Fixture

With another good sized crowd and decent weather the stage was set for what has always been a close encounter between the two clubs. Pwllheli came to the game on the back of two hard fought but deserved wins. From the outset they kept the ball away from the bulky visiting pack and released their back line which appears to be increasing in confidence week on week. After only seven minutes the ball was swept across the line to right wing Osian P.Jones. It was pleasing to see him use his bulk and pace to beat the cover from thirty metres out. The touchline conversion by Jones was applauded by the home support. Denbigh's attempt at a come back were met with some fierce tackling. It was as a result of turn over ball that left wing Robin Hughes Jones took full advantage as his pace beat the cover to score wide out. Again Osian P.Jones added the two points. The visitors were doing well in the set pieces and produced a good amount of possession. The back line however were faced by speedier opponents and Pwllheli capitalised again from broken play. It was centre Pugh who scored Pwllheli's third on eighteen minutes as he was put clear and his pace took him away from the defence. Jones made it three out of three with his conversion attempt. It was fly half Owain William who scored Pwllheli's fourth and try bonus try in the twenty second minute as he danced through the scrambled defence .Again Jones slotted the conversion. Denbigh tried to regroup but Pwllheli's sheer speed on the ball continued to take its toll. It was Owain Williams again on twenty five minutes whio scythed through the defence to score a fine individual try. Jones slotted his fifth consecutive successful conversion. Three minutes later it was the physicality of scrum half Nick Butterworth which earned his team's sixth try. Jones missed the conversion attempt. To their great credit Denbigh regrouped and put in a strong ten minute spell. They tried to bludgeon their way to the Pwllheli line but Pwllheli's organised and well structured defence held. Caught in an attacking mode Denbigh were open for the copunter and this is what happened on thirty eight minutes when Ellis Griffiths scored a fine try which Jones converted. Pwllheli passed the fifty mark when ,in the fortieth minute, Robin Hughes Jones scored one of his trade mark long distance scores. The conversion missed. Half time Pwllheli fifty two Denbigh nil. With their eye on next week's Plate match wholesale substitutions were made to give everyone on the bench some decent playing time. Inevitably this resulted in a flatter second period. Eight minutes into the half Owain Williams achieved his hat-trick of tries after anything sweeping run. A mixture of tighter Denbigh organisation and wrong option taking by Pwllheli saw a scoreless twenty minutes. Robin Hughes Jones broke the stalemate to get his hat trick of tries. Three minutes later Denbigh kicks took them deep into the home twenty two. From an ensuing line out Denbigh using their greater weight an excellent technique to touch down wide out on the left. Substitute centre Ianto Pari had the final say when his arcing run took him through and round the cover to score an excellent individual try. The final whistle went five minutes later. This is potentially a significant result for the home side as their eleven tries to one margin cuts into the previously glaring gap between the Lleyn side and leaders Nant. The points scored differential has also come down from one hundred and fifty points five weeks ago to the present plus difference of only thirteen in Nant Conwy's favour. Pwllheli have another home fixture this Saturday when they host resurgent Mold in the Semi Final of the North Wales Plate. With Pwllheli losing seven of Saturday's squad ,who will be up in Murrayfield, it will be a stern test of their strength in depth.