Match Reports 2009/10
Blackwood (43) Tredegar (7)
Sept 5th 2009
Without injured captain David Ford and some other key players absent due to injury, Tredegar didn't help themselves as their indiscipline resulted in three players yellow carded and one red carded and saw the former division 2 champions slump to an away defeat at the hands of Blackwood who showed why they were Division 1 champions last season.
Tredegar competed well for the first twenty minutes only allowing a solitary Spencer penalty to break the deadlock but when Osborne and James were dispatched to the bin, Tredegar's valiant 13 could not soak up the pressure exterted by Blackwood and tries by Gavin Rees & Mike Wilkes were both converted by Spencer and Blackwood held the upper hand and the scoreline.
Two further tries by Simms and Georgiou both converted by that man Spencer saw Blackwood run up an unassailable lead of 31 points. A back to full strength Tredegar then took wrong options and made simple mistakes and when Brendan Sullivan was red carded the referee awarded a penalty try and Tredegar were dead and buried.
Tredegar missed several opportunities to get on the scoreline but Daniel Davies finally outwitted the covering defence to get Tredegar's first try in Division 1 and Darren Pierce recorded Tredegar's first points with the boot converting the speedsters try. To add insult to injury Paul Edwards was also yellow carded and Tredegar were then forced to employ a damage limitation exercise.
If Tredegar are to find success in this division they will need to improve discipline as any indiscretion will cost them dearly.
Next Saturday Tredegar host their first home game of the season against UWIC where a representative of the WRU will present the squad with their league champions medals but Tredegar will need to be on top form following Uwics demolition of Newbridge last week.