Match Report – West Wales Raiders vs Swinton Lions

31 January 2022

WEST WALES RAIDERS 0

SWINTON LIONS  96

IAN RIGG Stebonheath Park, Sunday

The Lions sailed into the fourth-round draw of the Challenge Cup with a record winning margin their biggest since a 96-4 victory over Oxford in 2015. Dan Abram also equalled the goal kicking record with fourteen conversions, and this is now shared with Ian Mort who kicked the same number in the game against Oxford.

The Lions first try came after just ninety-seconds when a Raiders player was tackled into touch on the very first play of the game and from the play the ball on the Raiders twenty Louis Brogan went close but fed the supporting Will Hope who scored by the posts and Dan Abram converted. The next try came on five minutes when fast hands saw Richard Lepori dive over in the right corner, but this went unconverted and virtually from the restart Mike Butt got the ball near his own line to feed the supporting Max Roberts and he raced sixty metres to score under the posts and Abram converted this one. We had to wait five minutes for the next try and again Brogan was the provider as he sent Luke Waterworth in under the posts and again the conversion was good.

Rhodri Lloyd added the next try on fifteen minutes when he chased a Jack Hansen kick to score on the right which again was converted and again from the restart it was Lloyd who turned provider when he broke down the right to draw the defence and send Lepori away for his second and once again Abram was on target. Lepori completed a fifteen-minute hat trick when again Lloyd was the provider for him to score right in the corner but no conversion for this one, but the Lions held a thirty-eight-point lead at the midway point of the half.

Lewis Charnock was next to score when he scooted over from short range, and this was quickly followed by a try for Abram when he chased a kick from Hansen and both of these were converted as they hit the half century mark. Raiders had a glorious effort to score six minutes from the break when full back Mike Holden collected a stray Lions pass just inside his own half and set off up the wing on his way to the line with defenders chasing him but Max Roberts made good ground across the field just to tap his ankles about five metres from the line and he spilled the ball and the chance went. Ben Heyes scored the Lions last try of the half two minutes before the break when he collected a high ball close to his own line to break two tackles and race eighty metres to score under the posts and the conversion was added.

Mitch Cox had a great chance to open the scoring of the second half, but his effort was judged a double movement, but they did get over on forty-nine minutes when an overlap on the left saw Mike Butt cross on the left and this was converted. Deane Meadows was the next scorer when he raced away to score under the posts and Abram converted. Jack Hansen was held up over the line on fifty-seven minutes, but he did score seven minutes later when Abram made a break to send him over and the conversion was added.

Butt added his second on sixty-seven minutes when he crossed on the left and two minutes later Abram added his second try. Roberts scored the sixteenth try of the afternoon with eight minutes left after good play by Jordan Case as they passed the ninety-point barrier and the record breaking try came with four minutes left when Hansen chipped the Raiders defence to follow his kick and regather to score out on the right, but Abram could not convert. They Lions we now trying to hit three figures and were camped on the Raiders line but a try scoring move broke down when the ball went to ground with an overlap.

The reasonable following of Lions fans had a great ending to their weekend as they cheered their heroes from the pitch before the long but happy journey home.

RAIDERS

  1 Mike Holden

  2 Sam Pridgeon

  3 Louis Watson

  4 Josh Frost

  5 Dan Maiden

  6 Ben Jones

  7 Fergus Simpson

  8 Sam Heron

  9 Dafydd Phillips

10 Joe Burke

11 Will Odgers

12 Craig Lewis

13 Callum Mulkeen

Subs (all used)

14 Harry Boots

15 Alan Pope

16 George Orriss

17 Dan Wilde

LIONS

22 Ben Heyes

  2 Mike Butt

  4 Max Roberts

11 Rhodri Lloyd

  5 Richard Lepori

  1 Dan Abram

  7 Jack Hansen

23 Jordan Case

  9 Luke Waterworth

  8 Will Hope

12 Mitch Cox

13 Nick Gregson

16 Louis Brogan

Subs (all used)

25 Lewis Charnock

17 Jack Spencer

20 Deane Meadows

19 Jose Kenga

Tries: Hope (2), Lepori (5,18,21), Roberts (7,72), Waterworth (12), Lloyd (16),

Charnock (28), Abram (32,70), Heyes (38), Butt (49,68), Meadows (53), Hansen (66,77)

Goals: Abram 14/17

Referee: James Jones

Penalty Count: 0-7

Half-Time: 0-56

Attendance: 312

Scoring Sequence: 0-6,0-10,0-16,0-22,0-28,0-34,0-38,0-44,0-50,0-56,0-62,0-68,0-74,0-80,0-86,

0-92-0-96