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Abergavenny welcomed high flyers Caerleon to Bailey park on Saturday for a league fixture the home side really needed to win after last weeks loss . The Aber side had a settled look about it with Ryan Morgan  joining Tom Powell and Curtis price in the front row Will Evans and Rhys Dawe continuing in the row and the back row of Dan Beavan Ethan Thomas and skipper Josh Davies retained en block . Rhob Conick  returned at nine with Rhod Webster Joe Evans and Nathan Byrne in mid field ,Ieuan Evans came Intothe back three to join Jacob Buttler and Anthony squire .

The game started with the visitors taking the initiative and putting the home side under pressure for the first ten minutes of the of the half they were eventually rewarded with a penalty to take the lead 0-3 . From the restart it was roll reversal as Aber took the game too Caerleon and kept them pinned down in their twenty two but a massive defensive effort by the away side and some small errors prevented Aber scoring .

Caerleon eventually worked their way into the Genny half and were awarded a penalty to increase their lead to 0-6 as half time approached . The game restarted with Aber once again taking the game to their opponents and on the stroke of half time were able to reduce the deficit with a penalty by Jacob Buttler half time score 3-6 to the away team .

The second half started similar to the first with Caerleon camped in the Aber twenty two for the first ten minutes and  eventually the pressure told and they scored a converted try to increase their lead 3-13 . This score seemed to kick start the home side and for the rest of the  half  totally dominated their opponents , the line out was a constant source of good quick ball for the Aber side and when the pack was strengthened with replacements Rob Lothian and Ieuan James the scrum looked unstoppable .

Abergavenny's pressure eventually paid dividends when they were rewarded with a five meter scrum and the Abergavenny eight roared on by the raucous home crowd demolished their opponents to be awarded a penalty try 10-13 .

The home side now sensing victory threw everything into attack and soon had their opposition in all sorts of trouble at scrum time again, so with a penalty advantage Webster put in a speculative cross field kick which eventually found its way into wing squires  hands who rounded his man and beat the fullback to touch and put Aber into the lead Buttler kicked the conversion to put the home side in front 17-13 with minutes remaining .

The next couple of minutes was pretty tense for the home side and supporters as Caerleon threw everything at the home defence but with fresh legs on from replacements Joe Symonds, Sam Price and Alex Howes it held firm and gave the home team a hard fought victory .

The Quins were on the road once again but came back to the club with a convincing 39-15 victory over Pill Harriers .

Next Saturday the first team are away to Caldicot and the Quins at home to the same opponents .

Photo by D.Owen