Fixture

This league fixture had promised much but fell just short of achieving the heights expected. Pwllheli retained their proud  100% league record through being solid in defence, playing to an agreed pattern and capitalising on any errors Caernarfon coughed up. The Cofis on the other hand will rue not being able to establish superiority when opportunities arose.

Both teams had plenty of pace at their disposal so the ball was kept in open play for lengthy periods from the off with both defences robust in the tackle area.

A Pwllheli penalty attempt fell short early on but then from a Cofi lineout just within the visitors half a stolen ball was not fielded and flanker Mac Jones stormed through, collected and sprinted along the touchline before drifting inside to wrong foot three defenders on his way to scoring a fine individual try with ten minutes played. Guto Pierce confidently added the conversion to improve the effort.

Minutes later an indiscretion at a ruck and off the ball, saw Pwllheli continuously reduced to fourteen players but this appeared to galvanise the other Llyn men more so than the Cofis who missed an opportunity to step up a gear and test the resolve of their depleted opponents from that point onwards.

Indeed it was Pwllheli who scored within minutes when a combination of backs and forwards were able to recycle ball to free winger Osian Parry Jones. He used his team mate as a decoy to fox the Cofi defence and since the expected tackle never materialised he was able to plough over and then convert his own effort to tie the score mid way through the half.

The next score was indicative of mismanagement amongst the Cofis, having been given a penalty advantage in their own twenty two they tried in vain to run out of defence only to be thwarted and finally pay dearly as a wayward pass was intercepted by centre John Pugh who had a clear run in to score under the posts. The sure and effortless boot of Osian Parry Jones added the conversion and then stretched Pwllheli's lead further with two confidently struck penalties as half time approached.

Caernarfon rallied to improve their second half chances when Pierce reciprocated from the tee to bring the half to a close with ten points separating the teams.

Early in the second half an injury halted proceedings for a while, after which Caernarfon were at their most tenacious, territorially dominant and with scrums and drives working well. However Pwllheli soaked up the pressure and with the half back pairing of Butterworth and Kelemete working well in tandem they were  never unduly flustered.

With ten minutes to play a break out of defence saw the visitors on the attack and the swift pass of Kalim Kelemete  brought replacement Mathew Butterworth on to the ball at enough pace to break the tackle and power his way from the twenty two to the try line with a posse of tacklers in tow. Parry Jones again converted.

A spectacular cover tackle by Rhys Evans on Pugh prevented another score and inspired the Cofis to fight back one more time but as the replacements took to the field the game lost some of its fluidity and no further scores were forthcoming.

Caernarfon may have to face Pwllheli four times this season if Pwllheli can see off the challenge of Nant Conwy in the Conway Land Rover North Wales Cup and pride will dictate and decide if the winning margin can in some way, shape or form be overturned.