Match Report Aberavon 24 Ebbw Vale 45
Ebbw win on the road
Ebbw Vale continued their good start to the season after coming away from Aberavon with six points in front of the S4C Clic camera’s on Thursday night.
The Wizards made a strong start. Within the first three minutes of the game, a storming run by the hosts number eight Ashton Evans put the home side inside the Steelmen’s twenty-two. A quick taken penalty by Aberavon saw the ball go wide to outside half Keillen Cullen, who went over in the corner. Cullen was unable to add the extras.
The away side soon struck back. After a driving maul by the Ebbw pack made some yards, the visitors forwards went through the phases. Quick ball out to fly half Evan Lloyd, saw the number ten take a pass down low and excellently catch the ball off his laces off balance and get a pass away to the supporting Ethan Phillips to cut an angle to go over the line. Lloyd successfully added the extras.
Ten minutes later a fine surge from a driving maul by the away sides Joe Franchi put the visitors in the Wizards twenty-two. Pressure by Steelmen saw the ball make its way to Lloyd, who put in a tremendous deft grubber kick through for winger Dafydd Thomas to collect the ball and dive over the line out wide. Lloyd was unsuccessful with the conversion.
The third try of the game for the away side came inside the first half an hour. A kick to touch from a penalty set up the Ebbw forwards to collect the lineout and set up a driving maul. With the backs joining in, referee Keith David run under the posts to award the Steelmen a penalty try. In the aftermath, Aberavon second row Ross Fox was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes.
The hosts were to immediately hit back. From a lineout on the halfway line, the home side scrum half Scott Whitlock darted into the Ebbw Vale twenty-two. A quick pass to centre Brad Roderick, saw the centre dive over the line to score. Number ten Cullen kicked the conversion to make it a seven point game.
A knock on just outside the Wizards twenty-two saw the hosts win a scrum. Against the head, the Steelmen forwards put in a huge push to win the ball. With the ball at the feet on Ebbw number eight Ryan Jenkins, number nine Gruff Tough picked up the ball, saw the space and used his pace to split the defence and go over for the bonus point try. Lloyd added the extras.
On the stroke of half time Ebbw Vale coach Jason Strange made his first change of the game. Prop Morgan Williams came on for Luke Garrett.
Half Time: Aberavon RFC 12 Ebbw Vale RFC 26
The first change of the second half for Ebbw saw try scorer Ethan Phillips be replaced by Cameron Davies.
The first fifteen minutes of the half saw both teams go at each other. Referee David showed the Steelmen captain Joe Franchi a yellow card for ill-discipline.
The hosts took immediate advantage. Going through phase after phase, number eight Ashton Evans barged over the line to score. Referee David went to his pocket to show the visitors number nine Gruff Tough a yellow card to reduce the away side to thirteen players for just under ten minutes. The Wizard outside half Cullen sent the ball through the posts.
Within a few minutes Ebbw coach Strange replaced full back Morgan Richards with Dorian Jones.
On the hour mark the home side struck again. A quick penalty by Aberavon scrum half Whitlock inside the Vale half saw the backs take the ball to just short of the try line. Quick ball out to replacement Connor Moyse saw the young replacement go over unopposed. Fly half Cullen missed the conversion to reduce the deficit to two points with nineteen minutes left of the game.
Still reduced to thirteen, the visitors’ forwards went through a few phases on the halfway line. With no number nine on the pitch, replacement Dorian Jones saw winger Ewan Bowden with space in front of him. Taking the ball Jones drew the winger and passed to Bowden just inside his half. Using his pace, Bowden sped up the line, chipped over the covering defender, chased his kick, collected the ball and dived over the try line to score an excellent individual try. Lloyd was unable to add the two points.
The away side replaced second row Curtis Gregory with Lewis Young, starting flanker Jack Pope moving into the second row and minutes after hooker Joe Franchi was replaced by Ieuan Morris.
With the away side back up to fifteen, Ebbw Vale coach Strange brought on scrum half Dan Buffery to replace Gruff Tough.
A take at the lineout inside the Steelmen’s half saw the forwards set up a driving maul. Just on the pitch, scrum half Buffery saw an opportunity and darted up the blind side. Drawing the last line of defence, the scrum half passed out to winger Thomas to speed over the line to score his second try of the game with ten minutes of the game left. Outside half Lloyd added the extras.
The Steelmen replaced prop Morgan Bosanko with Adam Court and Sion Parry came off for Joe Rees-Weldon.
The final try of the game was scored by the away side. Having set up the maul from a lineout, the Ebbw forwards went through phase after phase, ending with flanker Jack Pope using his strength to go over from close to the line. Number ten Lloyd successfully kicked the conversion.
Full Time: Aberavon RFC 24 Ebbw Vale RFC 45
Tries: Ethan Phillips (1), Dafydd Thomas (2), Penalty try (1), Gruff Tough (1), Ewan Bowden (1), Jack Pope (1)
Conversions: Evan Lloyd (4)
Man of the match: Sion Parry
Pictures courtesy of Richard Whitcombe
Ebbw Vale’s next game is at the Ciner glass community stadium against Bridgend RFC on Saturday 13th of December 2025, with kick off at 2:30pm.
The Steelmen squad for the match against Aberavon RFC
Written by Alex Kinsella – Evans