Pooler pounce as Otters crash again (From Western Telegraph)

Pooler pounce as Otters crash again

Pontypool 43 Narberth 13

Pontypool showed just why they are top of Division One as they easily beat Narberth after a powerful second half performance where they scored 33 points before The Otters grabbed a late consolation score when Wayne Lewis intercepted and although brought down by John Devereux managed to free the ball for Nick Jones to score and Simon Daniel convert.

Narberth went into this tough fixture having lost four of their previous five games but they fought like tigers in the opening quarter and had the first chance of points, only for outside half Simon Daniel to miss with a penalty.

Byron Hayward nudged Pooler ahead with an 11th minute penalty but Daniel replied for The Otters soon afterwards - and that is the way the scoring remained until the 38th minute, when Pontypool benefitted from a poor clearance by Gareth James which allowed pacy winger Lennie Woodart to cross in the corner and Hayward to land the difficult conversion.

A long-range penalty by Daniel reduced the interval margin to just four points but Pontypool started the second half like bombs as Welsh half backs Hayward and inside partner Kevin Ellis took control. Left win Nathan Daniel was the first to score in seven minutes after being denied an earlier claim by the referee, and others followed in the 10th and 14th minutes from Ellis himself and centre Jonathan Williams, all three converted by Hayward to give Pooler 21 points in the space of seven minutes.

There was no way back from this series of set-backs and Ellis grabbed a second try which Hayward converted before replacement flanker Richard Field scored the home side's sixth try.

It was left to Narberth to finish off the scoring but they must now regroup for this Saturday, when they face Glamorgan Wanderers at the Lewis Lloyd Ground, seeking the sort of form which saw them win their opening five matches on the trot.

Narberth: Gareth James: Nick Jones; Elgan Vittle (Mike Jones); Andrew Bowen; Wayne Jones: Simon Daniel; Chris MacDonald (Ryan Williams): Andrew Howell (Rob Jones); Simon Delaney (Craig Hawkins); Alan Phillips: Emori Katalau (Steve Thomas); Jamie Bohata: Simon Davies (Akerei Malasala); Meurig Daniel (Matthew Evans); Gareth Bennett.