Bridgend Ravens 8 Ebbw Vale 20 Ebbw Vale,runners-up in the Principality Premiership last season , made a winning start to the campaign with a powerful second half forward display at the Brewery Field.

Both sides had new coaching teams and many new faces in their ranks and it quickly became obvious that it would be the Ebbw Vale forward strength against the pace and skill of the Bridgend backs After 20 minutes, Bridgend tight head prop Nicky Boyce was yellow carded after a series of close range scrums and Ebbw Vale took full advantage as their scrum got them a penalty try which, under the new experimental scoring system was automatically worth eight points.

In the 32nd minute, Ebbw Vale tight head prop Ross Jones was yellow carded for killing the ball at a ruck and the Ravens made the most of his absence by scoring a marvellous try.

No 9 Hereimi Boladau picked up from a retreating scrum and fed scrum half Will Baird who found outside half Ryan Evans. He in turn fed winger David Evans and the ball was transferred to his wing partner Mike Powell who sent full back Marc Bennett racing clear from 20 metres out for the first six point try at the Brewery Field.

The try was converted by Evans to make the half time score 8-8.

From the resumption, Ebbw Vale used their forwards to exert pressure on the Ravens which led to a string of penalties which pinned the home side in their own half.

From a lineout near the home line, Ebbw Vale set up a series of rucks and their captain and lock Damien Hudd stretched over for an unconverted try after 47 minutes.

Seven minutes later, replacement Dai Langdon kicked a penalty to touch and another series of rucks saw lock Rhys Clarke driven over for another unconverted try. As the substitutions flowed, the Ravens tried hard to break free of the Ebbw Vale forward stranglehold but the Gwent side’s defence was good and the match ended with the Ravens camped near the Ebbw Vale line.

SCORING: Bridgend Ravens: Try – M Bennett ; Con – R Evans Ebbw Vale: Tries- penalty try , D Hudd ,R Clarke TEAMS: Bridgend Ravens: M Bennett (J Scrivens 80), D Evans, M Jones, J Gatt (J Pring 80), M Powell, R Evans, W Baird (G Watkin 56), N Boyce (L Francis 56), D Rogers (I Merriman 62), C Lewis (C Davies 80), A Evans, G Bilton, A O’Driscoll (C Moses 56), Z O’Driscoll (Captai n), H Boladau (S Bevan 67) Ebbw Vale: D Haymond, O Williams (R Gardner 56), J Howells (D Langdon 40), D Franchi, D Williams, I Smerdon, T Edwards(C Thomas 72), R Jones (L Fairbrother 62), M Williams (J Franchi 80) , G Robinson (I George 62), D Hudd (Captain), R Clarke (J Bartlett 69), L Crocker, R Kynes, H Keddie Referee: Dai Cambourne (WRU) Yellow cards: N Boyce (20), R Jones (32) Attendance: 500 Star Man : Mark Bennett (Ebbw Vale)