This was the last match of the first section of the season and turned out to be a real classic between two of the League’s top three teams. The result was not decided until into ‘extra time’ played at the end of the match.
Delwyn Jones put the League Leaders ahead after 3 minutes play with a long distance penalty goal with the strong breeze. But, Ruthin replied with a well worked try by left winger, Sion Roberts almost immediately when he squeezed over in the left corner.
Both sides played at a par for the next twenty minutes or so with most of the play in between the two 22 lines. Ruthin had the better of this period but were unable to capitalise on pressure with two attempts at penalty goals going wide. After 32 minutes, in their first real foray near to the home line, Nant came away with points on the board when no. 8 and captain, Carwyn Ellis bundled over for a try from the base of a strong maul.
Two minutes later after some pressure from the visitors fly half, Sion Pringle, collected a long low level pass from the base of another ruck and sprinted swiftly between the two opposite centres to touch down beside the posts and Delwyn Jones converted. Thus, the half time score was 5 – 15.
Ruthin replied with fly half Callum Bennett’s penalty goal after 40 seconds of the second half. But, after 5 minutes, Ruthin had a defensive 5 metre scrum and Nant Conwy won the ball ‘against the head’ and shoved the home pack over their own line for Carwyn Ellis to score, which Delwyn Jones converted to give a score of 8 – 22.
Play for the next 20 minutes reverted to both sides trying to play open rugby but with strong legitimate tackling from both sides. Callum Bennet further reduced the arrears with a long range penalty after 18 minutes.
Then, with 10 minutes of ordinary play time left, Ruthin set up a grandstand finish as Harry Morgan burst through to score a try beneath the posts with a simple conversion for Callum Bennett.
With the score now 18 – 22 and the possibility of either side winning, the Blues tried to get a winning try but Nant played out the last twenty minutes of play and extra time doing what they do best in keeping the ball tight, especially so in their opponents’ ‘22’. The tactic paid off after 49 minutes when scrum half, Ifan Jones used his strength to power his way through the Blues defence for their bonus point try. The final score was thus, 18 – 27 to Nant Conwy.
Gyda’r gêm hon yn un olaf rhan gyntaf y tymor presennol rhwng dau o’r tri tîm sy’n arwain Adran 1 y Gogledd, cafodd y nifer dda o wylwyr a oedd yn bresennol wledd i’r llygad. Yn wir, dim ond wedi 9 munud o ‘amser ychwanegol’ y setlwyd y canlyniad ar y diwedd!
Bu i Delwyn Jones roi arweinwyr y gynghrair ar y blaen wedi 3 munud gyda chic gosb gyda’r gwynt cryf. Ymatebodd Rhuthun yn syth gyda chais a weithwyd yn dda trwy i’r asgellwr, Sion Roberts fynd trwy wagle bychan yn y gornel chwith i sgorio cais. Gwelwyd chwarae da rhwng y ddwy linell 22 am yr 20 munud nesaf cyn, wedi 32 munud y gwelwyd ymosodiad cyntaf Nant Conwy yn agos i linell y tîm cartref. Cafwyd hyrddiad ardderchog gan y pac a orffennodd gyda’r Capten a’r rhif 8, Carwyn Ellis yn disgyn tros y linell i sgorio cais.
Dau funud yn ddiweddarach, manteisiodd Sion Pringle (rhif 10) ar gyfle na haeddai fanteisio arno’n wir! Derbyniodd bas hir ond isel o waelod hyrddiad arall gan y pac. Cododd y bêl a rhuthrodd yn llythrennol rhwng y ddau Ganolwr amddiffynnol i sgorio cais wrth y pyst er wmyn galluogi Delwyn Jones i ychwanegu’r ddeubwynt. Cafwyd sgôr o 5 – 15 ar yr hanner, felly.
O mewn 40 eiliad o’r ail hanner, ymatebodd Rhuthun gyda chic gosb gan Callum Bennett (rhif 10). Ond, gwelwyd cais y gêm wedi 5 munud. Sgrym amddiffynnol 5 metr i Rhuthun ond pac Nant yn dwyn y bêl a gwthio’r pac cartref tros eu llinell i ganiatau Carwyn Ellis sgorio’i ail gais o’r gêm. Tasg hawdd oedd i Delwyn Jones drosi er mwyn rhoi sgôr o 8 – 22.
Gwelwyd chware arbennig an y ddwy ochr a thaclo o’r radd flaenaf gan y ddau dîm am y cyfnod nesaf. Llwyddodd Callum Bennett gyda chic gosb arall o bell wedi 18 munud. Gyda 10 munud yn unig o amser arferol yn weddill, bu i Rhuthun ‘drefnu’ diweddglo cyffrous. Llwyddodd Harry Morgan i sgorio cais o dan y pyst gyda throsiad hawdd i Callum Bennett i roi sgôr o 18 – 22.
Gallai’r naill ochr neu’r llall ennill yn awr ond, gwelwyd Nant ar eu gorau wrth iddynt gadw’r bêl yn dynn ymysg y blaenwyr am yr 20 munud nesaf (10 munud amser arferol + 10 munud ‘ychwanegol’). Talodd y bwriad ar ei ganfed wedi 49 munud, wedi 18 rhan olynol o chwarae pan ddefnyddiodd yr hannerwr, Ifan Jones ei nerth i wthio trwy, a thros, amddiffyn blinedig i sgorio’r cais a enillodd y gêm a rhoi’r pwynt bonws am ‘4 cais’.
Ar ddiwedd y gêm, felly, gwelwyd sgôr o 18 – 27.
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