Two division champions with nineteen wins out of twenty between them, a large, vociferous crowd and a pulsating game of eight tries played in excellent spirit – these were the ingredients that Friday night’s Harry Jepson trophy playoff between Bridgend Blue Bulls and Cardiff Demons served up to the South Wales public.

The crowd roared as breaks were made and tries scored and gasped at the intensity of hits from both sides. They marveled at the skills and fitness of Welsh forwards like Cardiff’s Wes Palmer and Bridgend’s Carl Hocking, and at the handling of Kevin Ellis, once of Warrington and now of Bridgend, and of young pretender Gareth Jones, the talented Demons stand-off from Carmarthenshire. And finally they were presented with a memorable rugby duel, a footrace for the try that decided the game. Small children played on a green and white bouncy castle labeled “Y Draig Gogh” – the red dragon, perhaps to remind us all we really were in Bridgend and not in Lancashire or Yorkshire.  

In the early 1990s Jonathan Davies’s Wales side won the game great respect, but it has taken years of development work for the grass roots to flourish. Davies was impressed with his first taste of conference rugby league in Wales. “I enjoyed seeing the game – it was very physical with lots of effort, and I was pleasantly surprised with the great handling skills and commitment of both teams.” Let us all hope that events of this kind become a regular feature in the Welsh sporting calendar.

A healthy crowd of over 700 were regally entertained by Wales's two divisional champions as Bridgend Blue Bulls overcame a second half rally by Cardiff Demons to book their place in the last eight of the playoffs.

After full back Mark Davies touched down for Bridgend's opener, Cardiff levelled on 14 minutes through centre Sion Willams.

But the Blue Bulls gained the upper hand in a hard fought first half and were 18-6 up at the break after two tries from second row Carl Hocking, who was later selected by interested spectator Jonathan Davies as man-of-the-match. When Nathan Strong powered over from five metres out to extend the Blue Bulls' lead to eighteen points in the 49th minute, the Demons looked out of it.

But Cardiff found new inspiration and drew to within eight points after two tries in three minutes from stand-off Gareth Jones and wing Andrew Bradshaw.

Both teams had their chances as the clock ticked down; but it took a moment of inspiration to decide the game. With ten minutes remaining, Wales Rugby Union international Lenny Woodard made a half break on the right and kicked down the sideline.

In a chase of two of the fastest men in Welsh Rugby League, Woodard just managed to keep ahead of Demons' speedster Jamie Iles and dive on the ball for the game clinching try.

Woodard's second on 78 minutes gave Bridgend a 22 point win which leaves Cardiff needing to beat Aberavon to have a second chance against the Blue Bulls in the minor semi finals.

Bridgend player/coach and former Warrington stalwart Kevin Ellis was delighted with the win. "Cardiff are a very experienced team by Welsh Standards and they have given us a good game tonight. I was pleased for Lenny Woodard with the way he scored his two tries, and of course it's great that we now get a week off.”