Ebbw Vale took immediate revenge for their defeat at Swansea last Saturday with a 16-13 win over the Whites at Eugene Cross Park.

All the talk in Wales may be about the imminent arrival of provincial rugby, but this game showed there is plenty of passion and life in the club game.

Irish fly-half Mark Meenan gave the home side an early 3-0 lead from a penalty before they poached a try from continued pressure in the opening period.

Meenan launched a deep cross kick which wing Nick Wakley was alert enough to gather and touch down for the score which gave The Steelmen a deserved 10-0 lead.

But even without prop Ben Evans and flanker Colin Charvis - on international duty with Wales - Swansea are still a determined side.

Fly-half Arwel Thomas put them back in the game with a penalty and then launched a high kick which led to a Rory Jenkins try.

Thomas's conversion made it 10-10 at half time.

The second half became a war of attrition between two determined packs of forwards.

Two penalties from Vale's Meenan and one from Swansea's Thomas made it 16-13 to the home side with time running out.

Sensing defeat, Swansea made several determined thrusts at the Vale line late on but the home side held on for a deserved win.