the conversion was missed, the score was now 12-12.
With the momentum firmly with the Snakes, they looked to press home the advantage. A Beddau line out was overthrown, and Aberdare’s Rhys Shellard seized the opportunity, showing remarkable pace and agility to make significant ground before being tackled just short of the Beddau 22-metre line. With Beddau scrambling in defence, Aberdare moved the ball quickly through the hands. A lovely pass from Roberts found winger Ben Miller in space, and Miller finished expertly in the corner to put Aberdare ahead again. The conversion was missed, but the Snakes led 17-12, having put themselves in a strong position against their high-flying opponents.
As the game neared its final stages, Beddau proved their class once again. After winning a penalty in midfield, they opted for a line out, and once again, they set up a driving maul from deep within Aberdare’s half. The home side’s defence couldn’t hold, and Beddau’s forwards rolled over the try line to level the score at 17-17. The conversion was missed, but with just 15 minutes left, it was all to play for.
With both teams searching for the winning score, it was Beddau who would seize the opportunity. Aberdare were reduced to 14 men after receiving a yellow card for repeated penalties. The visitors opted for a scrum just five metres out from Aberdare’s try line, sensing a chance to push for a fourth and match-winning try. With the man advantage, Beddau dominated the scrum, driving Aberdare backwards. The referee adjudged that Aberdare had infringed at the scrum, and awarded a penalty try to Beddau. This gave Beddau a 17-24 lead with just 10 minutes remaining.
Despite a spirited effort from the Snakes to get back into the game, they were unable to break down Beddau’s defence, and the match ended with the visitors claiming a 17-24 victory.
While it was Beddau who came away with the win, Aberdare can hold their heads high after a fiercely contested match. The Snakes showed plenty of character and resilience, and although small margins ultimately went the way of the visitors, it was clear that Aberdare gave everything they had in the game.
Aberdare’s effort throughout the match was commendable, and they can take plenty of confidence from the performance. On another day, the result could have gone in their favour, but it wasn’t meant to be this time.
Next up for Aberdare is a trip to Penallta, a match that the Snakes will be targeting as one where they can get back to winning ways. After such a strong display against Beddau, the team will be full of confidence as they head into the next challenge. If they continue to play with the same intensity and quality as they did against Beddau, there’s every reason to believe that Aberdare can come away with a victory.
The Snakes should be proud of their performance on Saturday and are already looking ahead to the next challenge