After a difficult few months Builth notched their first win of the season in a wet and windy encounter on the Groe on Saturday against Trebanos.
The match kicked off after a well-respected minutes silence in respect of Peter Davies who has recently passed away. A huge supporter, working tirelessly in the background for the club, Peter had very rarely missed a game home or away for many years.
With the front row bolstered by the welcome return of David Bayliss and in what was never going to be day for running rugby, the Builth front eight put on an commanding display, Dan Oakley and man of the match Tom Samuel leading an impressive forward performance.
Although Trebanos commanded possession for the first 15 minutes it was Builth who struck first just after 30 minutes with a score which could be a worthy contender for Builth try of the season. A deft chip ahead by scrum half Ben Pugh and subsequent crunching tackle saw Trebanos fumble the ball under pressure. A quick pick up and side step by sharp centre Gethin Lewis allowed him to pass the ball to winger Gethin Davies for a perfect try, unconverted by full back Jones.
Builth held on to the 5-0 lead into the break despite tighthead Bayliss receiving his marching orders just before the half time whistle.
The Bulls started the second half brightly but could not capitalise on an early penalty, Jones kick at the posts drifting wide. Trebanos showed why they are fourth in the league, finding gaps in the Builth line only to be thwarted by last ditch tackles. The task not being made easier for the home team when Wayne Morris was also shown yellow.
With the clock ticking down, Trebanos staged some strong attacks of their own but Builth were unyielding. Although not a high scoring game, Builth had earned a well-deserved victory in difficult conditions.
“I was very pleased about our defense and the boys totally deserved the win with all the hard work they’ve put in at training. We must take this confidence into our next games”.
Team Sheet
1 Jimmy Healey
2 Phil Morgan
3 David Bayliss
4 Lucas Evans
5 Dan Oakley
6 Wayne Morris
7 Tom Samuel
8 Ben Duggan
9 Ben Pugh (c)
10 Gavin Jones
11 Gethin Davies
12 Steven Boore
13 Gethin Lewis
14 Joe Godley
15 Dale Jones
SUBS
16 Alex Brown
17 Neil Jarman
18 Ashley Mills
19 Rhys Field
20 Ryan Wheeler