Saturday 27 April 2013

Pontypool steal it


The Pontypool resurgence continues with yet another hard-fought victory, this time against Tata Steel at Pontypool Park in the final game of the season. Admittedly, judging by the plethora of changes to the Tata team that were announced before the kick off, the opposition were not at full strength. Nevertheless, when the drubbing that Pooler received at the hands of Tata in the away fixture is considered, this represents a significant turnaround.
The game was played in excellent conditions but was very scrappy and error-strewn. From the off Tata looked superior in virtually every department and quickly took the lead with a smartly taken try when their right wing kicked ahead and gathered. As it turned out, this was the only try of the match as Tata squandered a series of very promising positions. Pontypool’s first-up tackling was often ineffective and the away side’s back three frequently made major incursions. Pontypool for their part never really looked like scoring a try but managed to keep in touch through penalties kicked by their fullback Gullis and their tenacious scrambling defence. To be only losing 6-11 at half-time was not a bad outcome for a half when the home side were frequently outplayed.
The second half was equally scrappy although Pooler playing down the slope seemed to get a bit more of a foothold in the game. Tata still looked much the more likely to score a try but the Pontypool last ditch defence kept them out on several occasions as they hammered away close to the try line. There was an exchange of penalties to take the score to 9-14 and then another penalty for Pooler to close the gap to 12-14. Even when Tata were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card, they still looked the likely winners. With about 10 minutes remaining and against the run of play Pooler were awarded a penalty close to the halfway line. Gullis converted with an excellent kick to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match at 15-14. From then on, it was almost constant pressure from Tata who were camped in the home 22. They even got the ball down over the line only for the try to be disallowed. The home supporters’ nerves were frayed as the seconds seemed to tick away agonisingly slowly. Then blessed relief as the final whistle came at last.
Pontypool have finished the season strongly with 6 wins in 7 matches which is all the more astonishing when you consider they had only won one other game in the rest of the season and that against bottom side Whitland. I don’t think anyone should get carried away and think that Pooler have a side that can go on and win the league next season but it has certainly made the long-suffering and loyal supporters feel a whole lot better.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Pooler are full of the joys of spring


What could be better than spending a lovely spring afternoon in Pontypool Park? Answer a lovely spring afternoon accompanied by a win for Pontypool RFC. Yes, Pontypool’s recent good form continues with a narrow victory over Narberth.
Narberth seemed to hold all the aces with a taller, heavier pack and the usual pacy set of West Walian backs. Pontypool, however, had other ideas and produced a tenacious, committed display that never let Narberth settle and gain control of the game. Frequently out-muscled in the scrums and forced to concede territory by the away side’s driving maul, Pooler countered with strong tackling and gained the edge at the breakdown forcing a series of turnovers. Once the home side got the ball they showed their attacking intent with, at times, excellent handling with backs and forwards combining well.
The two sides scored three tries each but it is the manner in which the tries were scored that is rather surprising. In a reversal of roles, the West Wales club’s tries all came from forward dominance - a push-over try and a penalty try from scrums and a forward try from close to the line. Pooler, on the other hand, scored their tries from distance following excellent work by the backs and forwards in unison. The Pontypool backs seemed to be revelling in the dry conditions and are looking a far more potent unit than they did only a few weeks ago.
Pontypool spent most of the match narrowly in the lead but Narberth never allowed them to gain a decisive lead. Pooler’s third try finally opened up and 8 point lead at 23-15 with not much time remaining. Narberth came storming back and exerted tremendous pressure on the Pontypool line and eventually closed the gap to just 1 point at 23-22 folowing a penalty try. Pooler survived a tense few minutes to gain a narrow but deserved victory. Finally, a word of praise for the referee who allowed the game to flow and helped to make it an enjoyable spectacle.
Only one game left now and a home win over Tata Steel would finish a difficult season on a high note. Hopefully, over the closed season, we can strengthen the squad and approach next season with a degree of optimism and leave the dark days behind.
Congratulations to Ebbw Vale on winning the Championship. They have looked by far the best side in the league and it is a travesty that they cannot take their place in the Premiership. I am sure that they would have been more than a match for most of the teams in that league this season as their narrow defeat by Pontypridd (champions elect) in the Cup demonstrated. The standard in the Premiership seems to be patchy at best and I’m not sure that it is achieving its objectives (whatever they were!). The lack of relegation seems to have allowed a degree of complacency amongst some of the WRU’s favourite clubs.
Congratulations also to Cardiff City on their promotion to soccer’s Premier League. This will put even more pressure on the regional rugby to provide a competitive product. I still do not detect any signs of any progress on charting a way forward. Then again, I’m not really surprised. 

