Llanelli Warriors 7 Swansea Gladiators 15 (match 93)

Match programme

last minute team talk

Dai Spriggs about to kick off

Tony Whittaker on a run

Tony - the flying toosh

Holding on

Big Al holds it up for the Warriors to start a maul

Simon goes to ground

On comes the drive

Mike J - happy with ball in hand

securing ruck ball (HANDS REF!!)

Tony gets caught

'don't like this much'

leave it for the forwards

even Louie can see this is in touch

A real battle for the ball

Simon clears

Line out calls

airel battle

Colin-stop blydi smiling and get on with the game mun!

it's in there somewhere!

Lee barber and Simon sort it out

Colin - smiling again!!!

newson takes it in

keeps possession

and Lee barber bursts through

Oh yes juice, thats a great help to Dean that is!

Colin trys to slap some sense into Gwilym

Barber goes for loose ball

crossing?

Dobbin the ref calls the tough decisions,

not everyone is pleased

not pleased at all!

Penalty: Posts

Spriggs takes it

wide!

Set scrum

Big Al puts in tackle

Newson on the burst

Lee Barber draw...

and give

Lee Barber looks to have got him...

Gwil makes sure

A tight game but another home defeat for the Warriors in the Challenge shield. The games, as usual was very competative but there was no denying the Swansea team. The Warriors could have been more astute with their substitutions and team selection but were 2nd best on the day.

Too much of a challenge

Llanelli Warriors 7 Swansea Gladiators 15

The Llanelli Warriors recent run of good form came to an end in the game they most wanted to win. The good work put in so far this season counted for little as they again let the occasion get to them and failed to get into stride. It was a vast improvement on the same match last year but that will be little compensation, the Gladiators equalling the Warriors record of 4 consecutive wins.
Initially they started well but after some early pressure on the Gladiators very able backline showed what they could do, breaking out of defence and streaking upfield. Good cover just about managed to hold them off but the Warriors couldn’t get down field and the Gladiators continued to spread the ball. After a couple of very close calls they finally got in front and very quickly added a second.
The Warriors did manage to get some more play and John Horwood’s line out provided some nice ball but an ill tempered 1st half belonged solely to the Gladiators and they turned around 15 points up.
In the 2nd half the Warriors had more of the game. Despite injured disrupting them, especially at forward the plugged away. Alan Taylor and James Davies were the main strike runners both making good ground and No 8 Dai Newson was held up over the line. With Victor Reakar providing good ball the Gladiators always looked dangerous but it was the Warriors who finally scored even if it looked a little dubious. Jonathan Kerr continued his try scoring feats when he and Gwilym Lewis rolled over for his 9th of the season, well on target to beat Newson’s record of 11 and already over the half centaury of points. Simon Jenkins improved the score and the Warriors were finally on the board. Other plus points for the Warriors were the return to fitness of Jon Jones, Des Williams and Lee Rowlands. They were also able to try out some different combinations in the final few minutes but generally it was a game they will want to forget. They will instead be concentrating on the re union next week and the challenge of a star studded ‘past’ XV.
Llanelli Warriors: David Spriggs (Meredith Pugh), Lee Rowlands (Mathew Billo), Jonathan Jones (Des Williams), Alun Stephens, Tony Whittaker (Alun Taylor), Dean Gilasbey, Lee barber, Colin Talcon (Cpt) (Paul Jayseab), Mike James (James Davies), David Edwards (Richard Evans), John Horwood (Roger Thomas), Jonathan Kerr, Simon Jenkins, David Newson, Gwilym Lewis.