Saturday afternoon at the Ynys saw a true double derby delight, as Aberdare RFC hosted old rivals Mountain Ash in a day packed full of passion, pride, and quality rugby.

The action kicked off with Aberdare Athletic taking on Mountain Ash 2nds.  Our Athletic side ended their season on a high, securing a strong 33–24 victory against the Old Firm, setting the perfect tone for the main event to follow.

Then it was time for the big one, Aberdare 1st XV vs Mountain Ash 1st XV, a fixture that always brings a special buzz. The Snakes looked sharp and focused all week, and that determination showed from the first whistle.

Aberdare started perfectly, with Garyn Payne slotting an early penalty to make it 3–0. However, Mountain Ash responded strongly, throwing everything at us in the opening exchanges. 

They took advantage of a quick tap penalty deep in our 22 to score the game’s first try, converted to lead 3–7.

But the Snakes weren’t rattled. Instead, they took control. A dominant scrum deep in Mount territory set the platform for Daniel Lewis to power over for our first try, converted by Payne to restore our lead at 10–7. 

Payne added another penalty before the break to make it 13–7 at halftime.

Aberdare came flying out for the second half, immediately putting Mount under pressure. Jack Payne found a gap at the ruck and, despite a near-miss for Leon Caviel, quick thinking at the resulting scrum saw Leon pounce for our second try. Payne converted to stretch the lead to 20–7.

Minutes later, more slick backline play created space for Jarrad Rees to cross for our third try, extending the lead to 25–7. 

The Snakes were relentless, and our bonus point was sealed after a superb team move, strong carries from Owen Young, Josh Bowditch, and Peter Richmond before Owen crashed over after sharp interplay. Payne’s conversion made it 32–7.

There was still time for one more special moment. Daniel Shanahan, earning his 200th cap, celebrated in perfect style by scoring from a powerful driving maul. Payne added the extras once again, pushing the score out to 39–7.

Mountain Ash did have the final say, scoring in the corner on the last play, but it was Aberdare’s day as we ran out deserved 39–12 winners — a performance full of class, discipline, and heart.

A huge congratulations to the entire squad for delivering not one but two derby wins on the day, a fantastic achievement!

Next up, we welcome St Peters to the Ynys on Saturday 3rd May for our penultimate game of the season. If the reverse fixture is anything to go by, we’re in for another thrilling, high-scoring encounter!