An enthralling opening...

Plenty of opinions and predictions fly about in the build up to a final, but for this particular occasion, one view was universally accepted.

If Championship side Narberth started strongly, it would be a ridiculously one sided contest.

And sure enough, the Otters did start strongly - only to be repelled by a Haverfordwest side who stood toe to toe with them in the opening exchanges.

As the rain came down the action was intense, whilst the physicality bordered on extreme, and it made for gripping viewing for a crowd that had envisaged a routine Narberth win.

Those not in attendance will lookat the scoreline and assume the Otters controlled matters throughout. But those of us there will say, that for 50 minutes at least, we had a real game of rugby on our hands.

Chances pass...

If the Blues were to have any chance of upsetting the odds, then one thing was abundantly clear - they needed to take every opportunity going.

And although they threw everything into the opening 40 minutes, they were left to rue a pivotal moment 20 minutes in.

Trailing 3-0, they worked an overlap on halfway, but in the greasy conditions, winger and skipper Darren Salmon knocked on when he seemed set to race clear.

Outside half Steve Williams was also off target with two shots at goal, the second of which on the brink of half time, and crucially the Otters went into the interval with a 9-0 lead.

The Blues enjoyed other spells of pressure, but perhaps lacked composure at the crucial moment.

It is far-fetched to suggest the missed chances would have affected the eventual outcome, but had Haverfordwest got points on the board, then Narberth would have come out for the second half under considerably more pressure than they actually did.

Tough blow...

The respective openside flankers, Stuart Worrall and Jon Mason, went to in the game as key figures for their sides - and their head to head battle promised to be one of the features of the night.

Sadly, it was a battle that never materialised, as Mason was forced off 20 minutes in with injury.

The Blues pack continued to fight hard after Mason's departure, but his loss undoubtedly represented a hammer blow.

The outstanding Worrall meanwhile, proceeded to turn in a man of the match performance, and if rumours that he is Premiership bound next season prove true - the Otters will miss him.

Class eventually tells...

Narberth did not finish sixth in the Championship for no reason, and all three of their KO Cup matches this season have followed a similar theme.

Crymych, Whitland, and Haverfordwest all raised their game to the point where spectators at all three matches may have temporarily wondered if an upset was on the cards.

But each time, the Otters have worn down their opponents, before finishing the stronger in the second half.

To be where they are they have to have superior structure, fitness, and strength in depth to any other side in Pembrokeshire - not to mention the ability to be clinical when it matters most.

And while many can justifiably claim the final scorelines in their afore mentioned cup games were harsh on their opponents, it is no coincidence that the contests followed a familiar pattern.

Here to stay?...

It is no secret that Narberth's decision to re-enter the competition this season was not a collective one, and while they paid the competition full respect by fielding their strongest available XV throughout, it remains to be seen whether they will be back in next year.

While I can see the drawbacks, with the potential for one sided contests and the same name on the trophy year in and year out, I personally hope they think long and hard before withdrawing.

On Friday night, for the first hour at least, they brought the best out of Haverfordwest side who rose to the challenge of facing a Championship team on the big stage.

The Blues' attitude was an example of how Pembrokeshire teams should treat such contests - and if a club is prepared to test themselves against the best, then irrespective of the scorline, they can learn a lot about their team and the individuals involved.

Blues must bounce back...

When the dust settles, I suspect the Haverfordwest players and coaches will be asking themselves the same question as the spectators who watched them perform so bravely on Friday - how were they relegated from Division Two West?

And as coach Barry John acknowledged afterwards, had they had that squad available all season, and performed with that intensity, relegation would have been out of the question.

The Blues are now at somewhat of a crossroads - in John they are losing an excellent technical coach, while the retirements of stalwarts Gareth Green and Steve Williams will leave gaps that need to be filled.

Like any club, other faces will come and go in the summer - but Friday suggested they are too strong to be in the lower tier.

It is now up to them to decide whether they make a concerted effort to focus on promotion next season and get back to where they were, or accept long term the easier schedule of local rugby.

Personally, I think they are too big a club to settle for the latter.

Credit due...

We've all had our say on the format and structure of the Pembrokeshire KO Cup in recent times, none more so than myself.

But to the credit of the organisers, for the third successive year, a Friday night final produced a big and enthusiastic crowd - and it is now up to the clubs to ensure the competition continues to run successfully.

It is pointless complaining about the fixture schedule - it is not a WRU run competition and therefore, it is inevitable the games will have to be played on week nights or international weekends.

And sure enough, the earlier rounds this year did not go smoothly, with Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock Harlequins, and most notably holders Tenby United all conceding fixtures - but the the quarter and semi finals produced competitive contests that were a credit to the clubs involved.

The competition still has a big part to play in local rugby, and rather than complain about matters, it is now up to all Pembrokeshire clubs to embrace that.