Popham the star in Whites victory

Apr 10 2008 Western Mail

Glam Wands 6-13 Swansea

NO 8 Marc Popham scored both Swansea tries – and picked up a yellow card – as the Whites gained their ninth successive league win at the Memorial Ground last night.

Wanderers, starting with only seven of the side who began their Konica Minolta quarter-final against Newport, were 5-0 down after three minutes but edged it 6-5 just before the interval.

Popham was sin-binned a minute before the break.

Wanderers skipper Nick Kelly was yellow-carded early in the second half before Popham, only a minute back on the field, snapped up his second try in the 52nd minute.

Popham’s first try rewarded early forward pressure, but his second stemmed from the initiative of scrum-half Rhodri Wells, who replaced Phil Tucker, and centre Adrian Thomas.

The Whites went further ahead when Ricky Williams landed one of his five penalty attempts eight minutes from the end.

Wanderers, slipping to their sixth successive defeat can take heart as they came back strongly in the second half with flanker Ben Rose asking some searching questions of Swansea’s covering.

Ricky Williams went on for injured wing Nicky Thomas, Williams going to full-back and Leigh Bevan switching to the wing from full-back.

Glamorgan Wanderers: Pens – J Thomas (2)

Swansea: Tries – M Popham (2); pen – R Williams