St Davids 12.
St Clears 19.
St Clears won the ‘Battle of the Saints’ as they travelled west to St Davids and made the journey home with a win but with the Pembrokeshire Saints managing a bonus point for their efforts.
St Davids will undoubtedly look back on this tussle as a match they might have won, especially after making a good start when good work by Jack Dudley, Anthony Davies, Eddie Bolger and Barry John allowed scrum half Brian Phillips to power his way over the line for an unconverted try.
But St Clears responded after ten minutes with a penalty by Rhodri Thomas and after another 20 minutes of end to end stuff, it was Thomas who nudged St Clears in front with a well-struck penalty, as St Davids transgressed in the loose.
Even worse was to follow for the home side because right on the interval they gave away a soft try, when skipper Phil Lamb tried a quick throw in at a lineout but his enterprise didn’t reap the expected benefit. The St Clears pack pounced on the loose ball and Owen James was put over for a try which Rhodri Thomas converted.
St Davids had the better of the third quarter as they played well up front and their backs looked to run the ball, as they did after 47 minutes when quick hands from Phillips, Lamb, Richard Lewis and Fintan Godkin put talented centre Sion Morgan through for an unconverted try.
But St Clears refused to sit back and their pack grew stronger as St Davids were forced back and penalties by Thomas after 71 and 80 minutes ensured St Clears a third win in four outings to keep them in the top four of the section table.
St Davids: Richard Lewis, Fraser Watson, Fintan Godkin, Sion Morgan, Ryan Bowen, Phil Lamb (Captain), Brian Phillips, Chris Morgan, Noel Lyons, Jack Dudley, Jake Pratt, Ian McGarty, Eddie Bolger, Barry John, Anthony Davies. Replacements: Dan Colfer, Raymond Owen, Paul Morris.
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