Fixture

WRU Division 5 East

CRUMLIN 32 Bettws 18

Everyone involved with Crumlin RFC would like to express our sympathy to our player Nathan Evans and his family.  Nathan’s Grandfather passed away on Wednesday evening.  Anyone who knows Nathan will know the father figure his Pops was to both him and his brother as they grew up.  Our thoughts are with you all at this time.

It was an historic day for the country as King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey.  Ironically this game had been cancelled back in September due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  This was also a historic day for Crumlin RFC as they secured promotion into WRU Division 4 East for the 2023 / 2024 season.

This eagerly anticipated match between the top two teams in the league could well decide the destination of the title.   For a much changed Bettws outfit from the last time these 2 teams met, it was their last game of the season and they were 10 points clear of 2^nd placed Crumlin.  The Mighty Crum, for the first time in a month, named a team almost the same as that which took the field at the Principality Stadium.  Crumlin had 3 games left in the league giving a possible 15 points to be won but anything other than a win today would send the crown to the north of Newport.

Bettws drew first blood with an extremely well worked move that said this day was going to be a tough one for the home side at the Kay Field.

CRUMLIN 0 Bettws 7

Within minutes though Crumlin were carving out a score of their own.  From the kick off Bettws tried to clear the ball but made the mistake of kicking to the mercurial Joel Witcombe for Crumlin.  Witcombe picked up the ball deep in his half and set off.  He beat two players and went through a gap with Captain Ethan Chess screaming to him for the pass on the outside. Witcombe as usual delivered the assist and Chess was over.

CRUMLIN 5 Bettws 7

The outstanding Witcombe was returning to the starting XV for the first time after sustaining an injury during the heroics on the Principality Stadium when Crumlin lifted the National Cup a month ago.  Witcombe was on fire today and was unlucky not to be selected as the Man of The Match.  His ability to maintain his feet when being tackled and then to break through those tackles sets the buzz in supporters and players alike when the ball is in his hands.  Having already delivered for Chess and the first try it was now Witcombe’s turn to score.  Crumlin’s backs were in their usual running mood and from five metres out Chess received the ball to through a long miss pass into Witcombe’s bread basket for the fullback to score the teams 700^th point of the season.  Centre Ryan Lewis converted to put Crumlin into the lead for the first time.

CRUMLIN 12 Bettws 7

Bettws made the kick off extremely difficult to take and recovered the ball.  This territorial advantage eventually paid off towards the end of the half as they managed to score another try that this time went unconverted leaving the scores tied at the break.

Halftime:

CRUMLIN 12 Bettws 12

Steele Jones replaced Cole Jones at 9 for Crumlin and within minutes of the kick off Euan Lewis replaced Tyler Madden-Smith at 7.  Outstanding prop prospect Efan “Pasty” Passmore was on for Dan Lewis in the front row.  This was an incredibly tense and tight encounter and so it was felt that Crumlin needed to score first in the second half.  Bettws were having none of this though and their outside half duly slotted a drop goal from 35 metres to retake the lead.

CRUMLIN 12 Bettws 15

Crumlin got into position on the 22 and from a lineout they tried to make a breakthrough but to their credit Bettws held firm primarily due to an offside in the mid field which was spotted and penalised by the referee.  Ryan Lewis converted and we were all square for the second time.

CRUMLIN 15 Bettws 15

Cole Jones continued to show his huge range of versatility as the scrum half who has played in the centre and back row this season came on for the injured Jacob “Spanky” Morgan-Hill at hooker.  These are some big boots to be filled as Spanky has been outstanding all season but Jones was up to the job and in spades as well.  The scrum continued not to take a backward step and indeed exerted pressure on the Bettws eight at every opportunity.  Not only this but the lineout throwing of Jones was exemplary as he hit all jumpers in the full range of positions. 

With such a tough bruising encounter the loss of two front rowers would have caused most teams to capitulate but with Jones at hooker and youth prop Pasty doing an outstanding job on for Dan Lewis there was a seamless transition.   It has to be mentioned though another outstanding contribution was made on the other side of the scrum where ever present Gavin Spencer has been a real force to be reckoned all season and in every single game the team has played.  Such a tough position at prop to play the full 80 minutes today was huge but to have been one of only two players to play in every single game this season is an awesome achievement.

