Match Report

With five Welsh internationals in the Crusaders side, including two of the most experienced of all time, it was always going to be tough for Torfaen, and they defended well for the opening few sets, ensuring the North Wales danger players were marked well when they had the ball, and they put in some good tackles at crucial moments.

Eventually, Stephen Halsey gave Crusaders a 6-0 lead with a try and goal, only just touching the ball down before his tag was ripped away.

Matthew Turner added the second try on 18 minutes soon followed by Halsey’s second then one for Ricki Davies. Halsey converted all.

Turner added the next two Crusaders’ tries just before the break with Halsey converting the first to give them a 34-0 half-time lead.

Coming on at half-time, Mason Baker made an immediate impact and scored under the sticks. Turner missed the kick, but soon scored in the corner to make it 42-0.

Tigers finally got on the board 10 minutes into the second half when Jason Reynolds scored under the posts and Alex Powell converted.

Former Wales captain Stuart Williams was next on the scoresheet, with his first try in the WRL Development League. Turner converted, then grounded the next try before Jakub Wasieczko got the next two.

But it was Torfaen who completed the scoring when Jamie Reynolds successfully chased his own kick to score under the posts. Dwane Price converted for a score on his debut.