Issue 147

AU Sport in Brief

23rd October 2006

Rugby League

7well fought rugby match ended in defeat for Swansea in Gowerton. Swansea found themselves 0-10 down quickly in their first match of the Season, with a lack of match experience showing in their game. Early attacks by Gloucester led to two tries from the visitor's forwards after well worked moves stretching the Swansea defence, a questionable forward pass leading to their second but they had started well.

Swansea started to get into the match showing aggression in the tackle and more organisation in attack with swift breaks from try scorers Shaun Fields and Conor Davis taking Swansea into half-time with only a two point deficit after another Gloucester try.

After the break Swansea started the second half with a quickly conceded try from a deflected kick into the hands of the Gloucester wing. In reply standoff Dan Healey broke through some slack defending and offloaded to Ed Tooley who ran 50 metres from full back beating three players to leave Swansea leading 20- 18. Man of the match, Gareth Withmorgan, looked impressive with the ball in hand taking the match to Gloucester. However the league favourites knew they had strength up front closing out the match to win 32-20.

Men's Hockey

Swansea controlled their opening fixture of the season from first minute to last as they comfortably brushed aside an outclassed Glamorgan side.

Swansea went ahead after only five minutes through a penalty by Andrew Hunter, and they never looked back. By the 15 minute mark they had added two more. Good work by captain James Pascoe set up Chris Tooze, who applied the finish. Two minutes later Tooze was at it again, this time all his own work as smashing home his second, and Swansea's third.

Glamorgan threatened to make a mark on the game mid-way through the half but were thwarted by the organised Swansea rearguard. Before half-time Swansea had added a fourth as Dan Thorne took control of a goalmouth scramble.

Swansea proceeded to run riot in the second half, adding four more goals. Their fifth and sixth came from James Westaway, first capitalising on a defensive mistake, and then beating two players to score a brilliant individual goal. The seventh was the pick of the bunch as a wonderful team move, orchestrated by the inspirational Pascoe, was finished off by Tooze who sealed his hat-trick.

Rob Duncan completed the route as rampant Swansea sealed an 8-1 victory.

Men's Rugby

Swansea strengthened their position at the top of the league with a 15-40 win away at Oxford Brookes. Swansea started the game in sluggish fashion conceding eight points in quick succession. Inside centre Rob Evans pulled back three points with a penalty immediately after the restart. This eased Swansea's opening nerves and the team began to take control of the game.

Soon after, full back Luke Hopper, made a decisive break followed by a well-timed pass to winger Sam Bordiss who crossed the line for the score. Pressure continued to come from Swansea and after some wasted attacks left wing Danny Lewis found space and showed his pace to touch down. Evans converted the try and Swansea were leading for the first time in the game 8-15.

The try of the match came before half time with a great solo effort by Dan West. West picked up from the back of a scrum inside his own half and ran the length of the field showing pace and power handing off four players on his way to the line, leaving the half time score 8-22.

The second half started with strong Swansea forward play forcing Brooks into indiscipline that resulted in another three points. Outside centre Neil Higgins found some room in the opposition defence that allowed him to break through and round the full back to score a tidy try. Higgins was then sin binned for not rolling away at a ruck.

Almost immediately Swansea conceded a cheap converted try with Brooks capitalising on an overlap. The final points of the game came from the Swansea pack when a superb driving maul powered prop Chris Gilbert across the line. Evans kicked the conversion to leave the final score 15-40 to Swansea in a satisfying first away trip for the team.

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