Fixture

Pwllheli travelled to Llanrwst on the back of an emphatic but hard fought win in their opening match of the season. They knew that Nant Conwy had failed to play the previous week and however hard they trained it would be no substitute for the rigours of a league match. With Pwllheli knowing and respecting the qualities of the Nant team they had prepared well for the match. Fortunately the weather changed by kick off time and the game started off in warm sunshine with only a light breeze to contend with.

The Lleyn side started the stronger. Though physically smaller than their Nant opponents Pwllheli's pace dominated the early exchanges. With both scrums and line working efficiently clean quick ball was the order of the day. Pwllheli took the game to the home side using their faster pack and speedy backs to create openings and gain ground. After seven minutes Nant were penalised for killing the ball and captain Nick Butterworth slotted the kick. As is Nant's forte they came back strongly and they levelled the score at three apiece with a Delwyn Jones penalty on nine minutes when Pwllheli's backs were caught offside. Pwllhli's pressure paid dividends and on thirteen minutes they pressured Nant into a mistake. Fly half John Pugh latched on to the loose ball and beat the cover to touch down.Butterworth majored the try to take Pwllheli ten to three up.Once again Nant responded well. Using the blind side effectively quick passing put scrum half Cai Jones in the clear. to touch down. The conversion missed. Four minutes later Pwllheli were again caught short and Nant scored a  well worked score with left wing Jac Moriarty getting the try. With the score at ten each Pwllheli upped a gear as they dominated the rest of the first period. Twenty six minutes in the pack secured quick ruck ball which was swept to the left. Pwllheli's backs outpaced the opposition and it was Pugh again who was the beneficiary as he earned his second try. Butterworth converted.Both defences put in some big hits but Pwllheli maintained their pressure. From a rolling maul second row Caron Jones broke free to gallop twenty metres to the try line Butterworth's conversion took his side twenty four points to ten in the lead. In virtually the last move of the first half Butterworth's pace and power took him past several would be tacklers to score Pwllheli's fourth and bonus point try.

Nant opened the second period with gusto. They attacked Pwllheli at every opportunity. Five minutes into the half they attacked Pwllheli on the right and got to within ten metres of the try line. A heavy tackle saw Nant's possession lost. Pugh took advantage and beat the despairing cover to score after a length of the pitch race to the Nant line. Nant now threw the kitchen sink at Pwllheli and got their reward with a penalty close to the Pwllheli try line. Taking a quick penalty Nant were judged to have been impeded illegally and John Pugh was yellow carded. Scrum half Cai Jones saw the opportunity and scored from close range. The conversion by Arthur Lennon narrowed the gap .With Pwllheli still down to fourteen men Nant's Cai Jone scored his third try and his team's fourth . The conversion saw the score go to Nant twenty four Pwllheli thirty four. Pwllheli now needed to regroup and this is what they did.They contested every ball and gradually earned territorial parity. They had one clear chance to score another long distance try but were thwarted a few metres short. Pwllheli were awarded a series of penalties and substitute Osian Parry Jones' fifty metre effort on thirty eight minutes sealed the game for the visitors.

Pwllheli have a home fixture against Cobra on Saturday. Though Cobra have lost both their opening games Pwllheli's coaching team and players have too much nous to fall into the trap of underestimating the opposition. Match preparations will be meticulous as they are for all matches and Pwllheli know they will have a tough contest on their hands. Pwllheli Seconds played their first match of the season and came back with a solid nineteen to five away win at Bro. Pwllheli Youths completed the day's success for Pwllheli as they beat Bangor away by thirty one points to twelve.