HAVERFORDWEST 17 pts.

PEMBROKE DOCK HARLEQUINS 5

Both teams, although vastly understrength, gave an admiral performance in a match that started in a appalling weather, with the Blues having the elements in their favour.

Some may question the tactics used by both sides, as they both tried to run the ball in the treacherous conditions.

With 12 minutes on the clock, the Blues struck when centre Ollie Hughes followed up a kick through and just about outstripped the Quins’ defence to score halfway out. Co centre Liam Mainwaring missed the conversion.

This seemed to spur the Quins into action, as just three minutes later captain and centre Thomas Doyle led by example as he finished off a fine handling movement for his eighth try of the season, after being set up by outside-half Aaron Cookson and co centre James Skeels, to race over for an unconverted try.

The Quins were now getting on top, but the Blues’ defence held out as the Quins pushed for a second try.

The half ended all-square at 5-5, and the Quins, with the elements now in their favour, looked like they could sneak it in the second half.

The Quins, though, had a double whammy as the half started; first the wind dropped and the weather improved and, secondly, Blues tight-head prop Terry Lovell forced his way over for his side’s sescond try, Ollie Hughes converted and suddenly the Blues were 12-7 in front.

From here on in it became a war of attrition as both sides went at each other hammer and tongs on the heavy pitch. The commitment from both sides could not be faulted, and one score either way at this stage would have lifted either side as the pitch started to take its toll on tired bodies.

But for the Quins, who at least deserved a bonus point, it was to end in tragedy, when with the last move of the match, home fullback Rhys Baker raced over in the corner to take the point away from them, more or less in the same manner that he did earlier in the season when the Blues grabbed a share of the spoils with a 12-all draw back in October.

Team: Liam Hargreaves-Gibson, Will Nicot, James Skeels, Thomas Doyle (capt), Daffy Lewis, Aaron Cookson, Oliie Lewis, Dai Rees, George Bellmaine, Rob Hearne, Alex Pierce, Jack Brown, Hywel Baker, Stefan Halward and Harry Owen.