Top of the table White Knights A extended their lead to 4 points when they played Morriston B at Llanelli. Morriston managed to hold them on 3 of the boards but wins for the Knights on the other two gave them the victory 3½-1½. Technically the Knights are not yet home and dry but only a combination of exceptional circumstance will stop them retaining the Division 1 title. Surprisingly this could be the first time that they have taken the title 2 years in a row.

The other match played in Division 1 was between BF All Blacks and White Knights B at Briton Ferry. There was some initial confusion when it was discovered that a noisy birthday party was taking place above the normal playing room and an exodus into a quieter area was required. With the All Blacks struggling to put together a full team the Knights started the match with a default win so it was something of a surprise that the home team finally emerged the victors 3-2. The result moved them above White Knights C and 3 points clear of bottom placed Emperors.

There were two matches in Division 2 both featuring Briton Ferry teams. In the first match Brunel visited Morriston Rugby Club where they were well and truly trounced by Morriston C. Only a draw by Kelvin Haines against Les Philpin saved the Briton Ferry team from a whitewash. 4½-½ to the home side who leapfrog Merlins back into second place. There was a slightly less embarrassing result when BF Giants welcomed the De la Beche University team on the Thursday. Draws on the top two boards plus wins for De la Beche on boards 3 and 5 meant that they won, for the first time this season, by the narrowest of margins 3-2. Although still bottom, 2 points below Brunel, they have 3 matches in hand over them and the odds of Brunel avoiding a bounce back down to Division 3 do not look good.

Just the 1 match in Division 3 when promotion hopefuls De la Beche B played host to the Upper Killay Harriers. With the Harriers defaulting their bottom board and missing a couple of their stronger players the match was always going to be an uphill struggle for them. And so it proved. The final score 4½-½ to the De la Beche team and a boost back into top spot in the division.

02/03/2019