BARRY 2nd XV 36-28 Cardiff Quins 2nd XV

Tries: Knapman, Harrison, Vidal, Westall, A Evans, D Evans

Cons: Lee (3)

Barry 2nd XV returned to action after a week’s rest with Cardiff Quins the visitors.

Coach Rhidian Scott and manager Ken Chow, back after third XV duty, were faced with a crippling injury list which forced them to delve deep into the squad. Eight players put on the green and white for the first time this season, and there was also a welcome return to action for John Haskell, who made the replacement bench.

The huge disruptions to the side’s preparations were clearly evident, as poor defensive play allowed the visitors to go 14-0 ahead within the first five minutes.

Rattled, the home side finally got their act together under the leadership of captain Lee Jones, and produced a sustained period of pressure. Their industry was finally rewarded when the ball was spread out wide, and the pace of Rhys Knapman took him beyond all would-be tacklers to the try line. Adam Lee failed to add the extras.

Buoyed by the reduction of the deficit, Barry poured forward to search for another score. With the forwards in the ascendency, marshalled superbly by veteran scrum-half John Dimond, it was down to Paul Harrison who picked up from a ruck on half-way, before barging his way through defenders to score a memorable try. Lee converted to make the score 12-14.

Cardiff Quins were finding it difficult to handle the physicality of the Barry pack, but it was the inability to handle a high kick from Rhidian Mepham which saw Sion Vidal to profit from the error and score under the posts. Lee stroked over the conversion.

Barry did not let their grip of the game slip, and once again camped on the Quins line as they looked for the bonus-point try. After prolonged pressure, Josh Westall proved himself unstoppable from five yards as he powered over. The conversion was missed.

The visitors now realised that it was futile to try to compete up front against the powerful Barry eight, and resorted to using their speedy backs in an attempt to bring themselves back into the game. With Barry down to fourteen men after the sin-binning of Jones, they managed a converted try to bring the score to 26-21.

Barry responded by releasing their own set of backs, and ball was spread quickly out wide with Alex Evans the recipient, and he raced away to score in the corner. Lee failed to add the extras.

With all four substitutes now on for the home side, they came forward once again to threaten the Quins line, and this time it was Dave Evans who dived through near the posts making Lee’s conversion a formality.

The visitors did have the last say with a late consolation, but the day ultimately belonged to Barry who finished 36-28 winners as they secured a second successive bonus point victory.

Next weekend the second XV travel to Clwb Rygbi, whilst the third XV host Taffs Well.

Team: Lee; Knapman, Flynn, A Evans, Mepham; McCann, Dimond; Corne, Vidal, Heard; Westall, Dutton; Harrison, Jones ©, J Evans

Replacements: Sullivan, Haskell, Harris, D Evans

Man-of-the-match: Vidal