Late on Gethyn “Pony” Hockey was replaced by Gavin Hipkiss and Jordan Hughes had a new partner in the second row.

Bettws once again got themselves in to a scoring position just outside the 22, and an infringement by Crumlin at the ruck allowed their excellent kicker at 10 to slot a penalty and nudge them ahead for the third, but more significantly, final time.

CRUMLIN 15 Bettws 18

Crumlin continued to exert pressure at scrum time and Bettws resorted to their burly number 8 picking up and trying to attack from this.  Steele Jones was now at 9 though and he wrapped up his bigger opponent at least 4 times to snuff out the Bettws main attacking option.

A break by Crumlin saw them brought down just short and Steele Jones fed Chess and his sweet pass went to bullocking Kyle Walton who is unstoppable from this and indeed much further out range.  Walton’s try put Crumlin into a lead that they were now not going to relinquish again.  However, any score from Bettws meant that the crowd knew it was the narrowest of leads to defend and the tension rose.

CRUMLIN 20 Bettws 18

From the Crumlin 22 the buzz went up as Witcombe got his hands on the ball and fending off a couple of defenders at break neck speed he took the ball all the way to the Bettws 10 metre line where he and Taylor Smith had a 2 v 1 over the Bettws fullback.  Witcombe committed the fullback brilliantly and set Smith away to dive in and score the vital bonus point try.  Ryan Lewis converted for his 90^th point of the season but much more importantly to ease the nerves of the Crumlin faithful as they moved 2 scores away for the first time in the match.

CRUMLIN 27 Bettws 18

Late on it was Steele Jones who cleared fully 40 metres with a box kick from the Crumlin 22 line.  This left Bettws deep in their own half with just the fullback to field the ball and try to set up some sort of running attack.  Jones though was like a cheetah hunting down it’s prey on the serengeti.  He bombed down the pitch after his kick and not only did he stop the full back in his tracks but he ferociously mauled him into touch as well.  This was met with huge cheers and rapturous applause from the Crumlin faithful and sealed a Man of The Match performance for Jones.

With just 3 minutes remaining.  From a scrum on the far left wing Corey Strickland popped up in midfield beating the defence then it was all hands as Strickland passed to centre Morgan Smith who gave to fellow centre Ryan Lewis.  Lewis zipped it to none other than Witcombe who crashed over for his second of the day, making it 50 points for himself in the black and amber this season.  At the same point the win was now in the bag with clear blue sky between the scores.  For Crumlin they can look forward to trying to take the title out of Bettws’ clutches if they can take 5 points from their last two league games.  (It’s 4 points for a win and a bonus point if you can score 4 trys or more).

Full Time:

CRUMLIN 32 Bettws 18

It was great to see Bettws bring literally a bus full of supports to enjoy their last game of the season and to enjoy a fancy dress party atmosphere back at the club.  Despite the excellent efforts of the Jimmy Saville look like and the size of the Masked Wrestler’s nipples it was great to see the Jewish Rabbi take the best dressed prize.

The Crumlin players would like to wish Blake Madden-Smith a very messy 18^th birthday to be celebrated in the after match festivities.

On Saturday next week (13^th May) Crumlin make the short trip to Blackwood RFC’s Glanyrafon Parc to take on Hollybush in the Bryn Meredith Cup Final.  This will match will also now double up as the two teams League fixture.  It’s a 2:30 KO and the team would greatly appreciate your vocal support to drive them towards a second Cup success this season and possibly the League title. 

The remaining game for this season after the double header will be your last chance to see the team playing their outstanding brand of rugby.  This will be Saturday 20^th May – final league match against Brynithel at our own Kay Field.

#UPPACRUM

SQUAD

1. Gavin Spencer

2. Jacob Morgan-Hill                  

3. Daniel Lewis

4. Jordan Hughes

5. Gethyn Hockey

6. Kiaran Lewis

7. Tyler Madden-Smith

8. Kyle Walton

9. Cole Jones

10. Ethan Chess (Captain)

11. Taylor Smith

12. Morgan Smith

13. Ryan Lewis                                                              

14. Corey Strickland                                                                    

15. Joel Witcombe

16. Efan Passmore

17. Gavin Hipkiss

18. Connor Lloyd

19. Euan Lewis

20. Steele Jones

Travelling Reserves

Chris Pearce

Blake Madden-Smith

Aaran Lloyd