Above : Abercynon v Rumney 02.10.04

Rumney : 15.G.Bowen 14.J.Offside 13. P.Niblett (Capt) 12.I.Blackburn 11.M.O'Neill 10.D.Clark 9.B.Morris 1.N.Trevett 2.N.Ritchie 3.K.O'Connor 4.J.Brain 5.P.Bull 6.R.Fenton 7.R.Sutton 8.S.Coles  Replacements : P.Douglas M.Feneck P.Nash R.Williams

Referee : Gerard Hamer (Pengam)

Abercynon 39   Rumney 7

Scorers for Rumney : M.O'Neill try, D.Clark conversion

Scorers for Abercynon : L.Lewis 2 tries, J.Davies try, L.Winder 2 tries, I.Iles try, M.Turner penalty and 3 conversions

Despite a lively start in which they put together a series of handling movements, Rumney soon found themselves going backward in the scrums and the problem remained with them through virtually the whole match. After an early forward drive Abercynon prop Ian Iles claimed the first try, but good clearance work by Rumney No8 Stuart Coles and prop Nathan Trevett, combined with accurate line kicking by outside half Danny Clark, prevented more scores until Isles linked well with Abercynon flanker Chris King to put scrum half Leighton Winder in under the sticks. Centre Matthew Turner added the points to give the home side a 12 - 0 lead and in the twenty eighth minute Winder finished off a forward drive with his second try. Turner's conversion took the score to 19 - 0 and when outside half Robbie Savage snapped up a loose kick he started an outstanding movement which resulted in Lyndon Lewis crossing in the corner, giving Abercynon a 24 - 0 advantage at the interval.

Most of the second half was played in heavy rain with difficult handling conditions, but Gerard Hamer controlled the game well throughout and Rumney showed more attacking flair than in the first period. Turner kicked a penalty in the fifty second minute and although they continued to feel the pressure in the scrums, Rumney did well in the lineouts where Ryan Sutton repeatedly took clean possession and Coles kept powering his way through tackles in midfield. The improvement in the visitors' forward possession eventually forced a series of penalties near the Abercynon line, and when scrum half Paul Nash took a quick tap he found centre Paul Niblett on hand to send out a long, delayed pass giving wing Michael O'Neill space to dive over in the corner. Clark's excellent touchline conversion brought the score to 27 - 7. Rumney again attacked through centre Ian Blackburn and full back Gareth Bowen but the Abercynon forwards had regrouped and close support play by Iles and flanker Jamie Price set up winger Jamie Davies for a corner try. Turner's touchline conversion took the score to 34 - 7 and in the final minute Abercynon counterattacked from their own line, putting together the finest movement of the game and giving wing Lewis the chance to dummy through for the final try and a comprehensive winning margin of 39 - 7.

Steve Ford, Assistant Coach Rumney RFC : "Rumney's first half defence was terrible but we sorted that out in the second half. We need the confidence to go through the phases, when we were in the Abercynon twenty two we gave away possession and panicked, and they put us seventy yards back down the field. In the second half this young side showed that they are full of enthusiasm, I coached ten of them as youth players, but what we really need is two or three old heads. Our training is going very well and we are light on the ground, but we'll battle on and if we play to our potential we will win more games than we lose. Today we didn't start until we were three tries down and we can take some good points from the game, but we will be paying attention to sorting out our defence where we were caught out five or six times. Abercynon are a well drilled side with a good front five and at the end of the day that is where games of rugby are won and this was only the second game of the season. It was pleasing to see Stuart Coles playing so well in his first full game and Danny Clark played with confidence, but the Rumney Man of the Match was full back Gareth Bowen."