Mountain Ash - 19

ABERGAVENNY'S first game of 2009 ended with a loss after the quality of the Ash proved a little too much for the claret and ambers to live with on Saturday.

Coach Gary Lawrence told the Chronicle, "On the day it wasn't a case of us putting in a bad performance, because we didn't. It was just that Mountain Ash played some of the best rugby I've seen in Division Two East all season. Their passing out of the tackle and support work was superb, and they were definitely the better team in the first-half. In fact, I think in the first 40 minutes we did well to keep them from running away with the game."

Leading 8-0 going into the interval, thanks to an unconverted try and a penalty, the Ash were

faced with a much-improved Abergavenny side in the second-half.

Lawrence revealed, "Although the end score-line may seem to suggest they ultimately gave us a right old hammering, it didn't play out that way at all. We dominated a lot throughout the second period but we just didn't put our chances away. I think the late try by Ash flattered the final result somewhat, although in all fairness they deserved to just edge out the win on the day."

In a game where the boots of Steve Lang kicked all six of Abergavenny's points, Lawrence made special mention of James Smith on the left wing, scrum-half Ross Bridgeman, and Openside Flanker Tom Rees for their outstanding contribution in a match where all of the team put in a solid performance.

This Saturday Aber will face Abercarn away in the second round of the Bowl. Abercarn are currently sitting pretty at the top of Division Five East and have been adopted this season by Scrum V, who will no doubt be keeping a close eye on this fixture.

Abergavenny cruised past Abercarn's fellow Division Five East side RTB Ebbw Vale in the last round 29-0, so they should comfortably push past Abercarn and progress onto a potential final at the Millennium Stadium. That is if all goes according to the script.