Llanelli Wanderers Rugby Football Club

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

LLANELLI WANDERERS V LLANGEFNI  08/10/05

The Wanderers welcomed their unbeaten visitors from North Wales for their first ever meeting on Saturday and, as is often the case, saved their best rugby for their toughest encounter to date and ran out worthy winners by 17 points to 16 in an enthralling game.

The visitors started the game well, cheered on by the large travelling support, and were soon on the scoreboard with a penalty.

However, the Wanderers were beginning to put some good passages of play together, with Iwan Jones controlling the lineout and outside half Richard Clement, playing his first senior game of the season, and Daniel Rogers combining well. Wing Karl Evans was again looking dangerous on the counter attack and after entering the line from a set piece move, created the position for fellow winger Mark Cook to beat his opposite number with ease and cross wide out for the Wanderers opening score.

Once again Llangefni hit back with a penalty but the Wanderers were unfortunate, following a period of sustained pressure, for scrum half Shaun Thomas to lose the ball when crossing the try line.

The penalty count was again high against the Wanderers and often cost them dear when in good attacking positions, it also allowed the visitors outside half to slot over his 3^rd penalty for a 9 points to 5 half time lead.

Unfortunately, Richard Clement was forced to leave the field at half time having been suffering with a heavy bout of flu prior to the game. This brought Andrew `Kato` Jenkins onto the field and within 2 minutes of the start he was able to demonstrate that he still has a major role to play within the squad, by powering over for his trademark, and the Wanderers second try.

Both teams were providing their supporters with some excellent rugby and a great advert for Division 3 rugby. Karl Evans was again making some powerful bursts out of defence, but it was the visitors who again took the lead with a well worked try and conversion.

With the visitors in the lead and both defences working well, the omens were not looking good for the home team as the Llangefni outside half was controlling play with some excellent kicks into the corners.

However, cometh the hour cometh the man, with 2 minutes of time remaining, centre Leighton Williams, who had provided some powerful thrusts throughout, capped a fine performance when he again used his strength to power over for a try. Shaun Thomas succeeded with the conversion and the Wanderers held out for a well deserved, but narrowest, of victories by 3 tries to 1. 

FINAL SCORE

WANDERERS                                    17                    LLANGEFNI                          16

TRY:                                                    Mark Cook, Andrew Jenkins (Kato), Leighton Williams

CONVERSION:                                  Shaun Thomas

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