The first Wheelchair Rugby League match of the year in South Wales took place on Saturday when Torfaen Tigers lost to Hereford Harriers 44-14 in a competitive opening Western League fixture, writes Ian Golden.

The match officials at Pontypool Leisure Centre also had a Welsh connection, having both coached the national side.

Alana Sargent was in charge from 2014-16, whilst newly appointed current Wales head coach Alan Caron previously coached Wales in their first tournament back in 2012.

Wales’ two World Cup players combined well for Hereford from the off, and it took just 50 seconds for one of them, Mark Williams, to give Harriers the lead. The other, Gary Preece, converted.

Marcus Powell thought he got Torfaen back into the game, but was tagged before he could score, but from the next play, Anthony Pennell did but couldn’t convert his own try.

An unconverted Lee Sargent score on 12 minutes put Torfaen into a 8-6 lead but an unconverted Andrew Holley try gave Hereford the advantage again.

Julian Osborne was next over for Torfaen with Alex Powell converting, but a Preece try and goal addressed the balance from the next set.

Preece went over for his second try on 34 minutes then added two penalties to put Hereford 24-14 up at the break.

In a tight second half, it took 19 minutes for anyone to score. In the end, it was Hereford’s Jacob Robinson who broke the deadlock, leaping onto a long grubber.

That put Hereford 30-14 up and they extended their lead further when Robinson scored his second, diving in the corner. Preece’s conversion went in off the post, and he also added the next try.

And they ended on a high when Williams, dual registered with Wigan but who chose Hereford on this occasion, picked up a loose ball and zoomed in under the sticks, converting it himself.

TORFAEN TIGERS

1 Darran Dowey

2 Julian Osborne

3 Anthony Pennell

5 Lee Sargent

7 Sian Morris-Parker

9 Robert White

10 Jason Reynolds

16 Libbie Sargent

17 Matthew Parker

20 Alex Powell

Tries: Pennell (5), Lee Sargent (12), Osborne (19)

Goals: Pennell 0/2, Powell 1/1