Pooler Power to Victory

The post Christmas fare this year pitted Pontypool against RGC 1404 from North Wales. These teams represent the most easterly and most northerly locations in the Championship and the visitors managed to make the long trip despite the wintry weather. I certainly don’t envy them the amount of travelling that they have to do during the course of a season. The pitch was in remarkably good condition considering the heavy rain that had fallen on the previous day.

Pooler made a sluggish start to the match and RGC quickly camped out in the home 22. The visitors looked a well drilled side and their three quarters probed strongly. It was no more than they deserved when they opened the scoring with a converted try after concerted pressure. If Pooler didn’t know that RGC meant business, it had been brought home to them in no uncertain manner.

The home side began to liven up as the last morsels of Christmas pudding were digested and forced their way up to the RGC line and won athe put in at a scrum 5 metres out. The Pooler pack applied tremendous scrummage pressure and were awarded a penalty try at the second attempt to tie the score up at 7-7. Even better was to follow when an intricate three quarter move led to a try for Thorley converted by Gullis to give Pontypool a 14-7 lead.

The game was closely fought until halftime and with both sides looking to move the ball it was enjoyable to watch. Pooler had the edge in the tight but the RGC backs looked dangerous when they had the ball. A rather clumsy late tackle by RGC skipper Davies resulted in a yellow card just before the half ended with the score still at 14-7.

Pontypool had the advantage of the slope in the second half and took firm control of the match as the rain started to fall. The home side penned RGC in their own half with the pack, ably led by Nash, storming forward. An astute cross kick by Mills found Ryan Thomas on the left wing and the lock gathered the ball to score in the corner. The conversion failed but Pooler had a useful lead at 19-7 and their tails were up.

Pontypool continued to press hard and a break by Quick found the other lock Porter in support and he galloped in for the bonus point try. The try again went unconverted but the home side had built up what looked a winning lead at 24-7.

Pontypool weren’t finished and it was probably fitting that their fifth try came from their dominant scrum when Matthew Thomas touched down after the RGC pack had been dismantled at a 5 metre scrum. There was a late flurry from RGC but Pontypool held out for a well-deserved 29-7 victory.

This was a fine victory for Pontypool against strong opposition. It was a robust performance from the pack that laid the foundations of the win. The set piece was mighty effective and the loose play showed total commitment. We will need a repeat performance and a bit more if we are to end Bargoed’s unbeaten record next Saturday.

I have to say I was impressed with the Dragon’s victory against the Blues. They certainly looked hungry for it and applied remorseless pressure on their more illustrious rivals. It would have been a travesty if the Blues had managed to sneak a last minute win. The West Wales derby was far more open in approach with the all-action Ospreys building up an early lead. Their scrum looked vulnerable and the Scarlets exploited this and closed the gap with a series of penalties to get within an ace of pinching an unlikely victory. Whilst both matches had decent crowds, the 80,000 plus at Twickenham puts things in perspective.

Come on Pooler let’s make it a great start to 2015 with a victory against Bargoed.

Heavy Going for Pooler

The match at Blackwood offered the perfect chance for Pontypool to bounce back after the previous week’s disappointment at Merthyr. Despite their relatively lowly league position, we knew that local rivals Blackwood were never going to make things easy. The weather was cool and dry but a rather sticky pitch was going to provide a searching test test of stamina.

Pontypool totally dominated the first half hour of the match and at times played some excellent rugby with backs and forwards offloading deftly. For all their dominance though, through a combination of a stubborn home defence, the cloying pitch and mistakes at crucial times, Pooler failed to score. We were already reminiscing about the last time that we had watched a 0-0 draw when the deadlock was finally broken. It didn’t come from any intricate back play, however, but from a good old driving lineout with Porter getting the touchdown. Pooler led 0-7 and surely more points would follow.

Pooler continued to dominate but an offload too far led to an interception by Blackwood centre Coed who gleefully scampered 30 metres to score under the posts and tie the scores.

The away side continued to press and Gullis almost got over in the corner but was ruled to have been in touch. Gullis was not to be denied and shortly afterwards he crossed for a try which, with the successful conversion, gave Pontypool a 7-14 lead at half time.

At the start of the second half, Pooler again pushed Blackwood back to their line. They had a series of 5 metre scrums but frustratingly failed to capitalise on a golden opportunity when they lost possession just when a penalty try seemed likely. The pace of the Pontypool three-quarters was proving difficult for Blackwood to contain and two tries from Gullis and Brooks came in quick succession. This increased the Pooler lead to 7-26 and secured a bonus point.

Pontypool seemed to think that the match was won at this stage and took their foot off the gas. They gave away a penalty from the restart and Blackwood kicked for touch. From the ensuing lineout Goodey scored virtually unopposed and the home side still had hope at 14-26.

The usual raft of substitutions seemed to strengthen the home side and disrupt Pontypool and the game became far more evenly contested. Both sides were guilty of squandering good chances as play became more and more scrappy as the heavy pitch took its toll. Blackwood, in particular, failed to score on at least a couple of occasions when they had a clear overlap. In the end Pontypool were mighty glad to hear the final whistle with the final score remaining at 14-26.

A bonus point win at Blackwood is always welcome but one was left with a feeling of deep frustration at the end of the game. Pontypool dominated for most of the game and should have won far more comfortably if just a few more of the scoring opportunities had been taken. At times they play some really great rugby and look particularly good when the tempo is high. Some team is going to suffer when it all clicks that’s for sure.

The Ospreys certainly played at a high tempo when they blew Ulster away in the first hour of their match yesterday. It would be nice to see Wales playing a similar sort of game rather than playing the avoir du pois based stuff. The All Blacks have shown us all how it is done.

Let’s hope for some exhilarating rugby from Pontypool next Saturday against RGC 1604.

Have a merry Xmas and a happy New Year everyone.

A Christmas Cracker

Pontypool visited Championship new boys Merthyr on a crisp and clear afternoon. Merthyr have started the season really well and, having only lost twice, were a couple of places above Pontypool in the league. They were also defending a longstanding unbeaten home record so this was going to be a tough encounter.

Pontypool had picked a jumbo back row for the game and they started really strongly pushing the Merthyr scrum back yards and penning the home side in their 22. Pooler actually drove a scrum over the home try line but frustratingly knocked on in the act of scoring. It was all Pooler and they deservedly opened the scoring with an unconverted try from Number 8 Ryan Thomas. Even though they had limited possession, Merthyr looked dangerous on the break and scored an excellent try from deep in their own half with backs and forwards combining well. This too went unconverted to tie the score at 5-5.

Pontypool continued to dominate territory but were guilty of making too many mistakes with the three-quarters not quite firing as we know they can. This allowed Merthyr a toehold in the game and an exchange of penalties left the score at 8-8. The Pontypool scrummage dominance began to ebb away and the game became much more even and flowed from end to end. It was Pontypool that broke the deadlock just before half time with Jordan Williams popping up on the wing to finish some good combined play. The conversion again failed to leave Pooler with a narrow 8-13 lead at the break.

Merthyr started the second half the stronger and they had changed their tactics. The forwards carried the ball strongly and made big inroads into the Pontypool defence. Pontypool defended stoutly but in the end their defence was breached with the Merthyr loose head prop driving over near the posts. With the conversion, the home side edged into the lead at 15-13.

Pontypool went back on the offensive and the Merthyr scrum half was given a yellow card as they defended their line. The successful penalty from Gullis put Pooler back in the lead at 15-16. A raft of substitutions followed with Pontypool putting Mills at scrum half and bringing on Hancock at outside half as well as changes in the tiring pack. Pontypool gave away a penalty at a ruck in midfield and the successful long range kick meant that Merthyr regained the lead at 18-16.

Yet again the away side responded and hammered away at the Merthyr line. A lack of discipline led to Mills being yellow carded and the opportunity was lost. The game became frenetic as the tension mounted and the large crowd became increasingly vocal. A successful penalty from Gullis put Pontypool back in the lead 18-19 and set up an exciting last 10 minutes.

Spurred on by the crowd, it was the home side that looked the livelier as the Pontypool forwards tired. Some slick handling from the Merthyr backs left their right wing Howard with some room to work with and he beat two men to score in the corner. The conversion failed but Merthyr had a useful lead at 23-19. The away side were not done and injury time saw a series of Pontypool scrums close to the Merthyr line but, to the immense relief of the home fans, Merthyr just about managed to hold out for a victory.

