All Out Attack at Ammanford as Gwil sets 300

The Warriors kicked off their 25th season with this impressive win at Ammanford whilst player Coach Gwilym Lewis became not only the 1st person to play 300 matches for the Warriors but to have played 300 games of mixed ability rugby. At the other end of the scale 5 players made debuts to go alongside the 2 in Abercrave.

In contrast, Ammanford had played the previous evening as they prepare for a league campaign and so they did well to get a team on the field with old stagers like Lyn, Jayson Senchell and Richard Thomas leading the way under ther captaincy of Dayton Hughes.

Both sides were obviously keen on scoring than tackling which made for a great spectacle but later drew stern words from Warriors new Skipper Tomos Hall.

The debutants showed up well for the Warriors with Mathew Hinder opening the scoring and followed over the line by Chris Iriving, Stefan Marshall and Dylan Williams. Also finding rugby for the Warriors fun were Kallum Morgan, 2 tries in his 3rd appearance, Andrew Davies, Matthew Miller and Dai Whisby who got their 1st tries on their 2nd appearance. Simon Day got a brace and forwards Mark Lewis and Darren Pollitt rounded off the tries. The conversions were similarly spread out with Nic Dcruz, Rhydian Williams, Dylan Williams, Dan Grinter and Darren Pollitt successfully slotting extras.

The game was better matched than the final scoreline suggests, with Ammanford matching the Warriors try for try until a late surge, the Warriors large squad ensuring fresh legs right to the end against a home side starting to feel the efforts of two matches in two days.

Amongst all the scorers, Man of the Match went to Lloyd Crawley who time and again put in the hard yards to make the space elsewhere. it was his efforts more than anything that the Warriors will look to as they go through the season, starting next Sunday with a charity game in Betws.

Warriors: Gareth Ladd (Dai Whisby), Simon Day (Cane Rodwell*), Chris Irving* (Kallum Morgan), Adam Fussell (Luke Pearse), Andrew Thomas (Nic Dcruz), Mathew Hinder*, Dylan Williams*, Mark Lewis (Thomas Davies), Richard Evans (Dan Grinter, Stefan Marshall*), Gwilym Lewis** (Mike Seignot), Lloyd Crawley (Rhydian Williams), Matthew Miller (Darren Pollitt), Nathan Lawson (Dai Haines), Tomos Hall (Cpt), Chris Davies
*-debut
**-300th appearance

Sneaked on for Ammanford: Rhydian Williams (2 conversions), Richard Evans (conversion).

Ref: Colonel Colin Saunders

70 equals the Warriors' highest ever score

Typical Warriors chaos with the wrong kit picked up and initially a panic that there were only 6 or 7 jerseys - actually there were 14 and with a few black jerseys and P-arse's e**land blue training shi(r)t we managed fine.

There were a number of useful displays which the main report doesn't mention: Rhyd was exceptional for Ammanford with 5 tackles and 2 conversions, unfortunately he was knackered for the Warriors 2nd half. Hapus also did well for both teams. Cane was the only debutant not to score but still did very well, nice to have Seignot back in the fold, The Dai-nosaurus Rex had run of the day through 5 tackles.

Dick of the Day would have been a hotly contested award if it wasn't for the sheer awfulness of Dai Whiz's cross kick to the Ammanford winger but other nominations would include:
Swervin' Irving's backwards box kick
Swervin Irving's grubber into their player
Whiz's knock on
Luke's jersey
Simon Day have a prop beat him on the outside then come back and run around him on the inside
Whoever's fault the kit was! (Jamie v The Days)
Dcruz running over the line but still passing to Daydream
Polly jumping higher after his conversion limped over, than he does in lineouts
Fussy taking a tap and go instead of a line out

Polly would be there for his wriggling about for a try but somehow the ref gave it.

Got crack in the club afterwards as well with several pints on offer and then Ammanford donated the raffle proceeds (£50) to the Warriors.
Awesome!

Thanks to Duncan Disorderly Crawley on the floory for manning the camera