27/09/2026
Report by Ken Watkins
Admiral National League Division 2 East Central
Barry RFC 52 Pentyrch RFC 7
Eight tries in all, with four in the last ten minutes of the first half wrapping up this convincing victory, a powerful spell of dominance which demolished any faint hopes struggling Pentyrch might have had of getting something from the game.
Barry’s combination of intelligent kicking, positive handling, and intense pressure in possession proved perfect, particularly in the first half when, playing down the hill, they made massive territory gains to pin the visitors back.
Pentyrch predictably adopted a similar kicking approach in the second half, but unlike Barry they were rarely able to really test and break through the defence, one try five minutes after the interval being as good as it got.
“Two wins, maximum points. That’s the start we wanted, the start we have been talking about all pre-season,” said head coach Mike Morgan. “There is excitement, enthusiasm and energy, and the players are enjoying it. Very positive all round.”
Morgan felt Barry, with no pre-season matches, needed the previous week’s game at Llantwit Vardre, which the Bombers won 29-17 with a solid second half performance, “to find our mojo and have real opposition against us. We were confident today, as long as we stayed focused.
“First ten minutes we were very focused, very clinical and scored two tries. I think we lost a bit of focus there, we were cocky maybe, throwing the ball around. The message came on to calm down. We did and scored tries every few minutes. So it’s apparent that if we stick to the game plan we can score tries and we can win.”
There was some scintillating stuff in the first half as Barry stretched the Pentyrch defence with their running and handling game, frequently going round or through opponents. Although they couldn’t quite match that as often playing uphill in the second half, by then the match was over as a contest.
Morgan feels that all the hard work that has been put in during a lengthy pre-season, and everything the club has been building over the last two seasons, is beginning to pay off, and 81 points in two games is something of a statement to the rest of the league.
The Bombers have set themselves a standard, which Morgan knows will face sterner tests than that provided by Pentyrch. “It’s great that we won by nearly 50 points, but all you’ve got is five (league) points,” he said. “There’s a long way to go, and there are plenty of tough teams. But it was nice to get near the end of a game and not be stressed.”
Barry: tries – Alyn Evans (4min), Isaac Thomas (8), Tom Perry (29), Josh Edwards (34), Billy Payne (36), Jerome Russell (39), Jack Huggins (63, 78); conv – Morgan Prosser 5, Owen Rees 1.
Pentyrch: try -Tom Neil (45); conv – Gethin Thomas.
*On Saturday Barry visit Newport-based Pill Harriers in the first round of the Division 2 Cup. “It’s a slightly different focus,” said Morgan. “The cup is short, sharp motivation, league is long motivation, a different mindset. What we want this season is a cup and league run. It will be a good test away from home.”