This was a great game of rugby and a fine advertisement for the Championship. It was a game that Pontypool could and, some would argue should, have won. A few wrong options, a few handling errors and an occasional lack of discipline made the difference between winning and losing.  Merthyr are a decent workman-like side and losing narrowly to them away from home is certainly not a disgrace. It would have been nice to win though!

After the tension of the match, I had to take myself to the pub for a drink so didn’t really see much of the European rugby.  I just happened to catch the end of the Leinster v Harlequins game which looked a pretty boisterous affair. European rugby is certainly not a beautiful thing to watch and it is all about attrition rather than artistry. It really does need a massive squad of top players to succeed and that means money. Even with the recent changes to regional rugby in Wales, it is difficult to see how the regions will ever be able to compete with the likes of Toulon and Northampton.

Still all I have to worry about is the trip to Blackwood next week! Come on Pooler.

    

Season’s Greetings

I suppose you might say we are lucky in Pontypool as we get to have two rugby seasons every year these days. Through the wisdom of those who run Welsh rugby, in the Championship we now have a short Autumn season followed by a five week break and then a long Winter/Spring Season followed by the Summer break. I am no accountant but I am sure this makes managing cash flow quite difficult.

So we duly turned up at Pontypool to see the first game of the new season which happened to be against our old rivals from Newbridge, In the Autumn season Pontypool, in case you can’t remember, had done pretty well and won 6 of their 9 matches and had built up a good head of steam. Newbridge, however, had not won a match and were languishing at the bottom of the league. The break probably came at the wrong time for Pooler and the right time for Newbridge who had a chance to lick their wounds and regroup.

Pontypool started well enough and looked pretty dominant playing down the slope. After an exchange of penalties they scored two unconverted tries from Quick and Gullis and were good value for a 13-3 lead. The tries demonstrated that the home backs had lost none of their edge during the break and with decent possession they looked capable of running riot.

Newbridge had other ideas and their workmanlike pack started to get the upper hand and the possession and territory statistics swung quite dramatically their way. Pontypool were starved of the ball and had difficulty containing the visitors’ driving lineout. It was no more than Newbridge deserved when after a period of prolonged pressure during which Quick was yellow carded for Pontypool that they scored a converted try followed by a penalty to tie the score up at 13-13. Gullis kicked another penalty for Pooler t just before half time to give the home side a narrow 16-13 lead at the interval. This was certainly not going to be a comfortable second half for Pontypool.

Rather like in the first half Pontypool started well. Gullis kicked another penalty and then, following a turnover in their 22, the Pontypool backs engineered  an excellent long range try for Haile which opened up 13 point lead at 26-13. This should surely be enough to see them home - or so we thought.

Newbridge were far from done however and came storming back. Pooler began to wilt under concerted pressure from the Newbridge pack and started to give away far too many penalties. Two of these were converted into points to close the gap to 26-19 and Newbridge could smell blood. They laid siege on the Pontypool line but the home side just about managed to keep them out. In a rare foray into Newbridge territory, Gullis gave Pooler some breathing space with another penalty goal to increase the lead to 29-19. Back came Newbridge and they were soon camped in the home 22 again. A series of 5 metre scrums led to a yellow card for Pontypool prop Edwards and from the ensuing scrum and Gibbs drove over for a Newbridge try. The successful conversion made the score 29-26 and yet another tense nail-biting finish for the Pontypool faithful. Fortunately there was very little time left and Pontypool held on grimly for a narrow victory.

This was another really tough game for Pontypool and the pattern was quite similar to a number of matches in the Autumn season. The Pontypool backs look more than a match for most sides but somehow we don’t seem to be able to get enough decent possession to put sides away and then we often seem to be hanging on desperately at the end. It does nothing for our nerves that’s for certain.

Next week Pontypool visit Merthyr who are riding high in the league and we will certainly need to step up a level or two if they are to secure a victory. Meanwhile Bargoed are marching on at the top of the league and have opened up a significant gap rather like Ebbw Vale before them.

It’s good to be back.    

Welsh Willpower Wins It

At last Wales can celebrate a victory against one of the top three rugby teams from the Southern Hemisphere. They lowered the South African colours with a hard fought 12-6 victory which yet again left the result in doubt in the nerve-jangling last few minutes. A Welsh defensive lapse left the South Africans with a five metre scrum but this time Wales stood firm and the relief from all was palpable.

This was not a classic match by any means with defences well on top and not a great deal of attacking creativity from either side. Right from the off, Wales signalled their intent with crunching tackles that knocked the burly Boks backwards. They managed to keep the intensity of their defence up right to the last minute this time and despite the nerves clung on for a well deserved victory. Wales deserved to win because they took advantage of the goal kicking opportunities from the penalties that will always occur in a titanic defensive struggle such as this.

The South Africans for their part seemed to be unsettled by the ferocity of the Welsh tackling and made a lot of uncharacteristic errors. It seemed that the Welsh were more desperate to win despite the pre-match talk from the South Africans that this was their most important match of the year.

This was Wales winning ugly and we can perhaps overlook their inability to turn great field position into a try or two on this occasion. It is something that needs to be addressed for the future as opposition defences seem to have got our current attacking approach taped in more ways than one.

Reflection on the Autumn Series can be more positive with a decent win under your belt. There are quite a few positives:

Samson Lee and Scott Baldwin have come of age in the front row.

We have a decent depth in the second row.

Warburton managed to complete the Series without injury. Lydiate worked his way back to fitness. We still look a bit thin at No8 and it is fortunate that Faletau is durable as he has had a heavy workload.

Rhys Webb has settled into the scrum half role but there are others snapping at his heels.

Dan Biggar must surely start at outside half. It will be interesting to watch the progress of Anscombe at the Blues.

Jamie Roberts still has plenty of life left in him. Davies and Williams are working their way back to match fitness after injury. George North did well in his brief appearance at centre.

On the wings, North and Cuthbert will score tries if given space. Unfortunately this didn’t happen often enough.

At fullback Halfpenny is solid and brave but his lack of stature means he is likely to get injured. Fortunately Liam Williams is available as a more than able deputy.

Defensively, apart from the nightmare ten minutes against the All Blacks and a couple of lapses against Australia, we have looked solid.

The Six Nations promises to be pretty competitive tournament this year with all the sides taking some positives from the recent matches. The Irish have the most to be positive about and look to have few weaknesses and so, along with England, must start as favourites. The Scots could be dark horses and will be difficult to beat especially at Murrayfield. The French could be brilliant but on the other hand….. Wales have England and Ireland at home and the results of these fixtures could well determine the overall winners. Then there is Italy who can upset the best teams in Rome. I can’t wait!

I also can’t wait for next Saturday when Pontypool return to Championship action with a home match against their old rivals Newbridge. It’s been so long I’m not sure whether I can remember the way to the Park. 

All Blacks Make The Game Disappear Before Your Very Eyes

One moment Wales were in this match against New Zealand and in a trice it had vanished without trace. As the home side started to feel the effects of a punishing match, the All Blacks pounced and scored 19 unanswered points in 10 minutes. It was hard luck on Wales who had given everything they had but this is why the All Blacks are the best team in the world. They have done something similar against Australia, England and Scotland in their last few matches so it is certainly no fluke.

What could Wales have done better? Rather like in the game against Australia they led by a point with around 10 minutes left and had done remarkably well to claw their way back after conceding two tries. Looking down on the match from the stand you could see that a number of the Welsh players were virtually out on their feet and I thought that Gatland could have brought on the forward replacements a bit earlier. An area of some concern was the lineout where New Zealand applied serious pressure and forced turnovers that we could ill afford. In most areas, however, we were very competitive and the intensity of our defence was ferocious at times. The Barrett try that proved the game breaker came from a lovely kick ahead and although Halfpenny was well positioned the bounce of the ball favoured Barrett. These things happen!

Am I downhearted? A little yes, but I predicted a score line of 6-33 so I guess in the end the final score of 16-34  is pretty much what I expected and a similar story to most of the recent games against NZ. We give them a hell of a game for an hour or so but, in the end, the All Blacks get it done.

Ireland seem to have found a way of beating the top Southern Hemisphere sides with a victory against Australia to complement the win against South Africa. I fancy they would give the All Blacks a run for their money in their current vein of form

It’s the Springboks for us next week. Let’s hope that we have got enough fit players to have a good go at them. This schedule of matches is challenging to say the least.

