Match Report

Ian Golden at The Wern, Merthyr Tydfil

South Wales Jets completed an unbeaten season by taking the Welsh title in a tough game against Aberavon Fighting Irish.

A record Grand Finals crowd of over 2,000 people watched eight matches at The Wern in Merthyr Tydfil with a boisterous crowd at the main event that completed ten hours of activity.

A try in the corner for Dafydd Hellard gave South Wales Jets the lead on six minutes. Paul Emanuelli’s conversion attempt went just under the bar.

The lead was soon doubled. Sam Pridgeon went in under the sticks and Emanuelli converted.

Connor O’Callaghan got Aberavon back into the game with a try in the corner. Dylan Agar couldn’t land the conversion.

Then they levelled. Iestyn Williams-Jones slipped through and Agar converted from under the sticks.

But Jets regained the lead on the half hour. Dafydd Hellard went over for his second of the game and Emanuelli converted.

Williams-Jones then got the Irish back into the game again, scoring his second try that Agar wasn’t able to convert and the Jets had a slim 16-14 lead at the break.

By the hour mark, the Jets had extended their lead to 26-14 after a Dean Higgs brace, the first from dummy half under the sticks that Emanuelli converted.

Aberavon were back in the game again on 28 minutes. O’Callaghan with another darting run over, with Will McCarthy converting.

However Emanuelli made things secure with a drop-goal in the final minutes.