Thursday 18 April 2013

Pooler blown off course


Pontypool made the trip to Bridgend to play Bridgend Athletic in good heart following their recent run of good form. The venue was a very windy Waterton Cross ground with the match being played under floodlights on a Wednesday evening. It certainly did not feel like a warm spring evening as the chill wind whipped across the pitch. These are certainly not the conditions that favour good rugby but to the credit of both teams they served up a hugely entertaining match.
Although the wind was virtually across the pitch it did slightly favour Pontypool in the first half. With an early yellow card for Athletic, Pontypool built up an 8 point lead with a penalty and a close range try. The home side quickly reduced the deficit to 5-8 with a try following a charged down kick. It soon became clear that the home side were cohesive and well-drilled and in their driving maul they had the most potent attacking weapon on view. They frequently drove the Pooler forwards back 20 yards and more and looked the more likely team to score. Somewhat against the run of play, it was Pontypool that scored next with an opportunist try by centre Norton who brushed aside the defence to gallop in from 25 yards. With the successful conversion the score was 5-15 approaching half time. Athletic attacked strongly through their pack and scored a try with the last play of the half to reduce the deficit to 10-15. The try was accompanied by more bad news for Pooler with the sin-binning of Macey.
After the break, the home side seized the initiative against the 14 men of Pontypool and scored two converted tries to make it 24-15. It looked bleak for Pooler as Athletic seemed to be well in control. This was when Pooler showed their new found grit and determination and literally threw caution to the wind. Assisted by another sin-binning for the home side, they attacked in scintillating fashion, running the ball from deep at every opportunity. Gullis was particularly prominent and ran the ball back with good effect. In the space of 10 minutes or so Pooler completely turned things around with two tries and a penalty. One of the tries from well inside their own 22 when Gullis made a break and fed Norton who sped down the touch line to score in the corner was surely Pooler’s try of the season. This left the score 24-30 with Pooler looking set for a victory. Then disaster struck, Pontypool failed to secure the ball from the kick off and from the ensuing scrum the home side number 8 ran in a try from 30 yards virtually unopposed. With the successful conversion, Athletic held a narrow 31-30 lead with time running out. Pooler tried hard but it was the home side that had the last say with another try. The conversion was unsuccessful giving a final score of 36-30. At least Pontypool had secured 2 bonus points which was the least they deserved in a see-saw match. 
(At least I think that was what happened as the lack of a scoreboard and announcer had certainly taxed our maths and sort-term memories.)
Although the winning streak came to an end, there was still much that was good in this match for Pontypool. The attacking potential of the backs was clear to see and the spirit remains strong.  Pooler could, however, learn a few lessons from the driving maul and support play of Bridgend Athletic which was as good as I have seen in the Championship this season. 
On a nostalgic note, whenever I watch a match under lights on a Wednesday I realise how much I miss it.   

Monday 15 April 2013

Southern hustle, northern muscle

I found myself watching Super 15 Rugby from the Southern Hemisphere on the TV over the weekend. It is high octane stuff with teams playing at pace with attacking intent to the fore. The contrast between that and the Heineken Cup quarter finals the previous Sunday (zero tries) could not be more marked. You will say, "look at the conditions in the south - nice weather, dry firm pitches". I think there is more to it than that. The biggest difference is in the attacking rather than the defensive attitude that has been instilled in the players. Yes the defences are tough, but the first thought after a turnover or a deep kick is, "let's run it". The fact that they are playing in a league with no promotion or relegation to worry about may also be a large factor. It's still pretty serious stuff though with national pride at stake. Did you ever meet a New Zealander or South African that did not want to win? The Heineken Cup is characterised by a "win ugly" philosophy where teams with huge packs grind out wins through penalties. We are also blighted with a collection of rather pedantic referees who appear to be on a bonus related to the number of penalties that they award.There does not seem to be any thought of entertaining the punters as if the "good day out" in the next round will be sufficient reward. 
So do we need to change things? Would a European league be a goer?The attendances at matches seem to point to the Heineken Cup being a success story but are we converting fans from other sports? - the jury is out I guess. It is irrelevant anyway, as to change even the slightest anything in European Rugby is virtually impossible or at best a lifetime's work.
Cue Welsh Rugby - sounds like they have finally decided to have a meeting between the WRU and the regions. The bad news is that it is a meeting to decide whether they can have a meeting to discuss the key issues. Don't hold your breath!

