BUILTH Wells coach Ben Duggan has challenged his side to go unbeaten for the rest of the season and lift the league title after inflicting a first defeat of the campaign on leaders Aberavon Quins.

The Bulls trampled the visitors to the Groe on Saturday, March 5, romping to an 18-0 victory that could have been even more convincing had the home side earned the bonus point their play richly deserved.

The hosts led 8-0 at the break thanks to a try created from a good lineout move in which Stephen ‘Spike’ Boore played a starring role and which was finished off by Ben Pugh. Steph Townes added a penalty before two more tries followed after the break. Both were scored by flankers, with Tom Davies going over following an impressive forward drive, with opposite number Ashley Mills’ sneaky pick and go at the base of a blind side ruck catching Quins unaware as he raced over for a score in the corner.

Duggan bemoaned two more scores that went begging, with Lex Botha crossing over both times but deemed to have been held up, according to the referee.

“The boys were tremendous, we played very well,” said Duggan. “It was a shame Lex was held up twice, a fourth try would have secured a bonus point.

“Aberavon are a confident, abrasive team that hadn’t been beaten all year, but they were out-dogged and outfought by us.”

The win leaves the Bulls – who along with Aberavon are the only two teams to have lost only once this season – in fourth place, 11 points off the leaders, but with two games in hand. Builth have won five games in a row since an opening day defeat at second-placed Resolven.

And, with five games left, Duggan wants the Bulls to remain on the charge. “We laid down a marker for the season with this win, we had targeted this game,” he said.

“If we’ve got any ambition to win the league, we had to win this game. They’re (Aberavon) still in control with our missed bonus point but we’re very pleased with the all-round performance.

“We showed how good we can be, the challenge now is that we’ve got to carry it on. We’ve got five games left and if we have any ambition of winning the league we’ve got to win every game with a bonus point.”

If the Bulls have an Achilles heel, it’s their lack of bonus points – with only one scored all season, the joint fewest in the league. They have conceded the second fewest points and tries behind third-placed Pyle.