Fixture

Tumble welcomed the Saints of St Clears RFC to Parc y Mynydd Mawr for their final game of the 2017/18 season and a youthful looking side put their West Carmarthenshire rivals away with a five try victory, running out 35-10 winners. All credit to the coaching staff of Chris Davies, Nic Cudd and Billy McBryde for giving young local players a chance this season with a 20 man squad made up of 11 players aged 23 or under and an entire squad that had graduated from the club's youth team.

St Clears started the game off strongly and it only took them five minutes to score an unconverted try out by the left hand touch line to make the score 0-5 to the visitors. This score spurred the Magpies into life and within six minutes they were back on level terms when flying youth team winger Elis Lewis out paced the covering defence to score near the corner flag. Up stepped captain Steven Hewitt to slot over a superb conversion from near the touchline to give Tumble the lead, 7-5. The Magpies were now on top and the midfield duo of Owain Williams and Steffan Price were starting to make inroads into opposition territory. Price extended Tumble's lead when he burst through a number of attempted tackles to score near the posts. Hewitt made sure of the extra points with an easy conversion, 14-5. The Tumble pack were now on top in the set piece, especially the scrum where the front row of Steven Rees, Rhys Lewis and Kieron Richards were giving their opposite numbers a tough time. A dominant scrum on the St Clears five metre line saw the Magpies push their opponents back with number 8 Steffan Davies claiming the try at the base of the scrum. Hewitt again nailed the conversion to give Tumble a 21-5 lead after 26 minutes. While they still maintained their dominance in the scrum Tumble seemed to ease off the accelerator for the remaining 15 minutes of the first half with St Clears claiming more territory but without getting over the whitewash. Half time score 21-5.

The second half was a more even affair with both sides having opportunities to score but the Magpies being the more clinical side when opportunities to score arose. After 52 minutes centre Williams copied his midfield partner Price when he used his strength and gyle to go over for a try near the posts which claimed the four try bonus point. Hewitt again kept up his superb form from the tee with a successful conversion to make the score 28-5. To their credit St Clears never gave up and continued to have plenty of possession and kept the Tumble defence honest. With 66 minutes on the clock St Clears were pressuring on the edge of the Magpies' 22 when a long pass aimed to exploit an over lap wide out was intercepted by Tumble wing Mike Edwards. Edwards pinned his ears back and set off on a weaving 60 metre run to score under the posts despite the best efforts of St Clears' second row who pursued him all the way. Hewitt added the extras to make the score a healthy looking 35-5 to the Magpies. The score remained the same until seven minutes from time when St Clears crossed for a deserved consolation try to make the score 35-10, which it remained until the final whistle. 

A copy of the matchday programme can be found at the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QE4Fr0G7-8rM5Fo6G4z4keZ4v6CCetTo/view?usp=sharing

Many thanks to all the players, coaches, first aiders, groundsmen, volunteers and officials who have assisted with the senior team this season, Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Roll on season 2018/19!!!

Ymlaen Y Piod