BRIDGEND 42 EBBW VALE 22

EBBW Vale's old boys conspired to inflict one of the heaviest defeats of the season on Mike Ruddock's men at the Brewery Field on Saturday night.

The Vale coach had warned Bridgend's former Eugene Cross Park favourites would want to put in big performances.

And so it proved with former Wales flanker Nathan Budgett having an outstanding game at lock for the Ravens, Josh Taumalolo and Matt James forming an effective makeshift centre partnership, and full back Gareth Cull having a hand in two tries as well as contributing ten points.

The fifth former Vale performer, Deiniol Jones, had a much quieter game but second row partner Budgett was dominant in the lineout with a huge appetite for work.

On this evidence it is not hard to see why Bridgend have won all six of their Welsh League games.

Had it not been for Vale's never-say-die attitude, which brought them two late tries, they might easily have suffered their biggest league defeat of the campaign.

Their fighting spirit was epitomised by Tongan No 8 Kati Tuipulotu, who powered over for their first try. With a strong wind behind them it was vital Vale made a good start, but though Meenan kicked them into the lead with a fifth-minute penalty, they were 19-3 down inside 23 minutes.

Scrum half Gareth Betts was penalised for a crooked feed and from the free kick Bridgend set up a driving maul.

The ball was then sent out to pivot Craig Warlow and his chip bounced nicely for Taumalolo, who looked sharp in his first game for 12 months following a serious knee injury, to score.

Almost from the restart Bridgend ran from their 22 and Cull joined the line to run 30m before being held, only for right wing Richard Mustoe to get over.

Cull then sent a long pass to James who put flying wing Alsea Havili away for the first of two tries, and the former Vale men had already made their mark.

Six minutes from the interval Vale hit back when they disrupted a scrum inside the Bridgend 22 and the ball shot out for Vale to pounce and send Tuipulotu over for Meenan to convert before Cull made it 22-10 at the interval with a penalty.

In the second half a second Cull penalty, flanker Cory Harris' try, and Havili's second after James had picked up brilliantly off his toes, threatened an avalanche.

But Vale showed their resilience and replacement wing Nick Wakley seized on a kindly bounce from Paul Matthew's chip to score before centre Rhys Shorney sauntered in a minute from time, Meenan converting.

Bridgend: G Cull, R Mustoe, J Taumalolo, M James, A Havili, C Warlow, H Harries (J Donovan 80min), P Booth (C Loader 62min), A Joy, C Horsman (J Thiel 70min), N Budgett, D Jones, M Molitika (A Moore 62min), C Harries, R Bryan (M Powell 70min).

Scorers: tries: Taumalolo, Mustoe, Havili (two), C Harries, Horsman; conversions: Cull (three); penalties: Cull (two).

Ebbw Vale: M Meenan, A Takarangi (N Wakley 55min), R Shorney, P Matthews, A Bevan, S Mitchell (E Binham 63min), G Betts, A Black, L Phillips, M Jones (P Jones 74min), P Sidoli, N Edwards (O Booyse 58min), C Billen, K Tuipulotu, T Morris.

Scorers: tries: Tuipulotu, Shorney, Wakley; conversions: Meenan (two); penalty: Meenan.