Magor RFC

Recap

Saturday 20 December 2025 K.O.14:30

Caldicot Leisure Centre, Caldicot.

Magor RFC 7 – 35 St. Julian’s HSOB RFC

The Christmas season is all about local rugby derbies of course and for Magor this means a match against our nearest Division 6 rivals, St. Julian’s HSOB. This is a team where geography is not the only link with some of the Magor team previous St. Julian’s players and our own chairman, Jerry Evans, a St. Julian’s old boy.

It was an important match with both teams at the top end of the table and looking for one of the two promotion spots. After a scoreless first 5 minutes, it was St. Julian’s who struck first with a penalty and 10 minutes later followed up with a try on the left wing. The try went unconverted giving St. Julian’s an eight point lead. It was a carbon copy just about five minutes later with another try for the left wing who raced into the corner from around halfway. Again the kick was unsuccessful but St. Julian’s were stretching ahead. This is how the half ended Magor 0 – 13 St. Julian’s.

Magor cut the deficit to just 6 early in the second half. A penalty was taken quickly by Iestyn Rollings on the St. Julian’s 10m line and, as four defenders closed in on him, he gave the try scoring pass to Ross Speirs who stumbled over the line for the try. Ross then converted his own try to make it Magor 7 – 13 St. Julian’s. The Magor pack was definitely on top at scrum time with every single scrum going Magor’s way but unfortunately we weren’t able to take advantage as not a single penalty came our way as a result of any scrums. 

They say it’s the hope that kills you and maybe this is true because hopes were high at this point but St. Julian’s really found another gear from here. The St. Julian’s backs really found their form and ran in another four tries, almost exclusively in the corners meaning that the tricky conversions were missed. That is all except the last try which, it has to be said, was pretty good. Starting on their own 5m line, St. Julian’s were able to run almost the entire length of the right wing and then spread the ball across the field to cross the line on the left but smartly run under the posts to make the conversions a bit easier for their kicker who duly obliged finishing the game Magor 7 – 35 St. Julian’s.

Congratulations to Ashley Maskell who came on for his debut in the Magor black and amber.

This leaves Division 6 East with three teams on top all with 20 points namely Penallta Athletic, St. Julian’s HSOB and Magor and with New Tredegar hot on everyone’s heels on 18 points with a game in hand. Still everything to play for in this league!

We would also like to give a special word of thanks to our very young referee Harri Winstone, at just 16 years of age, good to see young referees coming through – No Ref, No Game, Diolch Harri.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone associated with Magor RFC at all levels and here’s to a successful 2026.

Magor: Ellis Wainwright (c), Aaron Boardman, Greg Turner, Ross Speirs, Tom Waters, Iestyn Rollings, Ben Hampson, Lee Cox, Louis Kington, Simon Reece, Andy Gully, Chris Stephens, Jaden Quinn, Connor Bergstrom, Iwan White

Replacements: Josh Buffery, Will Kinghan, Aeddan Erasmus, Danny Hodges, Morgan Davies, Ashley Maskell

Magor Scorers: Tries – Ross Speirs Conversion – Ross Speirs 

St. Julian’s: Tries – 6, Conversions – 1, Penalties 1

Referee: Harri Winstone

Magor Man of the Match: Andrew Gully