Pontypool’s schedule of matches is certainly not challenging at the moment. It has been three weeks since the last league match so only two left before we can watch some proper rugby.  Absolutely ludicrous!

Woeful Wales Lose Their Way

This is the one home game of the season that I decided to watch from the comfort of my couch and I was mightily glad that I did. This was a wretched Welsh performance against the big and athletic Fijians. True Wales won but we made really heavy weather out of what should have been a far more comfortable victory. This was meant to be an opportunity for Wales to put down a strong marker for next year’s RWC but they certainly failed to do that.

All the talk before the game was of control, structure and not turning over possession as the way to beat the Fijians. It started so well with Wales doing exactly that and scoring two good tries from North and Cuthbert but then it all started to go wrong. The Fijians started to put in some big hits and Wales started to lose their grip on the ball. This gave the South Sea Islanders all the opportunity they needed to power down the field. Fiji should have scored at least one try but had to be content with two penalties. Wales for their part continued to huff and puff and managed to force a penalty try when Fiji transgressed at a driving maul close to their line. Wales were leading 17-6 with Fiji down to 14 men at the end of the first half. We should coast home from here, I thought.

Nothing could be further from the truth however, as even though Wales had a clear advantage in terms of possession and territory, they could not convert it into points as they made error after error.  Fiji played most of the half with 14 men following a second yellow card for their loose head prop Ma’afu which made the home side’s inability to score even more frustrating. In Wales’ defence they did actually cross the line twice only for what looked like good tries to be disallowed by the TMO. Worse was to come when the giant Fijian centre Nadolo intercepted a pass from Priestland and galloped away to score from his own 22 yard line. Wales were definitely hanging on grimly for the last few minutes with the final result a narrow 17-13 victory.

I am sure the game will be analysed to death today but I found the Welsh lack of control of the game quite alarming. Yes we had made 8 changes but we certainly should not have become something of a shambles as the game progressed. Gatland seems reluctant to use his bench and you wonder why he did not make changes at half back. With the honourable exception of Liam Williams, I don’t think anyone of the Welsh players can be happy with their performance. If Wales play like that next week against the All Blacks I am sure that I would have to turn to strong drink before half time.

Next week’s team to face the New Zealand will clearly be affected by the casualty list but surely Liam Williams must play and we need another goal kicker (Halfpenny) to play. One thing is for sure Wales will face a mighty challenge and they will need to play with as much conviction and fire as the Scots showed against the same opponents.

I watched some parts of all the other games played on Saturday and I have to say the Welsh game was the least exciting even though all four games were close affairs. The South Africans bounced back with a deserved victory over what Lancaster keeps calling his inexperienced England team. Perhaps the game of the day, though, was the France v Australia game and you would not want to write either of those sides for the RWC next year if they play like that.

On the Pontypool front, congratulations to Ben Parry on playing for the Barbarians and great to see that Steve Jones was awarded his Welsh cap albeit posthumously.

Two weeks down and only another three weeks before Pontypool’s next league match.  

Trying Times Indeed

It reminds me of one of those old westerns where despite any number of twists and turns along the way the man in the white hat (or in this case the gold shirt) always wins through in the end. In this episode Wales, despite scoring four tries and being in the lead with ten minutes to go, still contrived to lose to those pesky Aussies. You might think that just once the guys in the black hats (or in this case the red shirts) might just have their day but it just isn’t in the script.

The latest in the series of tests between Wales and Australia was, of course, a breathless and exciting encounter as virtually all of the others have been. For the Aussies and the neutrals it is great entertainment, for the Welsh it is heartbreak as we shake our heads in disbelief. So close and yet so far.

So why did Australia win? They were well organised and never panicked, they looked after the ball and managed the game well in possession and they capitalised on the Welsh mistakes.

So why did Wales lose? Despite scoring four tries, they lost possession too often with too many loose passes and infringements at the breakdown.

Australia have played together a lot recently and it showed. The change of management, if anything, has brought them closer together and at times they were pretty impressive. They certainly have a lot of strong ball carriers that the Welsh struggled to cope with at times. Wales, on the other hand, looked disjointed  and really didn’t need their first match of the season to be against one of the Southern Hemisphere big hitters. There were some good individual performances and they will surely improve as the Autumn Series progresses as long as they don’t lose too many players through injuries. They will certainly need to with the All Blacks and the Springboks just around the corner.

Pride of place for the six nations this weekend must go to Ireland for their convincing win over South Africa. England apparently ran the All Blacks close and there were wins for Scotland, France and Italy against Argentina, Fiji and Samoa respectively. It’s a lot of rugby for one day - still it’s keeping a small army of ex-players busy.

Hard luck Wales, the loss certainly wasn’t due to lack of effort.

The good news is that it’s now only four weeks before Pooler’s next league match!

Refusing to bend in the wind

The windswept wide open spaces of the Newbridge Fields were the venue for Pontypool’s latest league match. Bridgend Athletic were the hosts and the last few encounters between the two sides have all been pretty close. It was yet another challenge to Pontypool’s credentials as a top three side in the Championship. A stiff wind was blowing down the pitch and it was clear that it was going to have a profound effect on the game.

Pooler chose to play with the wind in the first half and the well-drilled home pack soon demonstrated how to counter the elements with a long spell of possession rugby. Pooler had a lot of defending to do but gradually worked their way back into the game. A hard fought first quarter yielded only a penalty goal apiece.

Pooler finally got some good clean possession and the backs showed what a potent force they can be with two well worked tries from Haile and Brooks in opposite corners. Both tries went unconverted but Pooler had opened up a 3-13 lead which seemed to be the very least they needed to counteract playing against the wind in the second half. When Pontypool failed to field the restart after the second try, it gave the home side just the opportunity they needed for their forwards to work their way up the field. The away side conceded a penalty at a ruck and Bridgend kicked to the corner. From the lineout, the forwards drove over for a try and the successful conversion closed the gap to 10-13. This was the score at half time and the narrow Pontypool lead looked rather inadequate.

Pontypool started the second half strongly with some good forward play and were rewarded with a penalty that Haile converted against the strong wind. This gave a bit of breathing space for Pooler who then had to face a prolonged period of pressure. The Athletic forwards hammered away at their goal line incessantly and it seemed that they must score. Pooler’s defence was magnificent and stood firm with the referee eventually awarding them a pressure relieving penalty. Back came the home side and they narrowed the gap to 13-16 with a penalty and continued to press. To the frustration of the home fans, they seemed reticent to use their backs and spurned a number of clear overlaps.

The Pontypool cause was helped with the sin binning of the home hooker at a ruck although Athletic still managed to keep the pressure on but missed a kickable penalty. A promising break by the home backs ended with a high tackle by Thorley and the subsequent retaliation by his opposite number Hathaway led to a yellow card and red card respectively.

Pontypool finally managed to break the home side’s stranglehold on the game with some good running by Hurley. They worked their way up the field and won a line out close to the Athletic goal line. The home side lost yet another player to a yellow card when their second row took Thomas out in the air. Shortly after this the referee blew his whistle for full time with the final score 13-16

This was yet another tough game for Pontypool and one  where the result could easily have gone the other way. That it didn’t was down to the strong defensive effort in the second half. The team has come a long way from that disastrous start to the season at Bargoed and should be proud of themselves.

We now go into that ridiculous 5 week break before the next league match. Still it gives the injured players some much needed recovery time and hopefully Pooler will come back with all guns blazing against Newbridge who seem to be having a dreadful season.

My mind now turns to the autumn internationals - starting next week with Australia. No matter that there is turmoil in the Aussie camp, I still fully expect them to find some new way of beating us in the last minute. It will be interesting to see if Gatland picks Mike Phillips and Dan Lydiate who hasn’t played much rugby in France for the game. Let’s hope we can get the best out of George North.

In the absence of club rugby, come on Wales!

Pontypool Steel It

A dank October afternoon and the memory of the previous week’s agonising defeat at Swansea did nothing to instil a feeling of optimism for the Pontypool faithful as we took our places on the Bank for our weekly fix. The visitors were Tata Steel who were a place above us in the league and were enjoying a winning streak and would surely prove a tough nut to crack. The match exceeded all expectations, however, and turned out to be a real roller coaster ride with the final outcome in doubt until the final whistle.

