This National Cup encounter at the Lewis Lloyd on Saturday was eagerly-awaited after the fine run of form the Otters have been enjoying recently.

Bedwas, who brought considerable support with them, are currently lying in third place in the east section of the Premiership. Their team included a number of experienced players, some relatively fresh from the Dragons Academy, and a few journeymen, including Steffan Jones at fly-half, who a few seasons ago was a regular in the Newport Gwent Dragons and was more recently with Pontypool.

The inclement weather of the previous week, followed by overnight frost, resulted in a heavy pitch, which this time of the year can cut up badly in a few places.

With some of their more experienced players affected by flu, the Otters chose to blood some of their younger squad fot this match. And this showed up in the first few minutes when a Bedwas kick for the corner was clearly going behind the deadball line only for a well-placed Otter to his hand up and touch the ball before it flew behind him.

This resulted in the visitors being awarded a scrum on the five-metre line. From this, they set up several phased rucks, before a long pass to the clubhouse corner saw fullback Aaron Bramwell presented with the easy job of diving over for an unconverted try.

The Bedwas game plan became apparent quite early. Recognising that Narberth play an expansive game, their defence lay flat and close to the Otters when they had set-piece play and also at the rucks, where Bedwas quickly stifled the attack.

As the game moved on, the home supporters became very vocal as Bedwas seemed to take advantage of the referee having his back to them, by edging into an offside posiition which enabled them to quickly stop the Otters before they could develop an attack.

Whilst Bedwas were setting up strong attacks of their own, the Otters were confident in their defensive work and were able to peg them back.

On 19 minutes, however, Bedwas won a lineout near the Otters’ five-metre line and set up a rolling maul, but near the line scrum-half Lewys Gibby managed to disrupt the momentum. There then followed a series of scrums as the referee continued to reset them. Initially, the Otters struggled to contain the Bedwas eight. After the second scrum, Gibby managed to scrag his opposite number before he crossed the line.

However, the referee awarded Bedwas a third scrum. This time the ball popped out, enabling the Otters to clear the immediate danger. From the following lineout, Bedwas attempted several strong surges, before what appeared to be a knock-on. However, a try was awarded, giving them a 12-0 lead after 25 minutes. Centre Mike Callow was adjudged the scorer, with Steffan Jones adding the extras with the converson.

This was followed by supporters on the far side getting incensed when the Otters where awarded a penalty and fly-half Jonathan Rogers kicked long into touch, only for the Bedwas touch judge to keep his flag down.

The Otters regained the ball and from midfield Lewys Gibby broke clear; he kicked towards the 22 touchline and in the chase was obstructed, but the offence went unnoticed, as again Bedwas seemed to be getting the rub of the green with the decision-making, or lack of it.

Bedwas themselves were then awarded a penalty on halfway and kicked to the 22. From the lineout, they set up yet another rolling maul, the ball was released and kicked forward for winger Adam Williams to win the race for the touchdown, which Steffan Jones converted.

Two minutes later, on 39 minutes, Jack Parkinson replaced injured Narberth centre Paul Davies, and the first half finished soon after with Bedwas leading 19-0.

Whilst the Otters’ defence had held Bedwas at bay for much of the time, the fact that the visitors were able to set their defence so close and flat, denied Narberth the chance to attack and they were constantly on the backfoot.

The teams came out for the second half with both having made changes. Bedwas brought on Tom Rowlands and the Otters brought on Dan Smith for Rhodri Owens at hooker.

The Otters made a lively start to the second half, but on 51 minutes the floodgates opened and Bedwas scored two tries in six minutes.

Aaron Bramwell bagged his second try, converted by Steffan Jones, followed on 57 minutes by a penalty try.

In between these, Ryan Banner replaced flu sufferer Jake Simm, while the Otters also took off Lewys Gibby and replaced him with the experienced Rhys Lane.

Bedwas brought on prop Brinley Toms, who in his teens played in the Otters’ Junior section, before moving to Whitland and then UWIC.

The next try came from a well rehearsed training ground move, as a neat threequarter movement saw substitute Tom Rowland cut through with an acute angled break and a missed tackle opened the way for the touchdown. Steffan Jones failed to convert, but the score now stood at 38-0.

Two minutes later, with the Otters’ morale now fading, Bedwas moved the ball wide and, outnumbering the stretched defence, scored in the corner standside through Craig Hudd, who crossed the line unchallenged. At 43-0 this was the final score.

The Otters brought on Ianto Griffiths, still recovering from flu, to replace Jonathan Rogers and, as they began to see more of the ball, they came close to scoring on a couple of occasions, only for some sloppy passing ot see the ball end up in touch.

Later, head coach Sean Gale commented: “It was disappointing, we gave the boys an opportunity, the youngsters had quite a bit of game time, some came through quite well. Maurice Neumann had a start for the first time, Lewys Gibby played quite well. Our set-piece was positive and our defence was well-structured, but they were a bit too strong for us and eventually we fell off tackles.

“On the whole they were a better side than us, they had a big bench, whereas we did not. They scored a couple of tries in the end, but on the positive side, our defensive structure was good, but we need to sharpen up on some of our tackling.

“I was a little disappointed we could not score a try in the last quarter-of-an-hour. Our fitness was good, but they were too strong for us and their accuracy was better than ours as well. Their opportunities for tries occurred and they scored them. I am a bit disappointed, but it was a good learning curve for the players.

“Next week we are back to business away to Rhydyfelin and in two weeks we are home to Pontypool. This was a wake-up call for that top-of-the-table clash.”

Narberth man-of-the-match selected by the match sponsor, Puffin Produce, was Dewi Williams.

Narberth fielded: Nick Gale, Liam Hutchings, Keiron Jones, Paul Davies (Jack Parkinson), Mauritz Neumann, Jonathan Rogers (Ianto Griffiths), Lewys Gibby (Rhys Lane), Bradley Davies (Kyle Hamer), Rhodri Owens (Dan Smith), Tom Slater, Jake Simm (Ryan Banner), Alex Jenkins (capt.), Dewi Williams, Tom Powell, Steffan Phillips.