Training Tonight!

Training Tonight!

6.30pm, Swansea University rugby fields, Sketty Lane.


Be there!

Magpies cruise home by a 73-point margin

SWANSEA Magpies produced a fine display of Aussie Rules Football to shock Vale Warriors 106-33.

The Magpies travelled to Barry RFC hoping to return to winning ways against the league leaders, despite having a squad depleted by injury.

The first quarter saw Swansea struggle with the dreadful conditions of a rain-soaked pitch and a strong wind.

Time and again, the Magpies coughed up the ball in prime positions, only for Vale to spurn their opportunities, or for desperate Magpies defence to intervene. At quarter time, the Magpies looked rattled and were 12-3 down.

The second quarter saw the Magpies regroup and improved conditions allowed them to stamp their authority on the match. The introduction of Jon Richards to a forward line missing all its big hitters due to injury saw the Magpies dominate the quarter with eight goals and six behinds to leave the half-time score at 57-13.

The third quarter saw the momentum shift back to Vale, who used the wind to their advantage. But Magpies full-back Geraint Havard cut a solid figure at the back, taking a number of impressive marks to halt the Warriors momentum in the final third and using his strength to dominate the loose ball on the floor.

Only an element of luck saw Vale pick up two goals, with the ball being deflected onto Havard's head as he was set to take a mark and rolling through for one of the goals. But Swansea held a strong lead going into a final quarter with the wind on their side.

The Magpies used the wind to see themselves home in the final quarter to eventually end up with a 73-point winning margin. Next they face last season's champions South Cardiff Panthers at Sketty Lane.

WARFL Table after round 5

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Pts	For	Agst	%
		4	2	2	0	10	403        320		125.9
		4	2	2	0	10	289        499		57.9
		2	2	0	0	8	358         65		550.8
		2	2	0	0	8	266        143		186.0
		4	0	4	0	4	225       514		43.8

Magpies Scoring Chart

Player                  Games       Goals        Behinds          Total

Donal Galvin           3             16                5                 101
Jon Richards            3              9                 8                  62
Dan Gelabert           4              7                 4                  46
Evan Phillips           4              4                  8                 32
Chris Griffiths         3              4                 2                  26
Tim Walkden          1              4                  2                 26
Geraint Havard        4             2                  5                  17
Rob Baker               4              2                 4                  16
James Moon           3              2                 2                   14
Jack Garner             1              1                 1                    7
Paul Flynn               2              1                 0                    6
Eddie Condon         2              0                 4                    4
Sam Martin             1              0                 2                    2
Alex Parry              2              0                 1                    1
Siamak Samavat     3              0                 0                    0

Vale Warriors v Swansea Magpies

Vale Warriors 4.9 (33) - 15.16 (106) Swansea Magpies

First quarter:
Vale 1 goal 6 behinds (12): Swansea 3 behinds (3)
Second quarter: 
Vale 1 behind (13): Swansea 8 goals 6 behinds (57)
Third quarter:
Vale 2 goals 1 behind (26): Swansea 2 goals 1 behind (70)
Fourth quarter:
Vale 1 goal 1 behind (33): Swansea 5 goals 6 behinds (106)


Swansea Scorers:
Evan Phillips 1 goal 2 behinds
Rob Baker 1 behind
Jon Richards 5 goals 2 behinds
James Moon 1 goal 1 behind
Dan Gelabert 3 goals 1 behind
Jamie Evans (Double Blues) 4 goals 6 behinds
Rob Fielder (Chippenham) 1 goal 2 behinds


Other Players:
Geraint Havard
Alex Parry
Andy Stevenson (Chippenham)

Bristol Dockers home match report (As evening post didn't publish it)

Magpies Docked by Bristol

Magpies James Moon attempts to kick the ball out of danger

Swansea Magpies 62 - 148 Bristol Dockers

The Swansea Magpies headed into this game against the Dockers keen to avenge the away defeat in Bristol 3 weeks ago. The Magpies were in confident mood going into the game, feeling that they had improved on their weaknesses in the previous fixture and knowing that if they could get parity at the restarts, they possessed the fire power to out gun their opponents.

True to form, the Magpies came out of the blocks flying, dominating the first quarter, scoring 4 goals and 6 behinds to take a 30-21 lead. It appeared that the hard work in training since the previous fixture was paying off for Swansea as they took full advantage of the upper hand at the restarts that they developed.

 
However, what followed was a calamitous error-strewn second


quarter where the visitors took complete control of the fixture,


 scoring 60 points to the home teams’ 14. Unlike in the previous


 fixture, where the Dockers Australian contingent took control and


 strangled the Magpies out of the game, this game saw a comedy


 of errors by the hosts, whereby Swansea gifted easy goal after


 easy goal to the visitors.

A tight 3^rd quarter saw the Magpies regroup and regain control of

the ball and cut out the basic errors and the 6-6 score line for the
quarter was a fair reflection of the tough midfield battle. Having
regrouped in the third quarter, Swansea knew that a dominant
final quarter could see them steal the win and make up for the
disastrous 2^nd quarter. Swansea threw caution to the wind trying

to chase the game, but in doing so, they left themselves
vulnerable to the Dockers counter attack and with tiring bodies
unable to retreat and defend, Bristol took full advantage to score
a further 61 points and put the tie well and truly beyond the
hosts. In the face of the resounding loss, Jon Richards was the
Magpies stand out player, taking some impressive marks and
scoring 3 goals and a behind from half forward, while Dan
Gelabert and Siamak Samavat also battled hard.

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Bristol knew that they had been
in a much tougher game than their previous fixture and that the
score line flattered them. However, ultimately, Bristol ran out
worthy winners and will next week hope to make it three from
three against last season’s champions Cardiff Panthers.
Meanwhile Swansea will look to return to winning ways at Barry
RFC against the Vale Warriors. The Magpies know that in order to
return to form and pick up the win, they must cut out the basic
errors that saw this game slip away from them.

Vale Warriors Away saturday

Saturday sees the Magpies facing the Vale Warriors at Barry RFC. Barry RFC will be televising the Wales v Australia game at 11am, so for those who wish to travel down early to watch the game, then meet outside Fulton House at 9:45am. For all those who aren't interested, meet at 10:45am to travel up to Barry.


Please let myself or Evan Phillips know you're availability for this game.


07824770312


The post code for Barry RFC is CF62 9TH