Rumney : 15.G.Bowen 14.M.O'Neill 13.A.Jones 12.P.Niblett (Capt) 11.A.Carlson 10.D.Clark  9.J.O'Sullivan 1.J.Leadbeatter  2.M.Feneck  3.C.Gale  4.M.Peard  5.M.Kelly  6.M.Way 7.R.Sutton 8.S.Coles  Replacements : C.Fitzpatrick C.O'Donoghue P.Carlton A.Wilson

Referee : Steven Harwood, Morriston

Scorers for Rumney : A.Carlson try, M.O'Neill 2 tries, P.Niblett try, M.Kelly try, D.Clark 4 conversions and drop goal

Scorers for Ynysybwl : A.Thomas try and 2 conversions and 2 penalties, L.Lewis try, R.Morgan try

Another slow start by Rumney found Ynysybwl fired up, attacking through both their forwards and their backs and forcing errors and penalties from the home side. The visitors were guilty of early handling errors but missed tackles allowed them to penetrate the Rumney defence and in the sixteenth minute Ynysybwl fullback Adam Thomas slotted a penalty for the opening score. Two minutes later they went further ahead when, from a scrum, a huge midfield gap appeared and the ball was worked wide for right winger Lee Lewis to dive in at the corner to increase his side's lead to 0 - 8. The first signs of the Rumney fightback came with success at the line outs and in the twenty third minute flanker Ryan Sutton confirmed his reputation as the division's outstanding lineout specialist by providing excellent ball for his threequarters who thrived on the possession and spread it fast and wide for winger Andrew Carlson to race in under the posts. Outside half Danny Clark converted but from the restart Ynysybwl immediately counterattacked and their dangerous runners forced another penalty which Thomas put over to restore the lead to 7 - 11. Tighter play from the home forwards started to pay dividends particularly the use of powerful props Charlie Gale and John Leadbeatter on the burst, and second rows Michael Peard and Michael Kelly in strong support, and play moved mostly to the Ynysybwl half of the field. Outstanding defence by Carlson and fellow winger Michael O'Neill snuffed out more dangerous breakouts and in the thirty fifth minute the forwards set up second phase for scrum half James O'Sullivan to send out his snappy, accurate pass to the backs and Captain and centre Paul Niblett scattered defenders on his way under the sticks for an excellent solo try. Rumney hooker Michael Feneck showed his power and elusiveness on the burst and No8 Stuart Coles caused panic in the midfield with characteristic charges, drawing in defenders to try and stop him, and with back row companions Matthew Way and Sutton finding more room in which to operate and Clark carefully working the touchline, Rumney found themselves in good attacking positions. On the stroke of half time and from a lineout on their own ten metre line, Rumney set off on a series of passing movements linking the backs and forwards and covering sixty metres, eventually coming to an end with Kelly crossing for a brilliant team try. Clark converted, giving an interval scoreline of Rumney 21 Ynysybwl 11.

The second half started with more good work from Coles, Feneck, Gale and Leadbeatter, Sutton snapping up loose balls and Clark finding huge touch finders. In the forty third minute Sutton supplied his customary high quality lineout ball and O'Sullivan and Clark brought in strong running fullback Gareth Bowen. Kelly, Way and Feneck drove on and set up good second phase, and a handling movement which featured an outrageous reverse pass by Sutton, led to mighty centre Anthony Jones putting O'Neill in at the corner for another stunning try. Rumney were now cutting loose and spreading the ball wide whenever possible, Niblett, Jones and Carlson racing away in acres of space, Coles and Leadbeatter involved in everything and Peard drawing in tacklers and rampaging upfield. After fifty minutes Way did some excellent clearing up and O'Sullivan's probing and sniping created space for Clark to launch a fine thirty metre drop goal, and minutes later from a set scrum, solidy anchored by Gale, Feneck and Leadbeatter, the outside half broke wide and sent O'Neill over for another try and a lead of 34 - 11. Ynysybwl hit back through a sustained period of pressure and an unexpected switch right which found Rhys Morgan on an unstoppable burst for a cleverly worked try under the posts but Rumney had chosen to keep Colin O'Donoghue, Anthony Wilson and Craig Fitzpatrick ready to refresh the pack, and along with the elusive Phil Carlton now at outside half, the home side stepped up a gear and launched attacks from deep positions. In the seventy third minute a Sutton steal set Niblett off on another break, this time it was Bowen who took the try scoring pass for the touchdown under the posts. Ynysybwl came back again with another well worked try and conversion by fullback Thomas and the final minutes were played out in the same competitive fashion that had characterised the match, the closing scoreboard reading Rumney 41 Ynysybwl 25.

Steve Ford, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "We started off very slowly and motivation from the kick off is now one of my main concerns, we had no possession or territory in the first eighteen minutes. Our set piece was ok but we couldn't get possession, Ynysybwl kept a lot of ball and in the first half we lost two turnovers, after having lost seven to Croesyceiliog on Wednesday night. We are not doing a good job there at the breakdown area, we lacked confidence and got frustrated. Rumney also pased poorly but after half an hour we got to the stage where we needed that one spark and when it came we scored the tries. We had a few choice words at half time and in the second half we took the bull by the horns and started going through the phases, when we click we are a very good side and can make things happen, as soon as we had some ball we broke loose. We pulled through and are hot on the trail of leaders Llantrisant, if they slip up we could still win this league. It was a good performance from the back row, Ryan Sutton, Stuart Coles and Matthew Way all played very well, and the Man of the Match was John Leadbeatter, for a guy in his first year of senior rugby he is determined, loyal and willing to learn, his biggest asset is that he listens, for a young man playing in the front row he puts his heart into it and it is a pleasure to have him in the side."

John Leadbeatter, prop Rumney 1st XV : "It was an on and off performance, in patches we were excellent and at other times we were poor but we stuck at it and had the result at the end. The scrummage was an improvement on previous games, James O'Sullivan did a good job at scrum half and Ryan Sutton played well, as always."

James O'Sullivan, scrum half Rumney 1st XV : "We were slow off the mark and were asleep for the first twenty minutes but as soon as we secured decent ball and gave the outside backs a chance, the three quarters cut them to pieces. We had good ball for the rest of the game but switched off at stages and sloppy defence allowed Ynysybwl back into the game, but once we started to play again they had no answer. Danny Clark controlled things well from the back of the scrum and John Leadbeatter had a cracking game."