Fixture

Aberdare RFC bounced back in style from last week's defeat, securing a vital bonus point victory against a strong and experienced Brynmawr side in front of their home crowd.

The game kicked off with Aberdare striking early through a penalty by centre Garyn Payne, giving them a 3-0 lead.

However, Brynmawr quickly responded with a well-executed try. A powerful lineout drive took them close to the try line, and after a couple of phases, they broke through the Aberdare defence to touch down. Although the conversion was missed, Brynmawr led 5-3. A penalty soon after extended the visitors' lead to 8-3, as Brynmawr appeared to take control of the game.

But Aberdare, true to their resilient nature, began to impose themselves, playing some beautiful rugby. The Snakes struck back with three sensational tries in the space of just 12 minutes before the break.

The first came from a Brynmawr clearance kick, which was collected by Liam Enoch. He found Jarrad Hippsley, who drew in a defender before passing to Ben Miller. Miller linked up with Jarrad Rees, who powered through tackles before offloading back to Hippsley. The winger’s final pass back inside to Ben Miller finished off an exquisite team move. Payne added the conversion, and Aberdare regained the lead at 10-8.

From the restart, Aberdare produced more magic. A well-placed kick by Jarrad Rees led to a 50/22. The resulting lineout was gathered, and after a strong maul, the forwards worked it close to the Brynmawr line. A quick switch to the blindside saw Thomas Hopkins deliver a pinpoint pass to Rhys Shellard, who cut inside to score. Aberdare now led 15-8.

Just before halftime, Aberdare added their third try of the half. With a scrum deep in Brynmawr's territory, Daniel Lewis showed his strength and control to pick up from the base and power over the line. Payne slotted the conversion, and the Snakes headed into the break with a commanding 22-8 lead.

The second half saw Aberdare continue to display their attacking intent, but they struggled to break down Brynmawr's defence. The visitors capitalised on this, narrowing the gap with a try from a driving maul. Although the conversion was missed, they reduced the deficit to 22-13.

Aberdare responded through the reliable boot of Payne, who added another penalty to stretch the lead to 25-13.

However, Brynmawr refused to go away, quickly responding with a break down the wing and a clever inside pass to score a converted try, making it 25-20 and setting up a nervy finish.

With the game hanging in the balance, Aberdare sealed the win in spectacular fashion. Starting from deep inside their own 22, the backs moved the ball quickly through the hands, putting Ben Miller in space. Miller beat two defenders with a brilliant step and surged past four more Brynmawr players to score Aberdare's bonus point try, sending the home fans into raptures. Although the conversion was missed, Aberdare now had a 30-20 lead.

Despite late pressure from Brynmawr, Aberdare held on to secure a crucial victory. This bonus point win lifts spirits ahead of next weekend’s cup clash against Glamorgan Wanderers, as the Snakes travel down the A470 looking to build on this momentum.