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Neath Athletic 5   Porthcawl 76

The new season for promoted Porthcawl kicked off in sensational style, with a thumping of Neath athletic at Cwrt Herbert, securing maximum points.

The Seaweeds started well with the pack getting going early and when hooker Jack Williams finished off a fine move with an unconverted try after 5 minutes, all looked well. The home side seemed intent on matching the visitors and with a loose ball offering the chance, home centre James Williams was on it like a flash to kick through and score the try, unconverted.

However, as the Seaweeds started to take control, a superb midfield break by Gareth Rees from Jon Phillips’ sublime delayed pass, saw the ball recycled wide for wing Jack Power to storm over at the corner for 5-10 on 22 minutes.

Phillips himself was next on the score sheet with a great try from 55 metres out as Josh White’s pass put him clear and outpacing the covering defence. White converted at the posts and 5-17.

By now the Porthcawl forwards were at full tilt and skipper Richard Hnyda, who was prominent throughout, finished off a superb 70 metre move to score the try for White to improve at 5-24.

Porthcawl flanker Ben Asprea the took a hold on the match with the first of an incredible haul of four personal tries which White converted before Nick Nutman made the space for Jack Williams to get his brace try, again converted by White for 5-38 at the half-time break and a long way back for Neath.

The Phillips and Rees axis in Porthcawl’s midfield was very quickly back into gear within two minutes of the resumption, the former again feeding the latter who scored for his first try, converted by White and 5-45, the match now ended as a contest and a matter of just how many points Porthcawl would score.

Nutman got his rewards for a workmanlike afternoon with a try converted by White as the Seaweeds passed the half-century at 5-52, before Asprea pounced on a loose pass the kick through and get his second, White again adding the extras, 5-59.

With possession almost constant, the quality of Porthcawl’s running Rugby saw  Asprea cap an almighty afternoon for him with two tries in quick succession, as his instinct for being where the ball was unsurpassed. White converted both at 5-69.

The match concluded when Phillips again used his experience and guile to put Rees skipping through for his brace try, converted by White and a final score of 5-76.

This win will be remembered for an incredible performance with Ben Asprea’s four try haul and the relentlessness of Porthcawl’s attack and defence. It was just the start Porthcawl wanted and coach Rhys James was delighted but realistic, as a much stiffer test awaits, as early as this coming Saturday when Pyle visit South Road for what could be a cracker and potentially the division’s match of the day.