Wed 20th Feb (Away) SWALEC Plate
Aberavon Harlequins 11 vs Lougher 26

In the third meeting of the clubs this season, Loughor gained their first victory and in so doing progressed to the last eight of the Swalec Plate competition.

The game was played at high tempo throughout and it was the home side that swept to the attack and the Quins had to display their defensive mettle. Big locks Tim Butler and Dan George, together with number eight Jonathan Phillips caused anxious moments in Quins territory.

Scrum half, Steve Wake kept varying his angles of attack but was let down by unsure handling of his three quarters.

The tough tackling Quins back row of Chris Jones, Daniel Owen and skipper Richard Wanklyn upset the home backs and veteran winger Jamie Lean intercepted in his own 22 and sprinted clear and varied his running line cleverly to outwit the pursuing opposition and touch down.

Stung by this reverse Loughor poured on more pressure but Tom Davies was off target with two penalty shots.

It was another sweeping move and for once some slack Quins tackling which got Loughor on level terms through a classy try from winger Matt Stoneham.

The Quins slowly established themselves in home territory and were gaining the upper hand with hooker James Davies well to the fore and support from props Rich Diaz & Jon Agar and it was no surprise when they regained the lead through some stirring forward play from locks Bill Lavis & Craig Cox, allowing fly half Sheppard to drop a goal. Half time came too soon for the Quins as Loughor appeared to be wilting under pressure. Scott Milton made a strong run up the touchline and Wanklyn burst through almost creating scores.

The second half started badly for the Quins as they failed to secure the restart and gave Davies an easy chance to level the scores. Gareth Pugh charged through in spectacular fashion for the Quins but Loughor cleared well and an error give Davies the opportunity to increase the lead with his second penalty.

Sheppard replied in kind for the Quins but some unforced errors let in Andrew Mead for a try.

Spurred on by the score the Loughor eight regained composure and Tim Butler burst over for a late try converted by Davies.

The Quins return to league action on 27th. Of Feb at home to Aberystwyth.

Sat 30th Jan (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 26 vs Lougher 18

The Quins came from behind to record a remarkable double over third placed Loughor.

The Quins made a dreadful start by earning the displeasure of Ref Mr Fleming at the tackle area. Fly half Thomas Davies put the visitors in front with a straight penalty in the opening minutes and soon added two more before the home side got the message. Quins No.8 Billy Lavis was at his best and frequently troubled the visitors with storming runs. Centre, Gareth Pugh continued his way along the comeback trail with a devastating display of aggressive defence enthusiastically supported by co-centre Neil Pugsley. It took the Quins fifteen minutes to gain a foothold in Loughor territory and fly half Marc Sheppard slotted a penalty to cut the deficit. Davies however, hit back immediately with a monstrous penalty from half way. The Quins eight were gaining the ascendancy and the visiting scrum showed signs of creaking due to the unrelenting efforts of props, Lloyd Hayden & Lee Crockett and busy hooker James Davies. Sheppard slotted two more goals to make it 15-9 to the visitors at the break.

It fell to Loughor to defend the muddier areas in the second half and as the Quins back row of Lavis, Craig Cox and quicksilver open side Chris Jones swarmed over the cloying mud, panic was spread among the visitors’ defence. Tom Davies went from hero to zero as Jones charged down his attempted clearance and smartly gathered to sprint in beneath the bar. Sheppard eased the Quins in front with the conversion. Smart work around a line out instigated by hooker, James Davies saw busy scrum half Leighton Baker worm his way along the touchline with Karl Davies in support and the big lock needed no second bidding to gallop over and Sheppard added the conversion Immense forward pressure with Lavis in the form of his life demolished any hopes of a Loughor come back and some dangerous runs from full back Parfitt and wingers Colarusso & Dawe stretched the defence but could not add to the try count. Towards the close, young Dan Morgan replaced James Davies and Alex Condon slotted in at fly half and both acquitted themselves very well with Morgan stealing one against the head.

Sheppard added his fourth penalty and left Loughor struggling to obtain a losing bonus point but their confidence was drained by the massive performance from the home eight and had only Davies’ boot to rely on but they returned home empty handed despite the fly half slotting his sixth penalty. The Quins victory was obtained through set piece dominance up front and a set of very strong tackling backs who to a man, never shirked a tackle. The sponsor’s choice of ‘Man of the Match’ was Gareth Pugh.

