Fixture

This opening game saw last season's Champions, Nant Conwy, take on last season's runners-up, Llandudno. Matches between these two have tended to be close-run affairs, often with only one score separating them. To begin with this game didn't look it was going to break that mould with early play being mostly between the two 10 metre lines.

Things then changed with the first score after 8 minutes. A break down the right from Nant saw a chip ahead but the the covering defence won the race for the ball. Following the restart Nant were back on the attack and were awarded a penalty which Caron Davies converted.

Play then resumed in the manner of the first 10 minutes and it was again a break by Nant which saw another penalty award. Davies converted to give Nant a 0 - 6 lead after 16 minutes. 

Soon after the restart, Nant conceded a scrum penalty which allowed Llandudno into Nant's 22 for the first time in the game. From the lineout win, Llandudno spent the next ten minutes launching incessant attacks through their big forwards. Nant's defence was proving to be unbreakable and though the home team eventually crossed the line, the ball was held up and Nant were able to clear.

Nant looked likely to score the first try when a break on the right seemed to give them an overlap but the cover proved strong. However, Llandudno were soon to be rocked by three tries from Nant in a seven minute spell on the half hour. Firstly, scrum-half Cai Jones picked up from a ruck and skipped through the defence to touch down. This was followed a few minutes later by a Sion Pringle try which saw the ball moved quickly through the three-quarters. The third came when the Llandudno wing kept a kick for touch from going out only to lose the ball in the follow-up tackle. This set it up nicely for Siencyn Metcalfe to pick up and score. The latter two tries were converted by Davies to give Nant a 0 - 25 lead.

The last five minutes of the half saw Nant again defending strongly. Once again the ball was held up over the line to relieve the pressure and see the half finish.

Llandudno resumed were they left off in the first half, launching attack after attack through their forwards. Eventually, they did manage to get the touch-down from a driving maul and the conversion pulled the game back to 7 - 25. 

This galvanised Nant and within 10 minutes they pulled back 5 points. A turnover by Nant was hacked through and Cain Jones won the race to get the touchdown on the left.

Llandudno never gave up and with 20 minutes to go they pulled back another five points when the forwards set up a try on the left wing.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed, though, within 10 minutes. A kick-through by Pringle was gathered by the defence but the follow through tackle and the subsequent ruck saw Nant win back the ball. It was moved quickly along the three-quarters to Pringle who cut through the Llandudno defence for his second try. Though both second half tries were missed Nant held a healthy 23 point lead.

The final minutes saw Nant applying most of the pressure with their free running style and they were unfortunate to be penalised when a further score seemed likely. From the resulant penalty Llandudno decided enough was enough and the kick was tapped and then put into touch to end the match.

A great start for Nant against a very strong Llandudno side which augers well for the season, hopefully.