Pontypool played down the slope in the first half and immediately went on the offensive. The backs looked dangerous and a simple passing move put Norton over in the corner to open up a 5-0 lead. If the Pontypool backs looked the more potent, the Tata Steel forwards seemed to have the edge and were particularly effective at the breakdown where their greater bulk was difficult for the home side to handle. The away forwards worked their way into the Pontypool 22 and were rewarded with a penalty goal. Pooler countered with a splendid try by Norton after a brilliant break by Brooks from broken play. A successful conversion made the score 12-3.

Back came the Tata forwards who hammered away against a stubborn goal line defence from Pooler. Something had to give and it was Pooler with Edbrook scoring near the posts to close the gap once more to 2 points at 12-10.

Shortly before half time the visitors were reduced to 14 men following a yellow card for one of their props. Pooler gratefully seized the opportunity with Hailes crossing for a try virtually unopposed as a huge gap in the Tata defence opened up in front of him. This left the score at 19-10 with Pontypool having all the momentum. Unfortunately they failed to capitalise on some excellent field position and couldn’t open up what could have been a winning lead before the half time whistle blew.

Tata Steel had clearly had a good mentoring during the half time break and came out bristling with aggression and for the next 15 minutes or so they simple blew Pontypool away. The home side looked shell-shocked as the visitors racked up three tries in quick succession leaving the score at 19-29.

It looked all up for Pooler but the introduction of three fresh forwards from the bench gave impetus to the pack and they started to win some good possession for the backs. A successful penalty and a good try by Hurley, who picked a lovely running line, to score near the posts were the reward and the score was tied up at 29-29. It was anyone’s game with ten minutes or so remaining.

The ball squirted out of the side of a maul on the Tata 10 metre line and the away side reacted quicker and broke down the touch line. Evans, their left wing, kicked ahead and won the chase to score a try in the corner. Crucially the conversion went wide but still Tata now led 29-34 with little time remaining.

Pooler showed their resolve and worked their way up deep into the Tata 22. An offence at a ruck left Tata reduced to 14 men when a yellow card was shown to their hooker. This was Pooler’s chance for glory and they took full advantage with Norton crossing for his third try and importantly managing to run around under the posts to make the vital conversion as easy as possible. Hancock obliged and Pontypool were leading 36-34 with very little time remaining. There was still enough time for one last desperate foray from Tata that frayed the nerves but it came to nothing, Pontypool had come out victors in an exhilarating game.

This match showed that Pontypool are still a force to be reckoned with and have three-quarters that are a potent threat if they are given quick ball. The forwards have plenty of spirit but due to an unfortunate spate of injuries we miss the ball carriers to give that go-forward that we need. This match was yet another great advertisement for the Championship and Tata can consider themselves a little unlucky to be the losing side but then Pooler had that feeling the previous week.

I managed to squeeze in a few moments of TV watching and was impressed by the Scarlets victory over Leicester. The Ospreys were simply overpowered with George putting the North in Northampton. Toulon look like they will be mighty difficult to knock off their pedestal and must be clear favourites.

By all accounts the Dragons let a win slip through their fingers against Newcastle in the Challenge Cup and so the gloss has been rather taken off their win in France last week.

The Welsh squad contained few surprises but if this is to be the end for Adam Jones I would like to salute his contribution to the Welsh team and the three Grand Slam teams he was part of. As for James Hook, I continue to wonder how we can have a player of his undoubted talent not fully involved.

As I reported last week, my boycott of the World Cup over ticket prices didn’t really have the desired effect at all. I actually know someone who is excited to have got tickets for Tonga v Namibia in Exeter for only £60. Is it just me?

Well it’s been a stressful few weeks for Pontypool fans. Let’s hope we can secure a victory down in Bridgend next week before the ridiculous break for the autumn internationals. But don’t get me started on that….

So near and yet so far

Pontypool RFC visited Swansea RFC for a Championship match that kicked off at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. This rather unusual kick off time was to accommodate S4C who wanted to televise the match live. It did seem a strange choice with Stoke City playing Swansea City and Toulon playing the Scarlets live on TV at the same time.

The weather at St Helens was unsettled to say the least with a strong breeze off the sea and heavy rain at times. Pooler needed to put the traumatic loss to Cardiff Met the previous weekend behind them and put up a strong showing against one of the favourites for promotion.

Swansea enjoyed the benefit of the wind in the first half but it was Pooler who started the stronger with some impressive driving play. This eventually led to the opening score of the match when Thorley scored after some powerful work by the pack. The conversion attempt by Hancock failed but vividly demonstrated the strength of the wind. Swansea were stung into action and the game was fiercely contested with the away side giving as good as they got. A Pontypool lineout close to the halfway line went astray and Swansea seized the loose ball. Some excellent combined play from the turnover saw hooker Guest score and with successful conversion the home side led 7-5. A successful penalty by Thomas opened up the lead to 10-5. Pooler failed to capitalise on a yellow card for Swansea’s lock Scanlon just before halftime but were still well in contention. A 5 point deficit with the wind favouring them in the second half was certainly not too much to overcome.

Pontypool pressed hard in the second half and were eventually rewarded with a successful penalty from Hancock that closed the gap to 10-8 and Pontypool looked the stronger team. The Pontypool forwards were rampaging and with Swansea again down to 14 men following a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on looked bound to score. They actually got over the Swansea line but Parry lost the ball in the act of scoring. The away side unfortunately lost the influential Sparks to an ankle injury but they still kept up their momentum. Pooler were presented with a try when the Swansea full back slipped in the act of making a clearance kick from behind his own try line. The ball fell kindly for the away side with Haile scoring wide out. The conversion attempt missed narrowly but Pooler now deservedly held the lead at 10-13. Pooler seemed the more likely side to win when Swansea received yet another yellow card following a brilliant driving maul from the away side that must have travelled at least 30m down field.

Swansea had other ideas and came storming back and Pontypool wing Laing was driven back by their forwards after making a good catch from a high kick. A penalty resulted from the ensuing ruck and Swansea kicked the ball deep into the Pontypool 22. Pooler held the initial Swansea thrusts but then lost Edwards to a yellow card for an offence at a ruck. This was just the opportunity the Whites needed and Fox forced his way over for a try and with the successful conversion led 17-13.

Pontypool were not content with a losing bonus point and tried to run out of their 22 but an ambitious looped pass from Hancock was intercepted by the Swansea wing Thomas who raced over to score. The conversion was unsuccessful which left the final score at 22-13 which was rather flattering for the home side.

Of course Pontypool have every reason to be disappointed by losing a game that arguably they deserved to win. For long stretches of the match they were the dominant force but somehow they didn’t manage to close it out. Swansea are a good team and showed their strength of character in coming back so strongly at the end. This was an excellent advertisement for the Championship and Pontypool shouldn’t be too downhearted as I am sure that they will play worse than this and win.

I have watched a good deal of rugby from the couch this weekend with the opening round of the new European competitions the focus. The Welsh regions acquitted themselves pretty well with only the Scarlets losing and that away at Champions Cup favourites Toulon. It was particularly pleasing to see the Dragons record an excellent victory in Stade Francais. The other notable victory was the thumping that Glasgow gave Bath. In fact the Pro 12 clubs did not suffer badly in comparison to the moneybags of France and England but of course, as the injury lists mount, the overall squad strength will be the telling factor.

The scrum remains an issue in professional rugby with an inordinate amount of time lost for collapsing and resetting. The trouble is that games are often won and lost by the referee’s interpretation of what is happening in the scrum. I, for one, hate to see all the backs running over to a scrum for a back-slapping session when their team wins a penalty.

Well done Pooler for running Swansea so close - now let’s get back on the winning trail against Tata Steel next week.

The late, late show

Pontypool travelled to Glynneath on sunny but breezy October’s day. Last week they had shown their best form of the season with a convincing win over Narberth so we were hoping for more of the same. An entertaining encounter was overshadowed by a delay of an hour or so towards the end of the game waiting for an ambulance to tend to a suspected neck injury to Pooler wing Rhodri Usher. I was delighted to hear that Rhodri was discharged from hospital later that evening.

As seems to be the pattern in most of the games this season, the opening exchanges were scrappy as the two sides assessed each other. It was clear right from the start that Glynneath were going to be lively and committed opponents and had every intention of sending Pooler home with their tails between their legs. Even Max Boyce on the touchline harboured no fear of the erstwhile Viet Gwent.

