The buzz around a warm and sunny Pontypool Park 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.
