On a glorious St David’s Day, Aberdare RFC welcomed Treorchy to The Ynys for a highly anticipated fixture. The Snakes were determined to put things right after their disappointing away performance against the Zebras, and they certainly set the tone early on.

The game started at a blistering pace. Within just 40 seconds, Aberdare took the lead after forcing a turnover from the kick-off. Treorchy’s defence rushed up aggressively, leaving a huge gap for Garyn Payne to exploit. Payne surged through and linked up with Captain Thomas Roberts, who ran in untouched to score the opening try. Although the conversion was missed, Aberdare had made a statement and led 5-0.

The Snakes dominated possession and territory for the next 15 to 20 minutes, pinning Treorchy inside their half. However, despite their control, Aberdare were unable to convert their dominance into further points. This allowed Treorchy to grow into the game, and they eventually got their reward when the Snakes conceded a penalty. The Treorchy outside-half stepped up and slotted the three points to bring the score to 5-3.

Buoyed by their points, the visitors began to apply pressure, forcing errors and penalties from Aberdare. A sustained period of Treorchy pressure followed, but the Snakes’ defence stood firm, repelling wave after wave of attack.

With half-time approaching, Aberdare finally had an opportunity to extend their lead. Awarded a penalty, they kicked to touch and set up a driving maul from the resulting line out. As the pack rumbled forward, Daniel Lewis was at the tail to crash over for Aberdare’s second try. This time, Garyn Payne converted successfully, sending the teams into the break with the score at Aberdare 12-3 Treorchy.

Treorchy came out firing after the restart and quickly narrowed the deficit. A well-executed cross-field kick found their winger in space, and he sprinted away to score. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the visitors had closed the gap to 12-8.

Aberdare responded in the best possible way. Ben Miller gathered a high ball just inside the Treorchy half, broke through two would-be tacklers, and offloaded to Captain Thomas Roberts. Roberts charged forward before offloading to outside-half Thomas Hopkins, who finished off a fantastic counter-attack under the posts. Garyn Payne added the extras, extending the Snakes’ lead to 19-8.

The home side continued to pile on the pressure, and the bonus point try soon followed. Treorchy conceded a penalty, allowing Aberdare to kick for touch and set up another driving maul. Though the maul was collapsed, Aberdare retained possession, and Rhys Shellard powered through the defensive line to score the fourth try. Payne was once again on target, making it 26-8.

The best try of the afternoon came soon after. Owen Young, making his return from injury after six weeks out, picked up the ball on his own 10m line and spotted a gap. He danced past one defender, shrugged off another, and delivered a superb offload to Connor Lacey. Lacey sold a dummy to break through before offloading to Matthew Lloyd, who sprinted clear to touch down. Payne’s conversion pushed the score to 33-8.

With the game entering the final 15 minutes, it seemed all but over. However, Treorchy capitalised on an Aberdare mistake. A misjudged attacking move gifted the visitors a lineout deep in Snakes territory. Taking it quickly, Treorchy caught Aberdare off guard and scored. With the successful conversion, the score moved to 33-15.

Aberdare immediately responded. From a scrum just inside the Treorchy half, full-back Jarrad Rees broke through the defensive line. Though he slipped before beating the final defender, Aberdare recycled the ball quickly. A few phases later, the ball was in Rhys Shellard’s hands, and he spotted space out wide. With a perfectly executed 30-metre pass, he found Ben Miller, who cut inside past two defenders to score under the posts. Payne converted again, putting the Snakes firmly in control at 40-15.

Treorchy, to their credit, kept fighting. In the dying moments of the game, they launched one final attack, breaking through the Aberdare defence to score their third try of the afternoon. The conversion was successful, making the final score Aberdare 40-22 Treorchy.

Aberdare secured a well-deserved bonus point win, bouncing back in style after two narrow defeats. It wasn’t a flawless performance, with periods of scrappy play, but the Snakes showed resilience and attacking flair when it mattered most. Credit must be given to Treorchy for their determination, as they continued to battle until the final whistle.

Looking ahead, Aberdare know they must improve as they prepare for a tough away fixture against Bedwas next Saturday. It promises to be a challenging test, but the boys will be eager to build on this victory and cause an upset against a strong Bedwas outfit.

Next Fixture: Bedwas vs Aberdare Date: Saturday, 8th March Kick-off: 1:00 PM (early start due to Wales vs Scotland in the Six Nations at 4:45 PM)