Crickhowell RFC - 44

Rhayader RFC - 0

CRICKHOWELL delivered a creditable performance in atrocious conditions when they took the direct rout through Rhayader on Saturday.

The Crickhowell pitch stood up to the appalling weather and the Division Six East fixture went ahead at Parc Broyd.

With the wind blowing a gale across the pitch, accurate kicking became a bit of a lottery and with the wet ball skidding all over the surface, running rugby became difficult to say the least.

Captain Adam Howell was unavailable through injury leaving vice captain Matt Price to take the helm.

Crickhowell's pack immediately grabbed control of the game as Rhayader had no answer to the driving mauls and pick and go tactics adopted by the home side.

Alan Taylor opened the scoring with an unconverted try from shot range as he was driven over by James Webb. 

Taylor added to his tally some five minutes later as he spun of a rolling maul to register his second unconverted try.

Not to be left out the threes tried a bit of running rugby and created space for Johnny Jones to score.

Just before half-time and for a brief period after, Rhayader enjoyed some possession and tried to play themselves back into the game, but the powerful Crickhowell pack with Cannon, Webb and Buck in the backrow snuffed out any scoring opportunities.

With possession now returning to Crickhowell it was the powerful Matt Price who barged his way over for Leon Rees to convert.

Hooker Rhys Stevens delivered Ken Birch a short throw at the lineout, for Birch to sprint some 25 metres up the touchline and score in the corner.

Alan Taylor rounded things off with his third try of the afternoon, to give Crickhowell a total of eight tries in all and another bonus point win.