There was an exchange of penalties before the home side struck the first meaningful blow. Pontypool were reduced to 14 men after the sin-binning of Edwards and Glynneath scored from a lineout drive close to the Pooler line. The successful conversion gave them a 10-3 lead that they were good value for. The home side’s numerical advantage was lost when Pike, one of their centres, was given a yellow card for punching. Pontypool capitalised on this with some excellent passing that led to Hurley scoring a try that was converted by Hancock. Shortly afterwards Quick scored a fine individual try following a chip ahead and the successful conversion gave Pooler a rather flattering 10-17 lead at the interval.

Glynneath exerted tremendous pressure in the second half and certainly looked the more likely to score. The Pooler defence held firm and restricted the home side to just one penalty but it was tense stuff as the game went into the last quarter with the score at 13-17.

Pontypool had looked quite dangerous when they ran the ball from their own half following Glynneath turnovers. It was from such a situation that Pooler scored the game clinching score following good work by Blackmore and Haile. Usher was also involved and he was injured giving the scoring pass to Haile who scored in the corner. Usher was clearly badly hurt and the game was suspended for about an hour waiting for the ambulance with Pooler ahead 13-23.

The game eventually restarted and Pontypool seized the opportunity for a bonus point with a try from Guy converted by Hancock to give a final score of 13-29. The score line does not really reflect the effort and skill of a Glynneath side that pushed Pontypool all the way.

Rather like the win at Tondu, this was hard work for Pontypool but a combination of dogged defence and opportunism got them through in the end. It leaves them third in the table behind the pacesetters Bargoed and Swansea with all to play for.

On Friday evening I started to watch the Zebre v Ospreys game but soon turned over to watch the Bath v Saracens match. There was a quite astonishing contrast between the two matches. The match at Bath was a pulsating affair played with pace and power in front of a sell-out crowd whilst the match in Italy seemed low key in comparison with a pretty sparse attendance. It was good to see Paul James playing well for Bath and even Gavin Henson looking sharp and solid at fullback.

My boycotting of the Rugby World Cup due to the extortionate ticket prices does not seem to have had much effect. By all accounts most matches are oversubscribed but at least they haven’t got my money!

Next match for the Pooler is against the students of Cardiff Met. It is sure to be an entertaining spectacle as both sides like to run the ball. Come on Pooler!

Soaking up a Ton of pressure

Pontypool travelled to the wide open spaces of Pandy Park to take on Tondu in the Welsh Championship. The conditions were perfect in contrast to the gale force wind encountered in the corresponding fixture last season, Then Pooler were well beaten as they failed to master the conditions. We hoped that they could turn the tables this time.

The first quarter was very scrappy although the away side were on top in terms of territory. The pacy Pooler backs looked like they had the beating of their counterparts but too much possession was kicked away. The scrum came under pressure from a beefy home front row that put the ton in Tondu but the lineout was a reliable source of possession. At the breakdown, Tondu competed hard but not always to the satisfaction of the referee. Pontypool missed two relatively easy penalty attempts at goal from such transgressions before the referee lost his patience and sent one of the Tondu props to the sin bin.

The away side seized the initiative and Hancock broke the deadlock with a well-taken drop goal. Soon after Tondu turned the ball over in the Pontypool 22 and Quick saw that a counter attack was on. He broke to halfway before Norton showed his power and pace to beat the Tondu defence. The successful conversion opened up a 0-10 lead.  The home side lost focus and failed to deal with the kick off which ultimately led to a Tondu penalty to close the gap to 3-10. Pontypool hit back and Parry scored from a driving lineout. The score at half time was 3-17 with the away side good value for their lead.

The second half started well for Pooler and a searing break by Thorley was finished off by Brooks who scored in the corner. At 3-22 the lead looked comfortable and one more try would give the away side a bonus point.

Tondu had other ideas, however, and fought back ferociously showing plenty of pride and passion. They hammered away at the Pooler line and something had to give. The first thing that was given was a yellow card to Nash after Pooler had given away too many penalties. This made Tondu step up the pressure even more and they scored their first try soon after. The momentum had most definitely swung their way and they scored again and with a conversion from wide out had closed the gap to 17-22. This was getting too close for comfort!

The last part of the match was nail-biting stuff for the team and supporters alike as Tondu threw the kitchen sink at Pooler. Despite a few nervous moments, the defence, with Nash prominent, managed to hold firm. The final whistle was music to our ears.

Make no mistake this was a stern test for Pontypool and they just about managed to pass. It’s hard-earned victories like this that brings a team together. There is still work to do but this is another step forward.

In regional rugby, the season has not started at all well for the Dragons and the Blues. I should think that they are both heartily fed up of things Scottish with both suffering at the hands of Glasgow. The British and Irish Lions’ management, however, must be relieved that Scotland voted no as the name of the team looked for a moment to be likely to grow and grow.

The other good news for Pontypool fans was the granting of the A Licence for the club by the WRU. His means we are eligible for promotion. Now all we have to do is earn it on the field. Come on Pooler!  

The green, green grass of home

Pontypool had returned home with their tails between their legs after a hiding at Bargoed last week. We all hoped for a much improved performance in their first home league match against Llanharan. One thing for certain was the grass was greener in Pontypool Park than at Bargoed. The pitch was covered in a luxuriant growth that was so long that you couldn’t see the touch line from the Bank. In golfing parlance it looked more like the rough than the fairway.

The initial quarter of the game was played in fits and starts with neither side being able to find any fluency. If anything Llanharan had the better of the opening exchanges but failed to capitalise on having the edge in field position and possession. Both sides had lost their opening league fixture and seemed to be lacking in confidence and the error count was high.

Rather against the run of play Pooler sprang into life and scored the opening try with forwards and backs combining well for Thorley to score. The conversion was successful and it was quickly followed by a Hancock penalty to open up a 10-0 lead. The home side grew in confidence and a further tries looked likely as the backs started to show their pace. Unfortunately all the momentum was lost by what looked to be a serious knee injury to Dykhoff and a lengthy delay while he was stretchered off the field. We wish him well and hope that the injury is not as bad as it looked.

Llanharan seized the initiative and took advantage of some pretty ineffective tackling to score an unconverted try. An exchange of penalty goals left the half time score at 13-8. Pontypool would be playing down the slope in the second half and, if they could recapture their momentum, they seemed to be favourites to take the spoils.

Pontypool started the second half with much more energy and had clearly decided to try and increase the pace of the game. This quickly reaped its rewards with two converted tries by Thorley and Thomas which opened up a 27-8 lead which looked to be unassailable.  In truth, the home side should have scored more tries in this period but for a few passes that went astray or were slightly forward.

To their credit Llanharan went on the attack and were camped in the Pontypool 22 for a lengthy period. They seemed to lack a cutting edge and turned the ball over on a number of occasions when close to the Pontypool try line. The home side tried to capitalise on the turn-overs by running the ball but, to the frustration of the crowd, were repeatedly penalised for holding on to the ball or being off their feet at the break down whenever they were starting to make progress. All the Llanharan pressure eventually told and they scored an unconverted try to make the score 27- 13.

Pontypool went in search of their fourth try and in the dying moments Brooks crossed in the corner after an excellent passage of play. Hancock’s conversion hit the post but didn’t go over leaving the final score 32-13 with Pontypool collecting a bonus point.

This was a much better performance from Pontypool and demonstrated that with enough possession and quick ball from the breakdown that they can be a force to be reckoned with. Yes of course there were plenty of those early season errors and lots of things to work on but this was encouraging. The halfbacks Quick and Hancock controlled the game well and the combative Nash added much needed go forward to the pack. There are of course tougher challenges ahead and that starts with the visit to Tondu next week.

I watched the Dragons v the Ospreys on the TV on Friday evening. What could have been a good game was marred by the untidiness of the scrums. Even Nigel Owens couldn’t seem to make them work despite brandishing his yellow card. The Ospreys were the better side but the Dragons could have pipped them if a late dropped goal attempt hadn’t of sailed wide. The most positive thing to come out of the game was Eli Walker looking fit and sharp again. Now this is the kind of player that should be given a WRU central contract.

Talking of money, I was aghast to see the prices of the tickets for the next Rugby World Cup. More than £200 to watch a group match - “they’re ‘aving a larff” as they say in London. The tickets are obviously not aimed at the grass roots rugby fan. I love the way they advertise the ticket as “from £15” and then suggest that the best way to get a ticket is apply for a cheap ticket but say that you will take a more expensive one if the cheaper one is not available. I bet there are not many £15 tickets available!

