Fleur de Lys 33 Dolgellau 22

Division 3 Cup

DOLGELLAU RFC made the long journey south to face Fleur de Lys in a rearranged Division 3 Cup match on the southern edge of the South Wales valleys on Saturday.

For most of the Dolgellau squad, this was their first experience playing a competitive match on a 4G surface, secured by Fleur’s committee in advance due to freezing weather conditions.

Fleur de Lys opened the scoring with an early penalty, but Dolgellau captain Gwion Jones soon equalised with a penalty of his own.

However, two quick tries from the home side put Dolgellau on the back foot.

The first came from an unforced error in the visitors’ 22, resulting in a hack downfield and a straightforward score.

The second followed an excellent attacking move, with their centre carving through Dolgellau’s defence.

Dolgellau responded well, settling into the game with solid defence and creative attacking play.

Centres Owain Thomas and Craig De Bell made several threatening breaks, but Fleur’s defensive resilience and physical dominance in the pack kept them out.

A further penalty from Gwion Jones reduced the halftime deficit to 17-9.

The second half began poorly for Dolgellau, with a mix-up under the kickoff allowing Fleur’s number 8 to score in the corner.

However, this setback seemed to ignite the visitors.

Scrum-half Lewis Jones led the fightback with sniping runs and quick service and the forwards played a pivotal role in the resurgence.

Jac Evans was industrious as ever, defending strongly and tidying up loose ball.

Makeshift lock Cai Lewis Smith also impressed with intelligent play and work in the loose.

Despite facing a heavier and more powerful Fleur pack, the Dolgellau forwards held firm.

Prop Gwion Lloyd was particularly effective, twice forcing his opposite number upwards under pressure.

Sustained pressure from Dolgellau led to two more penalties, both converted by the reliable Gwion Jones, who missed just one of seven attempts.

With the score at 22-15, Fleur struck a crucial blow with a try against the run of play, seemingly putting the game out of reach.

However, Dolgellau refused to concede. A deliberate knock-on denied winger Tommy Vaughn a clear run to the corner, but no penalty try was awarded.

Continued pressure eventually saw man of the match Lewis Jones cross the line for a well-deserved try, narrowing the score to 27-22 with three minutes remaining.

Unfortunately, a knock-on from the resulting kickoff allowed Fleur to play advantage and score the decisive try, sealing a 33-22 victory.F

Fleur de Lys deserved their win, but Dolgellau were far from outplayed and were arguably the stronger side in the second half.

Injuries, illness, and late withdrawals undoubtedly hampered the visitors, but those who made the long trip south gave everything - including the coaches.

Dolgellau return to league action next week with an away fixture against Newtown