The Quins next face Dunvant at home 7-30pm Friday Feb 5th. 

Sat 23rd Jan (Away) SWALEC Plate
Aberavon Harlequins 13 vs Cwmavon 0

Aberavon Quins were deserved winners in a hard fought Swalec Plate encounter and in so doing will meet Loughor away on 20th Feb.

The game started brightly for the Quins with No.8 Billy Lavis making three powerful runs in the opening minutes. The Quins eight swarmed in support and it was no shock when scrum-half Peploe-Williams unleashed his three-quarter line and Steve Colarusso dashed along the left hand touchline and slipped an inside pass to enable centre, Neil Pugsley to score with barely five minutes of the match gone.

Unfortunately for both sets of supporters the game speedily degenerated into an array of petty squabbles and infringements that left both attractive running back lines as observers as far as attacking rugby was concerned.

The Quins eight were almost totally dominant during the first half and made use of the sloping pitch and when Marc Sheppard stretched the lead with a penalty goal a heavy defeat for Cwmavon looked on the cards. In the closing minutes of the half however the home pack suddenly hurled the Quins eight backwards and lock Stuart Williams and flanker Oliver Curtis were stopped short, then before the stroke of time the Cwm eight slammed their way over the line only to be held up.

Playing up the slope in the second half the Quins eight were rattled and superb defending was needed, foremost in this department was full back Gareth Pugh who was making his first start of the season after recovering from a long term injury. His tackling was ferocious as was his counter attacking. Lack of discipline however often handed the ascendency to Cwmavon and centres Dan Launder and Justin Knight were fearsome runners who severely tested the Quins defence. Strong running No.8 Cameron Davies also was a continued thorn in the Quins flesh. As the game entered the last quarter the effort of the Cwmavon eight waned and the Quins eight, with Craig Cox, Anthony Smith and James Davies at their abrasive best took control. Scrum-half Peploe-Williams was replaced by chunky Leighton Baker and it is remarkable how these scrum halves of different styles upset opposition when they are interchanged. Baker put in two clever kicks to the corner and forced a line out close in and the toweringly influential Darren Gibbs collected from a line out and smart work from the pack gave flanker Craig Cox an unopposed stroll over to ensure the Quins a place in the next round

 

Mon 27th Dec (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 18 vs Kidwelly 14

Spearheaded by outstanding performances from scrum- half Leighton Baker and flanker Chris Jones the Quins swarmed to the attack from the outset and took the lead through a try by lock Anthony Smith and two penalties from Marc Sheppard.

 

Kidwelly turned up the pressure in the second half and indiscipline by the home eight led to the lead to be frittered away as three penalty goals sailed over. With minutes left the visitors scored a superb try to snatch the lead. The Quins pack dredged up the last drop of energy and forced their way up field and fly-half Sheppard put through a clever kick and won the chase for the winning try which he converted with the last kick of the game.

 

 

Sat 12th Dec (Home) CUP
Aberavon Harlequins 29 vs Brynamman 21

Brynamman belied their lowly position in Division 3 by taking the Quins to the very limit in an entertaining encounter. The visitors started with style and pace and were very unfortunate to waste two try scoring opportunities in the opening minutes. Fly half Steffan Rees orchestrated the visitors’ attacks and was on hand to charge down an attempted clearance and score. Daryl John failed with the conversion but soon stretched the lead with a penalty goal. The Quins were forced into a number of errors and appeared on occasion to be leaden footed and indecisive. The home side appeared to get it together at the end of the half when they spurned a gift penalty attempt and strong bursts from prop Richard Diaz and flanker Craig Cox gave scrum half Peploe-Williams the opening to score.

