West Wales 10 Bears 36 - Betfred League 1, Round 2

A RUTHLESS and resolute Coventry Bears secured their first win of the new season with a confident display in Llanelli on Saturday.

Richard Squires’ side were clinical in attack and almost immovable in defence throughout. 

A pair of tries in the opening quarter from Irish prop Peter Ryan was their reward for a positive opening to the match, before a debut score from winger AJ Towse and a superb finish from centre Liam Welham put the Bears in a commanding position at half time.

The Midlanders then weathered a spell of sustained pressure from the hosts - repeatedly and powerfully deafening their own try line - before wrapping up victory in the final ten minutes with a thrilling try from fullback Nathan Hill, and another touchdown on the final hooter from loose forward Kieran Sherratt.

Despite losing their opening game of the season at home to Barrow Raiders the previous weekend, the Bears went into this match against the division’s other Raiders with plenty of positives to focus on, and it showed as the Coventry side made an almost perfect start.

After forcing an error from West Wales’ start halfback - and former Super League Man of Steel - Rangi Chase on the first play of the match, the Bears confidently marched towards the Raiders line, marshalled by hooker Chris Cullimore, who was terrific throughout.

The Bears earned a repeat set that gave them fantastic field position, and Ryan soon took a flat pass from Cullimore to crash over from close range after just three minutes. Dan Coates added the conversion.

The visitors then set about dominating possession and almost added to their tally twice more, first through Welham who went close in the right corner, and then following a clever grubber from Coates that almost unlocked the Raiders defence.

Eventually, the Bears did bag a second try in the twenty-first minute - Ryan again doing the honours. His fellow prop Bradley Ho almost scored himself, after the Bears had moved the ball from side-to-side with Cullimore once again keeping things ticking over. Ho was held up short, but Ryan was on hand to take another smart pass from his hooker and score under the posts.

Coates’ conversion gave the Bears a deserved 12-0 lead, although the hosts hit back five minutes later; a mesmerising double dummy from Chase tricked Welham into jumping out of the defensive line, which left a gap for Marcus Webb to exploit and score an unconverted try.

The Raiders were almost in again five minutes later - in fact, it looked certain they would score in the corner, but for a superb try-saving tackle from Reece Rance.

It was a pivotal moment in the half, as five minutes before the break the Bears extended their lead thanks to a score on debut from Towse, who has come joined on loan from York City Knights for the rest of the season. The young winger took a delightful floated pass from Coates and scored in the corner.

Coates was unable to convert that try, but he did add the extras to the Bears’ fourth try of the half - which Welham scored just before the break. The centre hit a pass from Cullimore at a superb angle, before side-stepping a defender to run in unopposed under the posts for probably the try of the half.

Unsurprisingly, the hosts came out firing after the break and scored within the first five minutes. A fast attack full of slick handling down the Bears’ right edge unlocked a hole for Daf Phillips to score.

What followed was a period of sustained pressure from the Raiders, who used a strong wind behind them to keep the Bears pinned back on their own line. However, the Coventry defence knuckled down, stood firm, and kept West Wales at bay.

Slowly, the Bears started to pick up more possession and edge away from their own try line, completing sets well and building good field position before turning the screw in the final ten minutes.

Coates kept the scoreboard ticking over in the seventieth minute with a simple penalty in front of the posts after a late Raiders hit on Bears player/coach Dave Scott, before two more tries ensured the final score was a fair reflection of the whole game.

The score that effectively secured the win for the Bears, with seven minutes to play, was a beauty. Playing with pace and confidence on the final tackle of a set, Welham sent a delightful chip over the Raiders line, which Scott cleverly kicked further forwards with a delicate grubber. 

The ball bounced perfectly into the hands of Hill - one of four Bears players chasing the ball - who gleefully ran in under the posts for his third try in two matches. Coates converted to move the Bears to 30 points for the afternoon.

A final gloss was added just before the final hooter, with Sherratt throwing a dummy then crashing over from dummy half - in almost exactly the same way he did on that same ground in 2018. Coates converted with the final kick of the game.

The Bears can now look forward to the visit of the London Skolars on Sunday 23 May for a game that will see fans able to attend for the first time since February 2020.

Bears try scorers: Peter Ryan (2), AJ Towse, Liam Welham, Nathan Hill, Kieran Sherratt.

Bears kicks: Coates (5 conversions, 1 penalty)

Scoring sequence: 0-6, 0-12, 4-12, 4-16, 4-22, 10-22, 10-24, 10-30, 10-36.

Half time: 4-22

Man of the match: Chris Cullimore 

Bears lineup: Hill, Towse, Dawson, Welham, Rance, Coates, Scott, Ryan, Cullimore, Ho, Charlton, Bowring, Sherratt. 

Interchange: Bastos, Townsend, Dunne, Langton