WELSH PREMIERSHIP Caerphilly (0) 5 Try: J Kestell. Bridgend (47) 78 Tries: M James (3), C Richards (2), O Lloyd, S Mannix, D Bishop (2), S Van Renburg, P Jones (2). Cons: Mannix (6), Jones, Bishop, Richards. Att: 400

If the Cheesemen have struggled all season they have usually played attractive, competitive rugby, but this youthful side had no chance from the start.

Caerphilly coach Mark Ring had complained about having to take the fixture three days ahead of the club's Parker Pen Shield semi-final against Padova, and as the match kicked off he could be seen conducting first-team training on an adjacent pitch.

Bridgend, who ran in a total of 12 tries including a Matt James hat-trick, still have a 100% record in the league, standing a point behind leaders Neath with three games in hand.

The Cheesemen started the game under the supervision of assistant coach Paul Yardley and conditioning co-ordinator Dean Parsons, and within three minutes they were watching James run in the visitors' opening try.

The full-back got another before half-time and was followed over by Craig Richards, Owain Lloyd, Simon Mannix, David Bishop and Shawn Van Rensburg.

Mannix converted six of the seven tries to leave the interval score at 0-47.

Caerphilly did not really want to play but we are chasing trophies and have our problems too Bridgend forwards coach Richard Webster

About the only controversy in a surreal excuse for a game came as Bridgend hooker Ben Phillips landed a volley of punches on home flanker Rhys Lloyd whilst Mannix was crossing for his try.

There was a lull in the scoring for an entire 12 minutes in the second half, before Paul Jones clocked up the half century for the visitors.

Craig Richards got his second with a 70m run and started a trend for the Ravens scorers to convert their own tries.

Paul Jones scored his second and landed the conversion, then centre Bishop did the same.

Caerphilly's replacement wing James Kestell crossed in the 74th minute to prevent the whitewash, raising a respectable cheer from the meagre crowd.

But Bridgend inevitably had the last word, James completing his hat-trick with the final move of the match.

Only 79 minutes had been played, but nobody was about to remonstrate with the officials.

Bridgend forwards coach Richard Webster admitted there was no room for sympathy despite Caerphilly's obvious problems.

"Caerphilly did not really want to play but we are chasing trophies and have our problems too," he said.

"We just wanted to use this game as more than a training session and to use our hands as much as possible to play as a team rather than as individuals."