Admiral National League Division 1 East Central: Porth Harlequins 17 Barry RFC 30

A hat-trick of tries by Victor Corrihons helped Barry secure a second consecutive victory and move them up the table, his third score clinching a vital and valuable bonus point at the Welfare Ground on Saturday.

“He was man of the match,” said head coach Mike Morgan. “Two of the tries he really had to work hard for, winger’s tries, especially the last one which secured the bonus point. He had a lot of work to do, good awareness, fantastic footwork and it was just a race to the line where he proved his speed.”

Morgan stressed the emphasis is on the Bombers getting five-point wins and denying their opponents any bonus points. “Focusing on those points helps us make better decisions during the game. What was massively important was that we had five points and Porth zero.”

He felt the margin of victory could have been much greater. “It’s outstanding to go away and get a bonus point win, but we left a lot out there. We were playing very well, but made some errors at crucial moments. But it’s good to come away thinking we could have done better. I told the players it’s back to work on Tuesday as we have things to work on.”

Alyn Evans scored Barry’s other try, with Aled Rees converting two and landing two penalties.

The ten-team division appears to be splitting into two, with the top five moving away. “It looks like the bottom half is up for grabs,” said Morgan, “and there’s no reason why, if we really focus, we couldn’t be heading for mid-table if we get a few more wins under our belt.”

On Saturday Barry travel to Abercwmboi, level on points with the Bombers, both with two victories, a match crucial for both sides and which Morgan expects to be tough.

Barry have withdrawn their Second team from the WRU Athletic Conference, but will be arranging friendly fixtures through the rest of the season. As the senior squad numbers are increasing, these matches will provide an opportunity for more players to get vital game time, and also give some of the older Youth players an opportunity to experience senior rugby.