Henson makes muppets of rugged Steelmen

Swansea 21 Ebbw Vale 17

The talented Swansea fly-half Gavin Henson is unwanted by the Wales coach Steve Hansen, but All Whites fans would not swap him for anyone. Not for the first time this season, the powerfully built Henson's goal-kicking and prodigious punts gave his side a win against the odds after they trailed 17-5 in miserable conditions at St Helen's.

Ebbw Vale have now lost all seven matches in Swansea, and will be disappointed that a powerful forward performance came to nothing. The Steelmen's coach Mike Ruddock, who played 119 games for the Whites and coached the side in the early 1990s, will be gutted to leave Swansea without any points after his side outscored the opposition three tries to two.

The Whites – who were missing four players on international duty – struggled into the wind in the first half and were fortunate not to concede several tries after spending barely 10 seconds in opposition territory in the opening 15 minutes.

The visitors opened the scoring in the sixth minute, when big Tongan No 8 Kati Tuipolotu belied his 35 years and crashed over from close range after the Vale skipper Leyton Phillips chose a five-metre scrum over a shot at goal. The scrum-half Bryan Shelbourne added the extras from out wide. In Swansea's first serious foray into enemy territory, their scrum-half Rhodri Jones scooted through several bemused defenders from 30 metres out before feinting to cut inside towards the posts. The Ebbw Vale full-back Mark Meenan fell for it, and Jones skinned the right-winger Nick Wakley to score his first try of the season.

In the 37th minute, Ebbw Vale tapped a penalty in their own half and some great handling drove the visitors into Swansea territory. The ball was spun wide to the centre Rhys Shorney, who busted through the tackle of Jones and the winger Shaun Payne to score in the corner. The half ended on an ugly note with an all-in punch-up.

The Steelmen extended their 12-5 half-time lead four minutes into the second period, when the lock Peter Sidoli stole a Swansea throw and the Ebbw Vale pack drove into the Whites' 22. The fly-half Scott Mitchell received quick ball and stepped through a woeful defence to score.

Henson clawed the deficit back to six points with two penalty goals, before the home team took the lead for the first time in the 63rd minute. The centre Steve Winn joined a rolling maul and emerged from it with the ball and five points for his team.

Henson's extras and his third penalty goal gave the home side a 21-17 lead entering the final 10 minutes, and the four-point margin proved too difficult for the Steelmen to breach in the conditions.

Swansea: G Swales; J Vaughton, S Winn, S Gibbs, S Payne; G Henson, R Jones (S Cordingley, 41); S Pope (D Morris, 54), C Balshen (C Wells, 71), D Dorsey, J Thomas (capt), A Farley (J Slade, 78), D Thomas, R Jenkins (R Francis, 54), J Bater.

Ebbw Vale: M Meenan; N Wakley (L Roberts, 44), R Shorney, P Matthews, A Bevan; S Mitchell, B Shelbourne (G Betts, 64); A Black, L Phillips (capt), M Jones, C Billen (O Booyse, 64), P Sidoli, W Thomas, T Morris, K Tuipolotu.

Referee: Neil Ballard (Cardiff).