The second half started better for the Quins with wingers Colarusso & Lean in great attacking form and Lean was particularly sound in defence. Prop Lloyd Hayden crashed over from close range allowing Marc Sheppard to ease his side in front with the conversion. John immediately restored Brynamman’s lead with a good penalty but the Quins hit back through another forward effort from lock Anthony Smith. Brynamman hit back with a spectacular dash from flanker Sturway and the conversion put the visitors 21-17 up with 15 mins remaining. The inclusion of replacement front row men Paul Miller and Neil Crockett and skipper Richard Wanklyn into the back row proved too much for Bryn and the heavyweight Quins eight thundered to victory through tries from Craig Cox and centre James Owen with a conversion from Sheppard

Sat 5th Dec (Away)
Aberavon Harlequins 6 vs Maesteg 37

After a long break the Quins could not have had a harder restart to their campaign than a visit to the league leaders at Llynfi Road.

Both teams can be proud of the brand of rugby served up in atrocious conditions.The Quins started well and a few of the Maesteg defenders looked nervy under the high ball but early half chances were squandered by the visitors Full back Gareth Goodridge was off target with a couple of  early penalty attempts but when a third sailed wide it was knocked on behind the line and from the resulting scrum Ryan Turner stormed over and Goodridge converted and soon added a penalty. Quins fly half, Marc Sheppard hit back with a penalty goal after some storming Quins attacks with Rich Wanklyn & Lloyd Haydn well to the fore. Some strong running from Quins wingers Adam Dawe & Steve Colarusso stretched the home defence but failed to break them down. The magnificent Maesteg pack were steadily gaining control and scrum half Liam Healy was in great form and his partnership with fly half Robbie Evans played a major part in his sides victory. As the weather worsened the Old Parish pack gained a stranglehold on the proceedings and despite occasional forays by centres James Owen & Matt Potsuma the Quins were often on the back foot.

Owen Richards added a try from the left wing to stretch the lead and Goodridge rewarded his pack with  a conversion and soon added three penalties and in the closing moments Maesteg earned a bonus point with another Turner try and a penalty try which Goodridge improved while Sheppard added his second penalty for the Quins.  

Sat 10th Oct (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 12 vs Ammanford 10

The Quins overtook Ammanford in Division 2 West by inflicting a defeat on the home side that was mainly due to tenacious defence and a little good fortune.

The game opened with the Quins eight slamming in to the home pack and a score looked imminent. When the score came however it was at the other end when centres Mike Evans and Steffan Jones tore the normally solid Quins defence apart and back row man , Dafydd Thomas ran beneath the cross bar unopposed. Carwyn Richards converted. The Quins returned to the attack and several breaks from full back Mike Parfitt went unrewarded. Skipper Darren Gibbs was in commanding form in the line out and was a great influence in general play. Strong running from Adam Dawe spelt danger for the home side .A good ruck with hooker James Davies and flanker Chris Jones well to the fore saw Dawe released along the touchline and full back Wayne Price had no chance of stopping the Quins flyer. The Quins continued to dominate the first half but good defending aided by poor handling foiled the visitors.

At the start of the second half Influential No.8 Billy Lavis was yellow carded in the first penalty conceded in the match by the Quins. The seven man Quins pack defended with admirable tenacity and still the backs ran at every opportunity. Parfitt entered the line on several telling occasions but sloppy handling spoiled scoring chances. Parfitt though, did set up the Quins second try when he smashed through the Ammanford midfield and centre Neil Pugsley beat the last line defence to touch down between the posts. Sheppard converted. The Quins were then further penalised when it was James Davies that received the dreaded yellow card and he was quickly followed by Pugsley. A cameo performance from replacement hooker Dan Morgan augers well for the future and the club now have a wealth of talent in that position. The Quins pack performance bordered on the heroic and great contributions from Lavis, Craig Cox and Gibbs held the home side at bay. Before injury sidelined him flanker Chris Jones was a terrific tackler while scrum half James Peploe-Williams continues to grow in stature and his defence was a remarkable aspect of his game. The unsung heroes of the front row, props Rich Diaz & John Agar performed miracles and when the six man pack repelled several scrums from 5 meters it brought a huge cheer from the visiting support. Ammanford were perplexing in their approach when refusing to kick penalties from in front of the posts in an effort to bundle the Quins six over the line. Prop Mark Davies appeared to score but did not ground the ball to the refs pleasure Big No.8 Chris Jones also went close on several occasions but the Quins in fairness, had the rub of the green and many kind bounces  and were very relieved when the final whistle blew

Sat 10th Oct (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 18 vs Pencoed 12

Pencoed, although without a victory this season, gave the Quins a torrid time and the home side had to work hard for their victory. The visitors got off to a flying start when Scrum half Joe Heatley fielded a wayward kick and fed Tom Cross with a long pass and the full back calmly dropped a goal from half way.

