Dunvant 85 pts.

Tenby United 41

With several key players unavailable due to this being a late rearranged game after the scheduled fixture was called off a few weeks ago when the Seasiders got off the bus to four inches of water covering the Broadacre playing surface, it was never going to be easy for the G. D. Harries & Sons sponsored Tenby United side who were up against the league leaders in their own backyard.

Dunvant were at full strength and were looking to add another bonus point win and go one step closer to promotion, and things went according to plan for them, with the win and bonus point both safely in the bag before half-time.

With their tails well and truly up, Dunvant started strongly, but despite completely dominating the opening period and rattling up 10 first half tries, they didn’t have things all their own way as they were caused serious problems by the United who never gave up and looked to play their expansive game on the wide Broadacre pitch.

The only scores for the United in the first half came from a well-struck Scott James penalty and a try from powerful centre Moritz Neumann.

Neumann’s try came as a reward for the continuous pressure the Seasiders had put on their hosts and, when Mark Heywood broke two tackles, the hard-working pack recycled for scrum-half Aaron James to get quick ball away to centre Neumann, who was never going to be stopped from 10 metres out.

James added the conversion to bring the United’s tally to 10 points, but as the half-time whistle blew, the score was a huge 64 points to 10 in Dunvant’s favour.

With absolutely nothing to lose, the half-time instructions from head coach Chris James were to forget the last 40 minutes and just go out and enjoy the second half and to play with pride.

This certainly sparked a resurgence within the Seasiders’ ranks and they went out and dominated the second half and got a bonus point for themselves, too, and all through stern defence and a will to run the ball from anywhere and not be scared to try things that they wouldn’t usually have risked.

The Tenby side played some brilliant open rugby and managed six tries of their own, which stunned the home side as they actually outscored the league leaders in the second half by 31 points to 10. This will give them huge confidence when they travel to Waunarlwydd tomorrow (Saturday) with key personnel back in action to boost the squad.

Tenby United’s second half comeback started within two minutes when Jordan Asparassa won the aerial battle with a great kick and chase and cantered in to touchdown in the corner for the unconverted score.

Just two minutes later, wing Greg Lees Griffiths crossed for a try which was one of the best all season. Aaron James broke away from defence and made it up to the halfway line, where he got a crossfield kick away, which Lees Griffiths gathered on the Dunvant 22 metre line and, using his pace and power, effortlessly ran in to score under the posts for James to convert..

Lees Griffiths crossed again just a few minutes later for what was almost a carbon copy of his first try.

This time it was Jack Guerreiro who put in the clever crossfield kick for the winger to gather again and canter in to score the Scott James converted try.

Dunvant managed two tries of their own in the meantime, which both went unconverted from right in front of the posts, before the Seasiders were causing problems again for the home defence.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes, the United knew that they were too far adrift to threaten their hosts’ lead, but they did know that they were restoring pride and chasing a bonus point which could come in handy in their bid to stay in division one west, and their cause was helped when young open-side flanker Alex Thomas caught Dunvant napping.

Dunvant attempted to take a quick lineout throw, but as the ball went into no man’s land thanks to the winger’s throw which was about as accurate as a fairground rifle, Thomas pounced on the loose ball and ran in unopposed to score an opportunist try, much to the home side’s disbelief and earneing his side a bonus point in the process.

James added the extra two points and reduced the deficit to 85 points to 36.

The Seasiders were to have the last word, too, and Lees Griffiths was to score the try which went through every pair of United hands and earned the winger his hat-trick as he scored in the corner.

The try was unconverted and the clock had run down before Tenby could threaten the result after the poor first half, but they did do themselves and the club proud by not giving up and putting in a second half performance that stunned and outscored the league leaders, who commented that they hadn’t come across a team like that all season and the Seasiders will take confidence from their efforts as they travel to Waunarlwydd tomorrow (Saturday) for the first meeting between the two sides this season.