Tredegar - 50

ABERGAVENNY were forced to play the stooges to a Tredegar side who sealed the Division Two title with an impressive eight-try win at Bailey Park last Saturday.

Yet although the final score-line points towards a one-sided affair, the truth is not that simple, as coach Gary Lawrence pointed out, "Although 50 points is a proper hammering, I think the score flattered Tredegar somewhat.

"We played some really good quality rugby and broke their lines time after time. Unfortunately we just couldn't seem to finish the chances we were creating, and I think that was the main difference between us and them.

"Whenever they had an opening they were pretty ruthless about exploiting it and that's why there league champions and we're striving to avoid relegation."

Going into the game with an injury stricken squad, Quins players Ian Davies and Ed Davies were picked to play at full back and centre respectively where, as Lawrence said,"They acquitted themselves well and had solid games."

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone in a claret and amber shirt, James Smith was the only player to get on the score-sheet for Aber with a cracking, individual try that hinted at what might have been.

Lawrence added, "Stuart Davies at centre had another impressive game. In defence he still suffers from one or two problems, but attacking wise he just cuts teams to ribbons.

"The problem we have at the moment, is that Davies is so quick no-one can keep pace with him in support, so he gets isolated far too much."

Going into the interval 19-5 down Aber were still in it to win it, but Tredegar turned up the heat in the second and stormed ahead.

"I think the floodgates really opened towards the end of the second-half and they simply put the game to bed," revealed Lawrence.

"Up until that point we always had a fighting chance, but towards the final whistle they just run away with the game, and closed up shop."

Now with only three games remaining, and currently sitting fourth from bottom, just outside the drop zone, Abergavenny cannot really afford to lose any more games if they want to remain masters of their own destinies.

"Fortunately for us, the teams below us all suffered defeats on Saturday, so the bottom end of the table hasn't really changed since last week," explained Lawrence.

"This weekend we're away to Abercynon, who are currently enjoying a good run of form and sitting pretty at the top end of the division. However, we beat them 26-10 at Bailey Park earlier this season, so we remain optimistic."

In the aftermath of the Abercynon game, Aber have a further two home games. The first against Brynmawr, who they memorably beat away not so long ago, before they go into their last league fixture of the season against a relegation threatened Rhydyfelin side, which promises to be a proper down and dirty basement battle.

So there it is. Three games left and three opportunities for the claret and ambers to grab the season by the scruff of it's neck, turn it upside down and shake it until it releases all of the necessary and required points for Aber to stay alive in a division they fought so hard to arrive in.