Llanelli Wanderers Rugby Football Club

Affiliated to: The Welsh Rugby Union, West Wales Rugby Union, and the Llanelli & District Rugby Union

LLANELLI WANDERERS v LAMPETER 16/10/04

The Wanderers losing streak continued on Saturday, going down by 21 points to 17.  The game saw the welcome return of player coach Jonathan Mayze to the fray, and perhaps over enthusiasm resulted in the quickest yellow card of the season when he was sin-bined after 5 minutes !! Injuries to key forwards, Gavin Mathias and Andrew Davies, did not help the cause, even though their replacements performed admirably.

The Wanderers weathered the early Lampeter attacks and a number of forward drives took play into the visitors half for Steffan Rogers to open the scoring with a penalty.  Unfortunately, from the restart Lampeter were able to recycle ball and cross for a converted try.

Both sides were attempting to run the ball at every opportunity, and the Wanderers pressure paid off with a further penalty by Steffan Rogers.

It was unfortunate that the Wanderers lost possession during a fine period of play, allowing Lampeter to kick down field, re-gather possession and cross for a converted try.  The half closed with some aimless kicking on both sides, and Lampeter ahead 14 points to 6.

The Wanderers were more purposeful during the second half and again, some early pressure resulted in a penalty converted by Steffan Rogers. There followed more forward pressure, with the Wanderers scrum dominating their opponents and causing a number of turn overs. From such play the Wanderers were awarded a penalty which scrum half Andrew Jenkins took quickly and found flanker Lee Cook on hand to crash over for the Wanderers opening try and to level the scores.

Unfortunately, momentum was lost, on both sides, by the constant whistle of the referee.  With the Wanderers frustrated at crossing their opponents line on five occasions, only for the referee to disallow four seemingly good tries !!

Karl Evans once again looked threatening with ball in hand and set up a number of promising attacks for the home side.  For most of the half, Wanderers found themselves pressing their opponents line but the combination of some strange refereeing decisions and the control which the Lampeter half backs were able to exert meant that the Wanderers only reward was a further penalty to take them 3 points ahead with minutes left to play.

To their credit, the Lampeter team kept looking for the score they needed and when a Wanderers scrum , which had looked so strong all afternoon, was disrupted, the visiting scrum half was able to cross wide out for the converted try which took Lampeter in front.

With seconds left on the clock, Lampeter could even have extended their lead when a last gasp tackle prevented a certain score.  They say you make your own luck, but to have 4 tries disallowed would imply that the referee was either very good, or not up with play. I think I know which option the Wanderers supporters will take !!

FINAL SCORE: WANDERERS  17  LAMPETER 21

TRIES: L. COOK

PENALTY: S. ROGERS (4)

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