Scrum All Ye Faithful

Over the years, the local derbys between Pontypool and near neighbours Newbridge have produced some memorable clashes. On Saturday Pontypool took their unbeaten record to the Welfare Ground with another tough outing anticipated. It was a dull, grey, still afternoon and a good crowd had assembled hoping for some tasty Xmas fare. The pitch looked a bit like a Xmas pudding anyway!

Newbridge made a hash of the kick off and from the ensuing scrum their pack was pushed back yards. It was clear that the Newbridge scrum was going to face a searching examination for the remainder of the match. This was the dominant feature of the first half with the scrum proving an invaluable source of possession and penalties for the away side.

Even though they frequently had excellent field position, Pooler found it difficult to put points on the board. The referee’s whistle regularly punctuated the first half as a series of handling errors and transgressions made any kind of continuity difficult to achieve. By half time Pontypool had only managed to build a 3-13 lead despite occupying the Newbridge half for virtually the whole forty minutes. The one Pontypool try came when the lively Coundley who was on hand to take a pass from Jones after the outside half had beaten a couple of men. The remaining points came from three penalties - two for Pontypool and one for Newbridge. By half time both sides had also been reduced to fourteen men by yellow cards with Davies for Pooler and, ex Pontypool prop, Edwards for Newbridge in the sin bin.

Newbridge did have a few attacks early in the second half but the match soon resumed the pattern of the first half with Pontypool dominating proceedings. After about ten minutes, Pontypool won a lineout close to the Newbridge line and at last got the driving lineout drill to work with Coundley getting over the line for his second try. The conversion made the score 3-20 and it seemed unlikely that the home side had the wherewithal to mount a comeback. Their cause was made even more forlorn when Edwards had the briefest of cameos on his return to the field which was brought to an end by a second yellow card for an offence at a ruck.

Pontypool were now in complete command and it was time for the backs to take a hand. Good handling put Meek in for an unconverted try (3-25) and shortly afterwards the ball was spread wide for Usher to outflank the defence and score in the corner. Again the try went unconverted but Pooler had secured the bonus point and a 3-30 lead.

The substitutions were coming thick and fast for both teams and it was good to see Clayton Gullis return to action for Pontypool after a long layoff due to injury. As full time approached, Pontypool scored their fifth try when Usher was again put into space and scored near the posts. With the successful conversion this made the score 3-37.

To their credit Newbridge had never given up and in injury time they made a rare incursion into the Pontypool twenty two. Nash was yellow carded for offending at a ruck and from the penalty Newbridge hooker Vokes barged over for a consolation try which was converted from near the touchline (10-37).

There was still time for East from Pooler to be yellow carded for obstruction and for Meek to end proceedings with a penalty to make the final score 10-40.

In the end this was a convincing win for Pontypool but they had to work hard for it against stubborn opposition. The powerful scrum was the key to the victory and was a source of plentiful possession. I guess that there will be a measure of frustration about not being able to score a few more points in the first half but I think even the most ardent Pontypool fan would have taken a 10-40 victory at Newbridge if it had been offered to them before the kick off.

This brings down the curtain on 2016 for Pontypool.  The year started so promisingly with Pontypool sitting in a promotion place near the top of the Championship. Unfortunately things did not work out but the squad has done fantastically well to bounce back from just missing out on promotion and reel off fifteen straight victories this season. Well done everyone.

Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Xmas and a Successful New Year.

The Half That Time Forgot

A dark, miserable, wet afternoon at Pontypool Park still has the edge over Xmas shopping. This marked my return to the fold after international and domestic duties and I was looking forward to a fierce encounter with Beddau who were sitting comfortably in the top half of the Championship table.

Pontypool played up the slope in the first half and it was clear right from the start that the horrible conditions were going to have a huge impact on the quality of rugby produced. The slippery ball and the muddy pitch meant the error count was bound to be high. Pooler looked to have the edge in the early encounters but found it frustratingly difficult to hang on to the ball. After about ten minutes though, they delighted the home crowd by scoring an excellent try after gaining possession near their own twenty two. With handling that belied the conditions, Usher was put in space. As the defence closed in on Usher, the ever alert Nash was by his side to take the scoring pass and gallop over near the posts The successful conversion gave Pontypool a 7-0 lead.

The game reverted to an arm wrestle as both sides struggled to control possession. Eventually the Pontypool backs managed to put a series of passes together to contrive another excellent try for Robinson. The conversion extended the home side’s lead to 14-0.

As half time approached, the Pontypool scrum began to gain ascendancy and after a series of scrums near the Beddau line they were awarded a penalty try. This gave Pontypool a comfortable 21-0 lead as the teams gratefully retreated to the changing rooms for the half time break.