Next week I’ll be paying my fiver to watch Pooler play at Tondu. If we win it will be money well spent.  

  

Chair today gone tomorrow

So David Pickering has been ousted as Chairman of the WRU. I guess he’s paid the penalty for the mishandling of the acrimonious and lengthy row between the WRU and the Regions. He has certainly not been a friend to Pontypool during his tenure and it is hoped that his successor thinks a little more about grass roots rugby than Messrs Pickering and Lewis have.

On the plus side, Pickering was in position for the best part of a decade during which the Welsh National team have been the strongest in the Northern Hemisphere. The tight knit and well drilled squad with the combination of a strong and reliable forwards and try scoring backs won three grand slams during his tenure. The Northern hemisphere giants England and France seemed to become obsessed with the Heineken Cup and their clubs built strong squads bristling with recruits from all over the world, This was to the detriment of their national teams and Wales took full advantage.

Even though the Welsh ruled the roost in Europe they were singularly unsuccessful against the big three Southern Hemisphere teams although they pushed Australia and South Africa to the limit a number of times.

The Welsh team were arguably at its best during the 2011 World Cup. The draw for quarter and semi finals opened up for them but alas the infamous Warburton red card in the semi final against France ultimately did for them. You genuinely thought that with the momentum that Wales had built up we could have taken an edgy New Zealand team in the final

On the flipside, Welsh regional rugby seriously underperformed as the Welsh benefactors’ pockets were not deep enough to compete for the kind of imports needed to be competitive on the European stage. The French and English clubs fought for higher and higher profile players and started to target the Welsh stars. This has led to an exodus of a stream of our best players and left the regions even less competitive.

The money that the WRU used to pay off the debt on the Millennium Stadium plus the money for regional rugby meant that there was precious little left for the clubs in Wales and there is no doubt that grass roots rugby in Wales has suffered. Now, even more money will be spent on the top players with the introduction of central contracts. This means even less available in the lower echelons of the game.

They say that success breeds success but unfortunately this does not seem to be true in Wales where, despite a strong and competitive national team, the rest of the pyramid continues to struggle. You can’t help feeling that, somewhere along the line, that the game in Wales has missed a golden opportunity. Let us hope that, with fresh blood on the board, we can forget the acrimony of the past and build something for the future. More of the same clearly won’t do.  

Shocked and Awed

Pontypool travelled to Bargoed for the first league match of the season hoping for a strong start to the season. Bargoed is not the place to visit if you are not in the right frame of mind and on the top of your form. This was going to be a real test of the strength of the squad and the impact of the new coaching team.

Pontypool started well enough and managed to put together some impressive phase play although it seemed to lack a cutting edge. This all changed when the dark clouds above finally delivered the heavy rainfall that they had been threatening. Pooler’s early brightness faded like the sunlight and the Bargoed pack seized control and was dominant at the scrum and particularly at the breakdown. Pontypool seemed shocked to come up against a team who wanted to win more than them and knew exactly how to exploit their weaknesses. Pontypool started to give away penalties at the breakdown and ultimately lost their hooker Prosser for ten minutes when he was shown a yellow card. Bargoed kicked 3 penalties to open up a 9 point lead and the away team and their supporters seemed pretty subdued. In a rare incursion into the Bargoed half, Pooler were award a penalty and Hancock obliged to leave the score at half time 9-3. Pontypool were still in the match but certainly needed to up their game in the second half if they were to put up a realistic challenge.

What Pontypool most needed was a good start to the second half and they quickly established a position deep in the Bargoed 22. Then disaster, a long looped pass was intercepted by the Bargoed full back who ran the best part of 80 yards to score under the posts and increase the home side’s lead to 16-3. Worse was to follow when Pooler lock Ryan Thomas was shown a red card for punching. This type of ill discipline is totally unacceptable and basically killed off the game.

The Bargoed pack needed no second invitation and proceeded to dismantle a dispirited away pack. Pontypool had no answers as Bargoed piled on the points with their number 8, Coombes, helping himself to a hat trick of tries. In desperation, Pontypool tried to run their meagre scraps of possession but came up against a Bargoed defence that was a strong as the security around the Celtic Manor last week.

It was a blessed relief when the final whistle went with the score at 40-3. Pooler trooped off the field with their heads bowed - it had been a truly chastening afternoon.

Losing at Bargoed is no disgrace, they are a strong team and no doubt will be challenging for a top three position in the league. The manner of the defeat is pretty worrying however. Not many players performed to the potential and it was alarming to see their heads drop as the tide turned against them. Quick and Matthew Thomas did do themselves justice and it is a shame that Matthew’s namesake in the second row couldn’t keep his fists to himself. There were a few key players missing from the team which might have made a difference but, all in all, this was a pretty comprehensive defeat.

No doubt there will be a full post mortem in training and I’m sure that the team can bounce back. Llanharan at home next Saturday will be a great opportunity for the squad to demonstrate their resilience.

On Friday evening I started to watch the Ospreys v. Treviso but soon flicked over to Northampton v. Gloucester. The difference in pace and intensity between the two games was startling. I think that Richard Hibbard had the kind of rude awakening that Pontypool had when he found himself packing down against Dylan Hartley and a rampant Saints pack. It was good to see George North looking back at the top of his game and his second try was a gem. The crowds that English rugby draws are amazing and it creates the kind of atmosphere that Welsh club rugby used to have all those years ago. I mustn’t dwell on past glories again I hear you say!

So not the best of starts to the season for Pooler but things can only get better.        

Peace for our time!

There was something vaguely reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain as he returned from Munich in 1938 and proclaimed “Peace for our time” when Roger Lewis proudly announced that the WRU and Welsh Regional Rugby had finally reached an agreement. Mr Chamberlain was proved very wrong not long afterwards so let’s hope that Mr Lewis is more fortunate.

On the face of it, it is great news for Welsh rugby but, why oh why, has it taken so long? The final outcome seems to me exactly what was being proposed a year or more ago. In the mean time, a bevy of our best talent has decamped to France and England. Maybe the delaying tactics were all a cunning plan to let someone else pick up the tab for our most valuable players. We then have just enough money to make up the wages for the next tranche. ‘Gatland’s Law” has suddenly re-emerged after being seemingly forgotten when it suited the WRU but it still seems it may not be implemented in special cases.

I guess it is likely that we can expect the Welsh squad to be made up of three factions: the big wage earners playing in France and England, the players with their pay topped up by the WRU and the rest. Let us hope that this does not prove too divisive. I wonder if the door is open for those players who have gone to play abroad to return and get a WRU contract or have they burned their boats?  I also thought that the WRU funded players would be more evenly spread amongst the regions than the split suggested by the media.

I really hope that this is a lasting peace and we can move forward but this is Welsh rugby remember.

My worry now is that the WRU will turn their attention back to disorganising club rugby yet again.

Pooler warm up Carmarthen Quins

Pontypool Park looked at its best in the evening sun on Friday evening. The grass was green and luxuriant and the trees stood tall and proud under an azure sky. But I wasn’t here to see the vegetation I was here to watch Pontypool take on Carmarthen Quins from the Premiership as part of their warm up for the rapidly approaching season. There was an air of optimism with changes to management and playing staff and some encouraging victories against less vaunted opposition already in the bag. This of course would be the acid test to see if the optimism was justified.

Carmarthen played down the slope in the first half with a breeze at their backs and it was soon pretty apparent that they meant business. Pooler were penned in their own half for virtually all of the first forty minutes. The visitors were on top in pretty well all aspects of the game and it is testimony to the tenacity and organisation of the home defence that they didn’t open the scoring until twenty minutes into the half. The whole Pooler team put their all into a sterling defensive display but in the end their line was inevitably breached. Once Carmarthen had scored their first try it was quite quickly followed by two more as they built up a 0-17 lead and a morale busting heavy defeat looked on the cards. Pooler somehow managed to keep the score at this until half time. It was a half where the home side had little possession and were thus completely impotent as an attacking force.

The second half heralded the inevitable changes to both teams and Pooler looked an entirely different prospect playing down the slope. The scrum managed to gain a degree of dominance and they started to win turnover ball in the loose. Carmarthen always had the edge in pace with some dangerous runners in their backs but Pooler more than matched them in the other aspects of the game. After a long scoreless period which was littered with mistakes by both teams the home side scored a try under the posts after concerted pressure and closed the gap to 7-17. Pooler attacked purposefully and looked more than capable of closing the gap further but a breakaway try by the Quins opened up the gap to 7-22. The home side finished strongly and crossed for their well deserved second try with the last play of the game. The successful conversion left the final score at 14-22 with Pooler “winning” the second half.

