Risca RFC - 21

Abergavenny RFC - 18

ABERGAVENNY'S return to the field after 'weathering' a woeful litany of cancellations was again dictated in part by the elements, as a visiting Risca, with the wind quite literally in their sails, cruised to a three point victory.

The homeside fielded a strong looking pack with a front-row of Owen Williams, Owen Staphnil and Brian Wright, a second-row of Joe Davey and Steve Coles, with Paul Cornock at number eight, Alex Gethin at blindside and Dan Horler at openside.

Former Cardiff player Chris Anderson made his Bailey Park debut at outside half on loan form Crosskeys.

Anderson's versatility allows him to play in several positions throughout the back line and he will remain at Abergavenny for the remainder of the season. Sandy Aitken partnered him at scrum half.

Jack Flower and Ed Davies formed the centre berths and the back three was packed with the blistering pace of former flyer Will Johnstone and Will Williams on the wings, with Captain Stuart Davies at full back.

Sadly the conditions entailed this was not a day for extravagant passing and running rugby.

With the wind in their favour, Aber started strongly with the forwards pushing over from a scrum seven yards out, for Cornock to score and Anderson to convert.

In reply Risca drove over from a line-out to score in the corner, but with the wind nullifying any hope of a conversion, the score remained 7-5.

The tactic for the day seemed to be pick and drive, with Coles, Cornock, Staphnil and Davey doing the lions' share of carrying.

The game-plan was thwarted somewhat when Aitken received a yellow card for knocking the ball out of his opposite number's hand.

Courtesy of the gales, no points were conceded during his absence but instead Anderson showed his class by measuring the wind to perfection with two majestic penalty kicks to give the home side a 13-5 lead.

A subsequent scrum saw Aber throw two miss-passes to reach Will Johnstone who crossed in the corner to make it 18-5 going into the interval.

Playing against the wind, Aber started the stronger of the two sides in the second-half but the penalty count soon rose against them, allowing the visitors to set up camp in the home 22.

Despite good defence and some crunching tackles from Jack Flower, Risca eventually took a penalty in front of the sticks (18-8).

The restarts were a lottery with the ball swirling in the wind and Risca were soon on the attack again with a further penalty converted from long range.

Hitting a purple patch, Risca took a third successive penalty kick to bring the game within one score.

Sensing blood the visitors maintained the pressure and were rewarded with a try in the corner

to take the lead for the first time (18-21).

With some 15 minutes to go Aber rallied and some fine forward play saw them deep into Risca territory, but unforced errors allowed Risca to send the ball to the other end of the field and Aber back to square one.

With two minutes remaining Captain Davies spurned a three man overlap and chose to sprint for the posts. Unfortunately he was tackled and spilt the ball alongside all hopes of an Aber victory.