All the early pressure came from the visitors and the Quins efforts to run themselves out of trouble ran in to a determined defence. The Quins continued running the ball and centre James Owen was twice felled by high tackles and the resulting penalties put the Quins in attacking positions. No.8 Bill Lavis put in some strong bursts from the base of the scrum and it was from one of his bursts that the home pack drove strongly for the line and flanker Chris Jones dived over. Marc Sheppard converted and the fly half stretched the lead with a penalty when a yellow card was waved following another neck high tackle. 

From the restart the Quins were penalised for not releasing and fly half Mark Davies goaled. Minutes later a similar offence had the same result as Davies put his team within one point. The game was developing into a scrappy and untidy affair, occasionally brightened by sporadic back play. Winger Rob Manning and scrum half Leighton Baker put in some strong runs and a try looked on the cards but when it came it was through some grave errors in the visitors defence under pressure. The Quins eight sent the Pencoed pack reeling back in a close scrum and the visiting backs could not clear their line in the face of the marauding Quins and centre Neil Pugsley had the easiest of scores.

In the second half with the breeze at their backs the Quins supporters were thinking of bonus points. Craig Cox crossed for a clear try but the ref claimed he was unsighted and disallowed it. The game as a spectacle got less entertaining and Sheppard and Davies exchanged penalties to complete the scoring. Bill Lavis was Sponsor’s man of the match despite receiving a late red card for an over enthusiastic tackle.

Sat 3rd Oct (Away)
Aberavon Harlequins 24 vs Lougher 20

For the second week running the Quins lowered the colours of a hitherto unbeaten side at Loughor.

The Quins pack was in fine form and dominated the early stages. Lock Darren Gibbs was in great form in all phases of play and his line out combination with hooker James Davies was a vital factor in the victory. Davies also contributed much in the loose and formed an extremely solid front row with Props Lee Crockett & Richard Diaz.

Behind the scrum new signings. centre Mathew Potsuma and winger Rob Manning ran strongly. Half Backs. Peploe –Williams & Sheppard controlled thing well and varied play with clever kicking and also instigated sweeping handling attacks.

The Quins were brought to earth with a bang when a penalty gave the home side their first foothold in the visitor’s territory. Another quickly taken penalty saw the experienced Steve Wake on a sharp run and a supporting run by Greg Jervis saw the flanker clean through beneath the bar. Ben Davies converted...

The Quins returned to the attack with some smart handling and Sheppard and James Davies created problems. A line out close in saw Craig Cox held up on the line but immense pressure saw Tom Davies’ relieving kick strike his own team mate and Potsuma showed speed and alertness to touch down. Sheppard levelled the scores with a conversion. Both sides were committed to a fast paced open game which was thrilling to watch. Defences were tough to crack on both sides and for the visitors. Winger Chris Jones was in fearless form.

Early in the second half Ben Davies eased the home side in front with a penalty. The Quins back row trio of skipper, Wanklyn No.8 Lavis and flanker Cox became an ever increasing force during the game and contributed many strong runs. The home side were slowly gaining a stranglehold and it was a surprise when fly half Sheppard slotted a grubber kick through the home three quarters and the eager Potsuma hacked on and won the 30 m dash for the line. Sheppard converted.

14-10 down the home side appeared to lose their composure and handling errors increased under Quins pressure. Prop Lee Crockett crowned a great performance by creating a turn over. Peploe-Williams hoisted a high kick which left the home defence floundering. Wanklyn gathered and fed full back Mike Parfitt who cleverly wrong footed the last would be defender and scored. Sheppard converted. Stung into action the home side swept to the attack in a last ditch attempt to snatch victory. Centres Smiriglia and Mead always looked dangerous and it was Smiriglia who touched down after concerted pressure, Davies converted and soon added a penalty as the Quins tired in the closing stages. With all hands to the pump the Quins defence bordered on the heroic as Dan Owen. Pugsley in particular made memorable hits. In the closing minutes. Newly signed lock Tony Smith entered the fray as did James Owen and Neil Crocket who all shared in a memorable win which was sealed by a Sheppard Penalty. The game ended with the home side battering away at the Quins line but the visitors held out for a deserved win

Sat 26th Sept (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 27 vs Pontyberem 10

The Quins thoroughly deserved their first league victory of the season and also gained a bonus point by crossing four times against hitherto unbeaten Pontyberem.