This match was hard fought and not a typical warm up game. Carmarthen Quins certainly did not take it easy so Pontypool can be proud of their second half effort and their fitness levels. They were still going strong at the end of an energy sapping match. Yes there is till a lot of work to do to improve the cohesion in attack but the signs for the new season are encouraging.

I don’t want to waste any more time railing about the WRU and the Regions but I was glad to see that Adam Jones has signed for the Blues.  

The Silence is Deafening

It has been five weeks since my last post “Rugby Roulette Welsh Style” where I lamented the lack of progress in sorting out the running sore that is the argument between the Welsh Rugby Union and the Welsh Regions. Has any progress been made I wonder? I am certainly not aware of any movements but then communication is not the WRU’s strong point.

I did hear that two of the better Welsh players; Sam Warburton and Adam Jones are not featuring for the Welsh Regions. This cannot be right. Both have been great servants to Welsh rugby and are now pawns in the stalemate. The season is only a couple of weeks away now and we seem to have got absolutely nowhere. Can all those involved please get off their high horses and sort it out before irreparable damage is done to the game so many of us love.

On a more positive note, Pontypool’s preparations for the new season seem to be going well. It is pleasing to see the excellent level of communication between the club and the fans. WRU take note! The friendly against Carmarthen Quins on Friday will be a good yardstick to judge the team’s readiness to take on all comers in the Championship.

Rugby Roulette Welsh Style

Well here we are in July when we should be having our annual rest from rugby safe in the knowledge that, all over Wales, clubs are finalising their squads and starting to train for the forthcoming season. Oh but it could be that simple. Yet again the regions and the WRU are at each others throats playing something akin to Russian roulette with the game in Wales. There are deadlines that come and go and the chasm between the sides never seems to close no matter how many assurances that we receive from the warring factions. Meanwhile the professional game in Wales is close to entering a death spiral.

Can it really be that difficult? Are people’s egos really more important than Welsh rugby? How can the clubs in Wales have given such an overwhelming vote of confidence to Messrs. Pickering and Lewis when they clearly do not have the ability to settle this long running dispute? There are plenty of questions and not many answers. Perhaps it is just too complex for a simple rugby fan from Pontypool to understand.

To whoever is concerned, please take your fingers off the self destruct button and sort this out for all our sakes. I don’t think the Pooler are quite ready to take on the might Munster and Leinster just yet!

Wales Wails Yet Again

So more heartbreak for Wales against a Southern Hemisphere giant. Wales played very well but still contrived to lose narrowly to the Springboks in the second test in South Africa. It was a far better performance than in the first test with Wales on top and leading for the vast majority of the time. They leaked 14 points in the last ten minutes of each half which pegged back substantial leads and in the end cost them the game.

It’s funny how things change. JPR Williams became a hero for doing precisely the same last ditch bit of defensive work against France to secure the Grand Slam all those years ago as his namesake Liam Williams did yesterday. JPR was feted while Liam Williams will be remembered as the man who gave away the penalty try that lost the match. Wales actually conceded two penalty tries, one in each half and in both cases we would have been better off just letting the Boks score. In the first case we wouldn’t have been down to thirteen men and in the second Steyn might just have missed that conversion from the touchline. Was I alone in thinking that we should have used our replacements far earlier in an energy-sapping and ferocious encounter? Anyway, well done lads it was an excellent effort shame we couldn’t hang on.

I was amazed to learn that we have so much confidence in Messrs Lewis and Pickering. I suppose it depends on what you mean in confidence. I, for one, am quite confident that they will very soon be back to their old autocratic ways and not taking on board other interested parties’ views. Did I hear that the WRU were actually going to consult with the clubs about changes to the league structure as a thank you for sticking with them? Maybe, just maybe they have turned, over a new leaf. We’ll see!

The EGM was held on the 15th of June and it is interesting to note that this was the same date that the Magna Carta was signed in 1215. The aim of the Magna Carta was to limit the powers of King John by law and to protect the citizens’ rights. I was somehow hoping for a Magna Carta moment for Welsh rugby where we clipped the wings of Lewis and Pickering. I guess David Moffett was not the right guy to choose as our white knight. It sounds as if Gerald Davies was the only man who spoke any sense at the meeting although Roger Lewis didn’t seem to think so.

Talking of Carta, I was delighted to hear that Alun Carter will be Pontypool’s new Director of Rugby. Good luck to him and his team for the forthcoming season whatever the league structure. I would also like to thank Mike Hook for his efforts and wish him all the best for his next challenge. 

The ref used to be decisive but now he’s not so sure

I have just returned from a Mediterranean cruise which meant that I missed the last Pontypool game of the season. I was delighted to see that Pooler recorded a convincing victory in pretty poor weather conditions. Share a thought for us poor dabs who were battling a force nine gale in the English Channel/Bay of Biscay. It was really difficult to stop our drinks sloshing everywhere! Anyway the upshot of the win is that Pontypool finished a creditable fourth in the league and created a firm foundation for a tilt at the league title next season.

I only saw flashes of the Welsh trial match but the bits I did see involved the Probables running in tries against pretty limited defence. I still find it hard to believe that we need to go and get ourselves beaten up down in South Africa instead of giving the boys the summer off. Good luck to Jordan Williams and Matthew Morgan - there could be a new Shane in one of them.

The English Premiership final was an entirely different kettle of fish. A full house at Twickenham watched a fiercely contested battle. In the old days we used to have a decent crowd for the Welsh cup final I seem to remember . There wasn’t much attractive rugby to watch at Twickers but for crunching impacts it was quite remarkable. You do wonder where it all ends as it seems to be heading back to the gladiators in Roman times. Let’s hope we don’t get to the stage when someone gets the thumbs down signal when they lose and has to be put out of their misery.

One of the big concerns that I have is the burgeoning role of the fourth official. This means increasing delays in the game and making it more and more like American football. We are all for the correct refereeing decisions being made but there has to be a limit. Perhaps it will have to go the way of tennis and cricket where each team has a limited number of referrals that they can use. The Saracens try that was disallowed was allegedly reviewed due to crowd pressure. This can’t be right. If we had such a system in Pontypool every try by the opposition would have to be reviewed as some eagle-eyed fan will have always spotted something wrong with it. And what about the Pooler tries that were disallowed most of those were tries really!

Good luck to Wales in South Africa. I hope that the WRU committee men don’t get eaten by lions or crocodiles as they still need to sort out the mess in Welsh rugby when they get back - in case they had forgotten.

Carpe Diem

The buzz around a warm and sunny Pontypool Park was that the WRU was about to make a U turn and expand the Premier Division to 14 clubs again. The visitors, RGC 1404 who are currently lying second in the Championship, were to be the main beneficiaries of this generous gesture. Now I have no idea whether this is true but this seemed to add spice to what was already going to be a tasty encounter. Earlier in the season Pontypool had recorded a surprise victory in Colwyn Bay so it was a chance for them to record a notable double over their rivals from North Wales.

RGC started off like an express train with their runners coming hard from deep at Pontypool and offloading skilfully. They seemed to be able to break the first tackle on a number of occasions but the stubborn Pontypool defence always seemed to plug the gap before the killer pass was given. Pooler had limited possession to work with but when their backs got the ball they looked sharp. The forward battle was ferocious with the home side not taking a backward step against a bigger pack. Indeed Pooler seemed to have an edge in the scrum and disrupted RGC possession a few times. A string of refereeing decisions that went against Pooler kept them on the back foot and irked the home crowd somewhat.

Surprisingly it was Pooler that opened the scoring with a well worked try. Adept handling by the backs following a break by Hurley eventually led to Quick scoring wide out. The conversion failed but Pooler had established a toehold in the game. RGC came back at Pontypool with a vengeance but the home defence had got the bit between its teeth and began to force turnovers. The referee eventually got fed up of the unstable scrums and sin binned a prop from each side.

Late in the first half, the home side worked their way deep into RGC territory following a penalty. From the ensuing line out, outside half Hancock put in a cross kick that was well fielded by Hurley who managed to put the supporting Gullis in for a try in the corner. The conversion attempt failed narrowly leaving the half time score at 10-0. A highly satisfactory outcome for Pontypool from an absorbing first half.

