Away the Lads!

I have been away for a while – no not in prison – and have missed the last three Pooler matches. From that perspective it has been something like punishment although I have to admit the weather was a lot better where I was. In my absence Pontypool has racked up three consecutive away victories to keep them in third place in the Championship. The teams around them in the table all seem to be winning through and it promises to continue to be a fiercely competitive league for the crucial top four places that will guarantee promotion.

Yesterday’s 15-19 comeback victory at Glynneath demonstrates the resilience and confidence of the burgeoning Pooler team. Over the last few seasons overcoming a 15-0 deficit in poor conditions would have probably been beyond them. It was a shame I could not visit Glynneath as their ground is Abernant Park and Abernant is the name I give the fictional Welsh town in my books. It might have given me a few ideas.

The narrow 9-10 win at Beddau also sounds like it was a test of character in poor conditions but by all accounts Pooler played some superb rugby at Cardiff Met to blow traditionally tricky opponents away 10-45. So Pooler remain unbeaten away from home this season having won all seven matches so far including a standout win at league leaders Merthyr. This is a great record and long may it continue.

The next two matches are at home with Tata Steel and Narberth the visitors. This will then mark the half way stage of the league in terms of games played although we have yet to play one of our key rivals RCS 1404. If Pontypool can record two victories, it will surely leave them handily placed but nothing can be taken for granted in this league. It is sad to see Llanharan, seemingly following Blackwood’s demise last season, and being cast adrift at the bottom of the table.

I did watch the Ospreys v the Blues on the TV yesterday afternoon and it was a pretty low quality affair with neither side managing to put together much in the way of attack admittedly in torrential rain. Defence certainly ruled the roost with plenty of commitment on view. It was a bit worrying to see Biggar and Warburton leaving the field with injuries with the Six Nations rapidly approaching.

 

I also watched a recording of the BBC Wales programme about drugs in rugby. It was a pretty poorly made programme but it did give an airing to what appears to be an area of some concern. Worryingly it did seem to indicate just how unlikely you were to be caught if you were cheating and that things were not really going to be tightened up by way of testing any time soon. The side effects of putting all sorts of chemicals into your body are surely not desirable and if you do get caught it brings a lengthy ban so it certainly does not seem a sensible course to follow. The desire to get bigger is a little difficult for me to understand as I spend my life trying various diets to try and get smaller.

It’s good to be  back in Wales and I’m looking forward to Pooler’s match against Tata Steel next Saturday.

Come on Pooler!

All Blacks Worthy Winners

So the Rugby World Cup has drawn to a close but not before we were treated to a tremendous final. New Zealand and Australia served a game worthy of the occasion with New Zealand just having too much power and class in the end.

With the All Blacks leading 21-3 early on in the second half, you could have been forgiven for thinking that the result was a foregone conclusion. The Australians, as always, saw things in a different light and, with the opposition reduced to fourteen men by a yellow card, came storming back. Two converted tries saw them close the gap to 21-17 and an unlikely victory seemed eminently possible. Then up stepped the redoubtable Dan Carter with a coolly taken dropped goal and a long range penalty. This left the Aussies with a mountain to climb and in their desperation to score a try they lost the ball. The New Zealanders needed no second invitation and Barrett scored under the posts after an exciting kick and chase.

The final score line of 34-17 was a little harsh on the Australians but the All Blacks were deserved winners. The rest of the world had better take note or they may well be world champions three times running when the RWC takes place in Japan in 2019.

So what makes the All Blacks so good? They are not possessed of super powers although now and then you sometimes wonder. Their players are no bigger and probably no fitter as measured in the gym. They are certainly obsessive about winning and they leave nothing to chance. Rather like the British cycling team they seem to look to improve even the smallest things all the time. Add to that an inherent belief that they cannot lose and a tremendous team ethic and you have a powerful formula. You also get the feeling that all the most talented athletes in New Zealand (and the nearby islands) try rugby first rather than the range of other sports that have primacy in other countries. They have also found a club structure that supports the aims of the national team with everyone working together for a common aim. The haka that is performed before they play seems to sum up their philosophy of unity coupled with aggression perfectly.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the RWC and it has produced some great matches and some moments to treasure. Although I said that the ticket prices were pitched far too high, the grounds have been full and I have even gone to three matches myself (hypocrite). The atmosphere in the stadia was brilliant and the sets of fans mingled amiably. On the downside it was difficult to exit the grounds with transport links not always coping. Just imagine what it would have been like if there had been more chariots on the road!

The best thing about the RWC still remains the Welsh try against England closely followed by the final Japanese try against South Africa. The worst thing has to be that horrible grating version of World in Union by Paloma Faith at the start and end of every commercial break.

So back to normality. Next up for Wales is the Six Nations and for Pooler it’s Beddau away.

Come on Pooler!