Fixture

On a lovely afternoon at Cae Ddol on a 1^st team pitch which was playable on for the first time since the end of December Ruthin failed to halt their losing streak against a combative Llangefni side.  It was a game of missed opportunities on the Ruthin side and opportunities taken by the opposition. The Blues started brightly enough for the first 10 minutes or so but failed to get points on the board when a penalty kick went wide.  The visitors began to work their way into the game and pushed Ruthin back into their own 22 where flanker Tom Owen went over for an unconverted try.  The visitors were moving the ball around well and were rewarded with an odd interception of a Ruthin ball on the Blues try line which fly half Greg Horsman touched down and wing Rhys Hughes converted. After half an hour’s play the Blues were beginning to look more competitive and from a line out on the Cefni 22 the pack drove over the line for a fine forwards try with the honours going to flanker Alex Pope and converted by fly half Nathan Jones.  There was no further score in the first half and Ruthin started the second half well with a try by 2^nd row Deian Lloyd Williams, converted by Nathan and putting them 14-12 ahead.  Ruthin weren’t able to hold on to their lead for long as there was a second interception of a Ruthin ball, this time in the middle of the park and centre Richard Foulkes couldn’t be caught as he sped over the home side’s try line. With the score 17-14 to the visitors the Blues tried to reduce the arrears but handling errors and infringements reduced their effectiveness.  The final nail in the coffin came in the 75th minute from penalty awarded to the visitors on the half way line and from the resultant line out flanker Paul Magee nipped over the line for their bonus point try and fullback Carwyn Milburn converted.  The final few minutes were a midfield struggle as the Blues tried to salvage a losers’ bonus point but it was to no avail and the game ended with Llangefni winning 24-14.  The Blues next challenge is at home to Bala on Thursday 22 February in the Conwy Land Rover North Wales Cup Quarter Final.