The second half started in a similar vein although the RCC attacks seemed to be dropping off in ferocity as they bashed into the brick wall of the home defence. Pooler were gaining a greater share of possession and won a penalty that Gullis duly converted to further increase the lead to 13-0. There followed a puzzling incident when the touch judge seemed to raise his flag for a foot in touch near the halfway line but play carried on regardless with RGC scoring a try under the Pontypool posts. The try stood and with the conversion RGC were well back in contention with the score at 13-7. Gullis widened the lead to two scores at 16-7 with a further penalty that eased the nerves.

The Pontypool backs continued to look lively and an adroit chip from Mills over the heads of the onrushing defence was gathered by Hurley who scampered over in the corner for their third try. The conversion was successful and at 23-7 the game looked beyond RGC. Their frustration was clear to see and the game became fractious. Pooler went in search of the bonus point try but to no avail and the referee finally called a halt with the two sets of forwards squaring up to each other.

This was a thoroughly entertaining game and must surely have been one of Pontypool’s best performances of the season. It was an object lesson in seizing opportunities but was made possible by a robust defensive effort where the whole team put their bodies on the line.

A victory against Llanharan in the last game of the season will see Pontypool finishing near the top of the table. It is still mathematically possible for them to finish second - now that really would be a turn up. That would require Llanharan to beat Cardiff Met, Cardiff Met to beat RGC 1404 and Pontypool to beat Llanharan with a bonus point or something like that. If Cardiff Met win both their games, however, they will finish second. Stranger things have happened. Anyway the WRU had better hang on a week before they make any announcements.

Steel Buckles

We had hoped for some late April sunshine as the Pontypool faithful headed down the M4 for the visit to Tata Steel in Port Talbot but instead we were battered by a cold wind and squally showers. Most of the crowd huddled together in the shelter of the once splendid clubhouse. The outcome of the match was clearly going to be decided by which team adapted to the conditions better as the strong wind was blowing straight down the pitch. The wind was surely going to be worth 20 points to the team playing with it

Pontypool lost the toss and played with the elements in the first half. They looked keen and hungry from the outset and although the home side were strong in the scrum and the maul Pontypool were clearly on top and the strong wind gave them a clear advantage in terms of territory. The three quarters combined well for Thorley to put Lewis in for an early try that was expertly converted by Gullis. This was backed up by a try by Sparks who barged over from short range. The conversion gave Pooler a healthy 0-14 lead but they still needed to build up a bigger cushion to counteract the wind factor.

The away side continues to press but looked to have a blown a scoring chance when they lost the ball close to the Tata line. Tata made a horrible mess of the clearance kick, however, and Quick was on hand to score Pooler’s third try. The conversion failed but at 0-19 Pooler were close to the magical 20 point lead that we wanted. They weren’t finished though and Sparks drove over near their posts for their fourth try and a lead of 0-26. Things were looking good for the away side but a couple of defensive blunders let the Tata scrum half stroll over from a 5 meter scrum right at the end of the half. The conversion failed leaving Pooler with a 21 point lead at half time. The game was far from over.

Tata Steel attacked strongly at the outset of the first half using their big forwards to drive forward but Pooler’s defence held firm. Both sides knew the importance of the first score of the second half. A Tata attack broke down and Pooler were able to escape from their 22. Excellent work from the backs led to Laing scoring wide out. Even though the conversion failed the try was a heavy psychological blow for Tata to take but even with the score at 5-31 you felt that Pooler could not afford to relax. Tata suffered a further blow when a yellow card for one of their flankers reduced them to 14 men. Pooler were clearly in command but then a rash tackle by their prop Edwards led to a red card redressed the balance.

The home side continued to attack through their forwards but the Pontypool defence seemed impregnable. The match became bad tempered as Tata’s frustration boiled over. The two opposing wings Lewis and Skidmore had a bout of fisticuffs and both were yellow carded. They did both return to the field in time for the coup de grace. Lewis expertly gathered a kick ahead to score near the posts and the successful conversion was the last kick of the game. The final score was 5-38 with Pooler scoring six tries.

This was an impressive performance from Pontypool who got the tactics just right in difficult conditions. Keeping Tata scoreless in the second half was a major achievement. Apart from the blip at Tondu, they are finishing the season strongly with several players impressing and the team playing well together. Next Saturday will give us a chance to measure the extent of their improvement when they come up against RGC 1404 who are well clear in second place in the league.

It has been heartbreaking to here the cries of the bottom sides in the Premiership as the reality of relegation stared them in the face. Suggestions of increasing the size of the league have been made and also we have heard them extolling the value of their contribution to Welsh rugby over the years. Do these arguments sound familiar? Where were they in Pontypool’s hour of need? We didn’t even finish in the bottom two of the league and we were relegated!

It seems as if Swansea will be joining us in the Championship next season and we look forward to it. Don’t rule out a last minute reprieve though!  

A Curate’s Easter Egg

There cannot be many more scenic places to watch rugby than Pontypool Park on a sunny Spring day with the trees in full blossom. It really would be a shame to fence it in to satisfy the WRU and to keep out those mindless vandals. You can make up your own mind if they are one and the same! Our Easter fare was a local derby against Newbridge who have been serious rivals over the years. The two encounters so far this season have both been won by the away side so we hoped that that was not an omen.

Newbridge had the better of the opening exchanges and looked the more lively as they attacked down the slope. It wasn’t long before they opened the scoring with a well taken try by their hooker under the posts. They continued to have the upper hand as Pontypool, to the dismay of the crowd, persisted in kicking away the possession that they had. The loss of lock Jones disrupted the home side’s lineout which only added to the frustration. Fortunately for Pooler, Newbridge squandered some good chances to score through inaccurate passing. The home side plugged way and it seemed that every time they managed to cross the halfway line they were awarded a long range penalty opportunity. Gullis converted three of them expertly and the teams went in at half time with Pooler holding an unlikely 9-7 lead.

Pontypool opened the second half with far more purpose. The crowd groaned when they seemed to kick possession away yet again but this time the wind held the ball back and Pooler centre Hales caught the ball and took off to score in the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful but they had opened up a useful 14-7 lead.

It was time for the Gullis show, he followed up a penalty goal with a fine individual try He made a break up the touchline before kicking ahead and gathering the ball as it crossed the line. His successful conversion left the score line 24-7 with Pontypool well in control. There was further blow for Newbridge when they were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card. This was the cue for Pooler to play their best rugby and they scored two more converted tries to secure victory and a bonus point. Both tries were scored by forwards - Williams scoring wide out after some good combined play and prop Brown bursting through from the Newbridge 22 to score under the posts.

With the score at 38-7, Pooler seemed to take their foot off the gas and fall off tackles. The away side took full advantage of this and scored two tries to leave the final score at 38-19. This sloppiness at the end from Pontypool rather took the edge of an excellent second half performance.

Two victories in four days is a great effort from Pontypool and must surely put them in confident mood for the visit to Tata Steel next Saturday.

So to Judgement Day at the Millennium Stadium on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately there was not really going to be much decided on the fateful day. It has been a season steeped in mediocrity for all our regions so only the Ospreys have an outside chance of making the playoffs. Ospreys and Scarlets look set to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the league and so qualify for Son of Heineken.

The first match was more like Grudgement day with a lot of stuff happening off the ball. The Scarlets’ Liam Williams is a curate’s egg of a player. After his brilliance for Wales against Scotland, he revealed his impetuous side and really should have been sent off for his challenge on Cuthbert early in the match. He eventually did get a red card for a second yellow card after a professional foul. In the same ruck Copeland got his marching orders for kicking Williams’ head. The Blues just about deserved to win a close scrappy game and showed a lot more appetite for the challenge than the last time I watched them when they rolled over meekly against the Ospreys.

The second match was more like Nudgement Day with the Ospreys dominant in terms of possession but knocking on the ball on countless occasions. The Dragons tackled bravely and scored the first try but at the death conceded a penalty try from a short-range scrum that decided the game.

The games were absorbing and hard fought even if they were scrappy. A crowd of 30000 was in attendance so the event must be considered a success.

Rumour has it that Bristol will apply to be the fifth Welsh region if they fail to win promotion to the English Premiership.

So a curate’s egg of a weekend but a Pooler victory is always a good thing.