But what of Pontypool? Yet another win - that's 4 in a row including 3 consecutive away wins! The late season surge has been a feature of the last few seasons. If only we could start the season like that....
The hard-fought win at Whitland at the weekend in awful conditions (8-10) shows the burgeoning confidence and spirit in the team. Shame there are only a few games left this season.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Pontypool magic, Welsh rugby tragic


Just about everyone who was at the Memorial Ground on Saturday must be wondering how Pontypool managed to conjure up a victory against Glamorgan Wanderers. The Wanderers looked superior in every aspect of the game in the first half on a beautiful Spring day in Ely. They enjoyed the lion's share of possession and their half backs directed the game skilfully to ensure the game was played in the Pontypool half most of the time. It was only due to a combination of poor finishing and Pooler's scrambling defence that they only had one unconverted try and two penalties to show for their clear superiority. Wanderers blew clear try scoring opportunities on at least three occasions and if they had scored thirty points it would have been a fairer reflection on the half. To make matters worse for the home side, Pontypool grabbed a converted try on a rare incursion into their 22. This gave a rather unlikely score-line of 11-7 at half-time and we were still in with a shout.
Wanderers started the second half purposefully and quickly extended their lead to 14-7 with another penalty. Pontypool gradually dragged themselves back into the game and the turning point came when Sam Mills scored a try following a charged down kick. The successful conversion brought the score to 14-14. The home side lost their composure as Pooler’s confidence grew and the match was far more evenly contested from then on. The Wanderers were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card and Pooler pressed hard. Their reward came in the form of a penalty and a slender 14-17 lead. From then on the game became even more frenetic and error strewn as both sides strove for what would surely be the winning try. Pooler were also reduced to 14 men by a yellow card and when the home side were back to full strength it seemed inevitable that they would score. Neither side, however, seemed to be able to hang on to the ball and there was a glut of turnovers. The minutes ticked away and we felt that an unlikely win was surely possible. Then the last play of the match resulted in a penalty to the Wanderers in an eminently kickable position. We were consoling ourselves with the thought that a draw wasn’t a bad outcome when the kick sailed wide of the uprights and yes Pooler had won.
This makes three wins in a row for Pooler and I’m sure they wouldn't have won this match if they hadn’t won the previous two. There is more belief and confidence and they are playing as a team at last. I don’t think anyone should get carried away as there is still a long way to go before they are competitive against the better sides in what is, after all, a quite low quality league. Nevertheless it is something to celebrate so well done boys.
Talking of wanderers you have to wonder what path Welsh rugby is going to follow. This week has been, quite frankly, embarrassing for Welsh rugby with the rather childish posturing of the “big 8” from the regions and disappearance from sight of the Welsh Rugby Union representatives. You feel like locking them all in a room and telling them that they can’t come out until they have put a plan together. What are they waiting for?
I can’t pretend I know what the answer is but then I’m not paid an enormous salary to run Welsh rugby. The Welsh Rugby Union seemed to be progrssively alienating everyone in Wales. They started by treating the fans with disdain as television money was clearly more important than their preferences. Weird and wonderful kick-off times and rising ticket prices became the norm. Next to receive the treatment were the clubs who were starved of cash, subjected to totally unnecessary ground requirements and asked to play in a constantly changing league structure with fewer matches and large gaps in the fixture list in the autumn. Now it is the regions that are being ignored. You wonder who is next - I guess it has to be the international team players.
We are indeed fortunate that the Welsh team is playing well in the 6 Nations Championship. It seems that having a small group of elite players that are given everything they need and can pick and choose when the play regional rugby works at international level. Do you know I think I’m describing a central contract system. The problem is that this won’t win a Heineken Cup for a region as there are probably only 30 or so Welsh players of the required quality. I am not even sure if the full Wales team could win the Heineken Cup!  So unless you can bolster your team with top class rugby mercenaries from around the world which costs a lot of money, I can’t see a Welsh region succeeding in the current format.
What would I do?  I think I’d have just two “regional” teams and populate them with centrally contracted Welsh players. In the perfect world, these teams would play in the English Premiership like Swansea City and hopefully Cardiff City in football. I guess they would be roughly divided into East and West Wales. They could play their home matches in more than one location to try and stir up interest. This would allow the league beneath to be significantly strengthened and re-engage the Welsh valleys. This would in turn strengthen the other layers of the pyramid.

I don’t suppose I am an average fan, but here are my thoughts on what I want from my rugby:

Likes
·        Matches that kick off at 14.30 on a Saturday afternoon.
·        To be able to travel to away games in a reasonable amount of time
·        A meaningful competition/league that doesn’t change every season
·        A competitive team to support through thick and thin
·        Watching Wales home and away

Dislikes
·        Loud discordant music and bawling announcers at matches
·        Egotistical committee men with their own agendas
·        Soulless stadia with paltry crowds
·        Excessive ticket prices
·        The people who watch rugby internationals are not the people who watch rugby week in week out


Yes I guess I’m a dinosaur!