The Quins started a little shakily with some sloppy handling but always looked threatening. New signings Mathew Potsuma and Rob Manning were strong running three quarters while scrum half James Peploe-Williams was in commanding form. The Quins looked rather apprehensive under the high kicks hoisted by visiting fly half, Huw Jones but weathered the early pressure to set up some threatening counter attacks. Bont mounted early pressure but some poor handling in the face of stern Quins defence thwarted their ambitions. The Quins swept up field and a dynamic break by Peploe-Williams took play to the line and No.8 Daniel Owen touched down. Marc Sheppard converted from a wide angle. The Quins slowly were getting a firm grip on the game as locks Bill Lavis and Darren Gibbs exerted their influence in line out and loose play. Peploe-Williams combined with flanker Craig Cox after a strong run by Lavis and Skipper Richard Wanklyn slipped the ball to strong running Adam Dawe who grounded at the corner. The home eight were gaining the upper hand in the scrums where heavyweight props Lee Crockett and Richard Diaz were proving a handful for the visitors.

James Davies at hooker was in his usual high work rate mode and is proving to be a first rate forward.

Sheppard stretched the lead with a long penalty and in so doing the 23 year old fly half took his first XV club total in league and cup matches past the 1000 point mark.

15 -0 up at the start of the second half the Quins were subjected to heavy pressure from the Bont. Fly half Huw Jones got the visitors on the scoreboard with a penalty and centres Davies and Rees ran strongly but the Quins defenders stood firm until a strong maul saw lock Richard Davies dab down. Huw Jones converted. 

The Quins hit back when a penalty touch finder by Sheppard gave the Quins a position 8 metres out and a Gibbs take was transferred via Dan Owen to Craig Cox on a front peel and the flanker slipped a smart pass for Peploe-Williams to touch down.

Strong running Potsuma continued to prove an asset and his strong no nonsense running caused alarm in the Bont defence. The home supporters were delighted when alert Skipper Wanklyn took a sharp penalty and replacement flanker Chris Jones galloped under the crossbar to grab the bonus point. Sheppard converted. Bont strove hard to narrow the gap but came across some bone shattering tackles from Mike Parfitt and Potsuma

Sat 19th Sept (Away)
Aberavon Harlequins 10 vs BP Llandarcy 16

When league leaders BP entertained bottom placed newly promoted Aberavon Quins, they must have expected an easy passage. The home side looked to be in charge of proceedings and when they swept to the attack fly half Osgood opted for the dropped goal when try scoring opportunities were available. Two men stood out for BP in tight head veteran Alan Bevan and centre Chris Keen, who when called upon to kick gained a huge amount of yards,

Marc Sheppard goaled a penalty from close on half way and when Keen sprinted his way through a close skirmish saw Prop Roderick dive over. Osgood missed the conversion and could have put the contest at an end but failed in a horrendous afternoon of place kicking. The Quins eight were on the back foot for a lot of the time and when a skirmish broke out between the packs it was A Quins forward received a yellow card and mysteriously a BP man was given red. 

The Quins eight which had dealt well with previous encounters with Kidwelly and Waunarlwydd could never master the BP seven. Even though after Marc Sheppard levelled the score with a long penalty, it always seemed that the Quins were in a rearguard action and the running of Chris Keen always caused problems allied to his powerful left legged touch finders. Pick of the Quins eight was Darren Gibbs who secured his ball in the line out and also disrupted opposing ball and it was he who took advantage of a fearsome forward drive that caused panic in the home defence and as a potentially relieving kick went vertically it was Gibbs who dabbed down at the corner. Sheppard goaled from a wide angle to put the Quins in front.

