Match Reports 2011/12
Tredegar (22) Newbridge (50)
Sept 3rd 2011
Tredegar's two yellow cards cost them dear whilst renewing old rivalries with Newbridge in their return to Division 1. With five new faces in Tredegar's starting line up the home team battled well showing plenty of skill and enterprise despite Newbridge's powerful start to their campaign, in a thrilling advert for rugby at the Recreation Ground.
Tredegar welcomed back Ryan Thomas after a spell in France and new recruit Scott Amber settled in well partnering scrum half, Rhys Hallet. Whilst Amber slotted his first points for Tredegar with a first half penalty, another new boy Alex Evans grabbed Tredegar's first try of the season but Newbridge just shaded the points at the break with tries by Matt Edwards and David James.
Alun Jenkins put in a solid performance at number eight whilst Steve Knight worked tirelessly and Tredegar look to have unearthed another gem in young Cameron Regan who had a great debut featuring in the loose and tight and showed what a live wire prospect he is with a dynamic performance culminating in a superb interception try running from the half way line to touch down unopposed under the posts.
With both teams cancelling each other out Newbridge finally made numbers tell when Alex Evans was yellow carded and the visitors sheer weight of numbers saw Ross Coombs grab a brace and Ian Gibbs got a hatrick and when Alun Jenkins spent 10 minutes in the bin for apparently little reason Newbridge moved the score on.
Nevertheless Tredegar's Matt McGovern capped a fine performance with a barnstorming try that left the visitors covering defence all at sea.
Geraint Langdon claimed Newbridge's final try whilst Tredegar's scoring was completed by Amber's two conversions.
Tredegar can take credit for a determined performance but must hold their discipline and when the likes of Daniel Davies, Tom Brown and Craig Lloyd return to full fitness then should have the options that will make them a force to reckoned with.