12.09.09 Ruthin vs Llandudno
On a beautiful Autumn day, Ruthin, looking good in their new team kit, started strongly against Llandudno fresh from their win against Denbigh last week. Centre James Stokes put Ruthin ahead with a penalty goal within the first five minutes but Ruthin were unable to capitalise further on early pressure and Llandudno looked dangerous on the counterattack. Ruthin looked to make the most of Llandudno being down to 14 men when one of their backs was sin‐binned but almost immediately Ruthin flanker Clwyd Jones suffered the same fate. However Ruthin quickly scored with Stokes going over after combining well with full back James Lyle. For the rest of the first half play oscillated from end to end. With good defence from both sides, combined with handling errors and mediocre scrimmaging, neither side was able to make headway and the whistle blew with the score 8‐0 to Ruthin . Llandudno started strongly in the second half and Mike Hughes reduced the score difference with a penalty goal and almost scored a second but it bounced off the upright. Ruthin responded with their best moves of the match and after some short quick passing on Llandudno’s 22 Clwyd Jones scored a great try. With the score 13‐3 to Ruthin they should have sewn the game up but Llandudno were having none of it. They reduced the arrears to 13‐6 with another Hughes penalty goal and then exerted considerable pressure on the Ruthin line with a series of scrums which only an immense defensive effort prevented them scoring. Second row Chris Davies was yellow carded during this exchange and eventually scrum half Gethin Ffoulkes cleared. Llandudno continued to pressurise Ruthin’s 14 men and Rhodri Carlton‐Jones went over for a deserved try which was not converted putting the score at 13‐11 to Ruthin. Ruthin responded immediately and with the last moves of the match Llandudno conceded a penalty on their 10 yard line which led to a Ruthin line out on LLandudno’s 22. After a further penalty and line out Jones got his second try of the match with a great pushover try. The final score was 18‐11 to Ruthin giving them their first league win of the season and a boost ahead of next week’s tough match away at Mold.
