Fixture

In a hard-fought local derby on a soggy November afternoon, Aberdare RFC faced Abercynon at the Parc in a clash of two recently promoted teams from Div 2 to Div 1. The history between the sides promised a gritty encounter, with Abercynon having been a formidable opponent, particularly at their home ground.

The day started on a challenging note for Aberdare as outside half Thomas Hopkins suffered a quad injury during the warm-up, leading to some last-minute adjustments in the lineup.

The early exchanges saw Aberdare earning a couple of penalties, but they struggled to capitalise on these opportunities playing against the wind and up a slight slope. Abercynon capitalised on errors and ill-discipline, taking a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes.

As rain poured and restarts ensued, Aberdare's solid defence held strong against Abercynon's pressure. However, the home team's improved scrum setup allowed them to break through Aberdare's defences, scoring their first try under the posts and converting to make it 10-0.

The game remained tight, but Abercynon gradually asserted dominance, capitalising on errors and extending their lead to 13-0.

The first half concluded on a sour note for Aberdare when a quick penalty by Abercynon's scrum-half caught them off guard, resulting in another converted try and a halftime score of 20-0.

Despite the uphill battle, Aberdare showed resilience in the second half, creating opportunities and finally getting on the scoreboard. No. 8 Dan Lewis orchestrated a well-timed pass to set up Ben Miller for a try in the left-hand corner, and the subsequent conversion brought the score to 20-7.

This ignited a glimmer of hope for the young snakes, who aimed to claw their way back into the game.

However, unforced errors and Abercynon's steadfast defence thwarted Aberdare's comeback attempts.

The snakes continued to battle, with a driving line-out causing trouble for Abercynon, but the home team held firm. Abercynon capitalised on Aberdare's mistakes, scoring another try through a dominant scrum and extending their lead to 27-7. Further penalties and errors from Aberdare allowed Abercynon to seal the victory with additional tries, bringing the score to 35-7.

Aberdare displayed determination till the end, with Amir Saleh crossing the try line for a consolation try, concluding the match at 35-12 in favour of Abercynon.

Abercynon were deserved victors on the day.

Despite the disappointment, Aberdare remains focused on learning from the experience, emphasising hard work in training ahead of the upcoming challenge against Rhydyfelin away. The young snakes are determined to bounce back and correct their course in the next fixture.