Strong running full back Mike Parfitt always caused problems for BP but scoring passes could not be engineered. Keen put in another blistering run and was rewarded when winger Colin Jones sprinted over. An Osgood penalty made it safe for BP and left the Quins still searching for their first victory in Division 2 West with difficult opponents,  Pontyberem the next visitors to Harlequin Road

Sat 12th Sept (Home)
Aberavon Harlequins 10 vs Waunarlywdd 14

The Quins fell short while in search of their first win in Division Two and although camped on the visitor’s line in the closing minutes just could not force their way over the line.

In broiling conditions the beefy Quins eight soon established superiority in the scrums and new signings, scrum half Leighton Baker and centre Mathew Potsuma, soon proved to be good acquisitions for the home side.

Waunarlwydd proved however to be a little fitter and faster than the home side and possessed in No.8 forward Hart a rare talent. The key to the victory were the visiting half backs that seemed to be at home behind a brave but retreating scrum and also in the incisive running of full back Lewis.

The Quins stood firm against the early onslaught from Waun and slowly rolled back the visiting forward effort. It was Marc Sheppard who started the scoreboard moving with a 45 metre penalty goal. The Quins were stretched by some running from Hart, and halves Williams & Davies. An amazing run from fly half Joe Williams, starting from his own 10 yard line ended with a touchdown under the posts after an unforgettable run. Fly half John Davies converted. With half time approaching things did not look good for the Quins but some powerful scrummaging and strong running from Potsuma and Colarusso gained  a line out some 10 metres out from the visitor’s line and a good take by Gibbs and support from Dan Owen gave flanker Craig Cox the opening and he dived in at the corner flag. Sheppard banged over the wide angled conversion to put his side 10-7 up at half time.

The Quins eight continued to dominate the set scrums mainly through their beefy props Richard Diaz and Lee Crockett but the line out did not function well enough.

Wingers Adam Dawe & Steve Colarusso gave the home supporters something to cheer with their hallmark strong running and back row men, Cox, Owen and Chris Jones contributed much. The visiting eight then gained the upper hand in the scrums by deliberately wheeling which was ignored by the ref and after great pressure scrum half Joe Williams dived in from a close in ruck. Davies converted and although the Quins strove hard with Neil Pugsley almost prising open the visitors defence, Waunarlwydd clung on to a well deserved victory.

Sat 5th Sept (Away)
Aberavon Harlequins 6 vs Kidwelly 21

In their first outing in Division 2 West the Quins undertook a challenging visit to Kidwelly. Playing into a stiff breeze the Quins came under early pressure and the home side took an early lead through a penalty from fly half Leighton Walters. Walters was in commanding form and engineered a break for full back Dafydd Lewis to finish in dazzling style. Walters converted and the Quins appeared to be off the pace a little in the early stages. The Quins pack however, raised the ante and powerful props Lloyd Hayden and Richard Diaz soon gained the upper hand in the scrums. Lock Darren Gibbs put in a strong burst but was just held up. Full back Marc Sheppard went close and some strong runs from wingers Adam Dawe and Steve Colarusso almost brought scores. Sheppard popped over a penalty and it was steadfast defending from Kidwelly allied to some sloppy handling that denied the Quins the scores that the pack display deserved. Flanker Chris Jones almost powered his way over and centre Neil Pugsley just stepped in touch while crossing. Pugsley was also denied a score when adjudged to have made a double movement.

With the wind advantage in the second half the Quins eight continued in the ascendancy and hooker James Davies and Hayden continually got amongst the home pack with great effect. It was behind the scrum that the Quins lacked the finishing power needed at this higher level and although they often threatened the final pass always seemed to go astray. Sheppard landed a penalty from close on half way to narrow the gap and was just wide with a similar effort.  In a rare incursion into Quins territory Full back Lewis again split the Quins midfield defence and a superbly weighted kick for the corner saw Stuart Morris win the race for the try. Walters missed the conversion but soon added a penalty. The Quins pack continued to have the edge but although going close on several occasions just could not cross the whitewash. The closing minutes were marred when Hayden was forced to leave the field with a serious hand injury. Walters sealed the home victory with another penalty shot.