Llangwm 3
Haverfordwest 3

Haverfordwest and Llangwm officials agreed to share the Bishop Cup for six months each after the traditional Boxing Day encounter at a packed Pill Parks ended in a 3-3 draw.

Although there were no tries, and errors aplenty in the very heavy conditions, there was no one in the partisan crowd who could say that they didn’t have value for money. Both sets of players shrugged off the Yuletide celebrations to give total commitment.

Haverfordwest started the game as odds-on favourites since they are two divisions higher than Llangwm. But it was the Wasps who had the better of play territorially, after Mikey Jones had kicked the Blues into an early lead with a well-struck penalty.

The Wasps forced their way up the slope and the pack played well.

Luke Brock fired them level with a short-range penalty after previously being off-target with a longer range attempt. The Wasps also went close in the left corner near the gate but the Blues’ defence held firm.

Luke Brock and Mikey Jones missed penalties in the second period as referee John Griffiths kept a tight lid on events so that there wasn’t even a single yellow card —and Andrew Brock and Bill Brant helped set up half chances for the home side which came to nothing.

At the other end, Jones and Graham Badham set full-back Ollie Reyland on a run but it was the Wasps who had slightly the better chance late on from a scrum five, where Haverfordwest only just managed to keep them out.

Mikey Jones had a last-gasp penalty attempt for Haverfordwest, which fell short and in the final analysis the draw was the fairest result since neither side deserved to lose. Blues’ prop Neil Phillips received the Roy James Memorial trophy as man of the match and both captains were presented with the trophy afterwards.

Llangwm: Will Beresford; Richard Brock; Andrew Brock; Robbie Neill; Jonathan Brock; Luke Brock; James Dix; Dan Hughes; Johnny James; Will Scriven; Nick Phillips (Capt); Hamish Nicholls; James Lewis; Ian Griffiths; Nick McPhee. Replacements: Bill Brant; Steve Francis; Daniel Morgan; Aled Morgan; Henry Brant; Josh Davies and Richard Scriven.

Haverfordwest: Ollie Reyland; Sion Morgan; Phil Jones; Graham Badham; Darren Salmon; Mike Jones; Tom Walker; Neil Phillips; Gareth Green; Danny Miners; Gareth Phillips (Capt); Mark Busch; Richard Walters; Dan John; Alun Harries. Replacements: Liam Brown; Brett Davies; Sam Parry; Jamie Barnett and Lee Summons.