The second half was like going back in time as the two muddied and almost indistinguishable sides slugged it out. The Beddau team had clearly decided that, by fair means or foul, they were not going to let Pontypool dominate them. Pontypool for their part were certainly not going to take a backward step. This led to a very bad tempered battle with outbreaks of fisticuffs quite common as the two packs locked horns. Remarkably there was only one yellow card shown and that to Nash despite a high penalty count. The rain continued to fall and the pitch got muddier and muddier - it really was attritional stuff. There was little rugby of note as, whenever either side got into a promising situation, the ball was invariably spilled. To make matters worse, Pontypool were yet again denied the use of their powerful scrummaging as injuries to the Beddau front row resulted in uncontested scrums. No surprise then that the second half was scoreless. The final score for the record was 21-0.

Despite the frustration of not securing a bonus point, I think everyone was glad when the referee’s final whistle brought proceedings to an end – I certainly was.

This was a tough energy- sapping encounter that Pontypool thoroughly deserved to win on the basis of their first half performance. Beddau proved to be challenging opponents who never gave up and tested the home side to the full. For Pooler this is the thirteenth straight win and consolidates their position at the top of the Championship. After the disappointment of last season this is a terrific performance.

The only other rugby I watched was Northampton v. Leinster on Friday night on the TV.  Leinster were excellent and good value for their convincing victory. England captain, Hartley, was again in trouble and his red card must surely mean that he is no longer a candidate for the Lions’ captaincy.

Recent results seem to indicate a major resurgence in Irish rugby with the provinces and national team recording some pretty impressive victories. England will certainly have their hands full when the go to Dublin for what promises to be the Six Nations showdown. I wish I could say the same for Welsh rugby but it appears that we have a lot of ground to make up. There were good wins for the Blues and the Ospreys in the second tier European competition but this is not a particularly demanding yardstick as many teams do not field full strength sides.

Next weekend Pontypool make the short trip to Newbridge for a local derby. Despite the relative positions in the Championship, we can expect a tough encounter I am sure. It has rarely been any different.

Come on Pooler!

Watching and Waiting

I woke up on Saturday morning with a sore throat and headache and feeling pretty average. This won’t do, I thought, I’ve got to go to Narberth to watch Pontypool. By some perverse logic, I crawled out of bed and went for a swim and sauna thinking it might do me good. By the time I got back home, I felt considerably worse. My normal companions had all cried off, would I be able to do the trip on my own? I had interrogated Google and discovered that the drive would take one hour and forty six minutes each way. Quite a long time if you are not feeling up to scratch. I feverishly studied the possibility of a train but it was not really practical. What was I going to do? Whilst agonising, I took some Lemsip and made my way to the couch.

I must have dropped off as I woke up with a start and saw that in was 12.40 pm but I was feeling substantially better. My phone pinged and it was a tweet wishing Pooler all the best. I can still do this, I thought, and leapt to my feet. No time for any lunch just grab your coat and go. I felt quite lightheaded but I was sure that was because I got up too quickly. The doorbell rang, it was a delivery from Amazon and then the phone rang. Time ticked away inexorably. I am ashamed to admit that I decided not to make the journey to Narberth. “Call yourself a fan”, I hear you say.

It was evident that I had to pay a penance for my misdemeanour and that would be to watch England on the TV. I have to admit I was more interested in the tweets coming in from Narberth describing, what was clearly, a close-fought, high-octane match. I quite enjoyed the first quarter of the England match as the Australians were all over them and really should have built a substantial lead. They didn’t and gave away a gift try to England and were only 10-13 up at half time. Meanwhile in Narberth, a last minute charged down kick and try gave Narberth a 10-6 half time lead over Pooler.

In Twickenham, the England team must have been administered some magic potion as they were unrecognisable from the first half. They proceeded to dismantle Australia and my interest began to wane. What was happening in Narberth, and even what was happening in the snooker, were much more important.

The game at Narberth was clearly a cracker and I heartily wished I was there as it was pure agony waiting for the tweets to come in. The lead changed hands twice but, thanks to tries from Rusby-Davies and Usher, Pooler just managed to squeeze home 13-18. It sounded like a great advertisement for the Championship with the top two teams going at it hammer and tongs. A brilliant result for Pontypool who open up a twelve point lead at the top of the league with their twelfth straight win. Well done Pooler. I collapsed in a heap on the couch.

By the way I think England won 37-21 or something. Maybe it will be in the papers this morning. Seriously though, England will take some beating this season. They have managed to get their ducks in a row and with their enormous resources have to be strong favourites for the Six Nations Championship - particularly with the new bonus points system. Even with their huge player base, they still feel the need to enlist any suitable itinerant talent from across the world that ends up in English club rugby to bolster the squad.

It will be extra shifts in the MBE factory unless someone can find the will and the way to stop them carrying all before them. Having watched Wales in the Autumn Series I can’t think it will be them – but of course you never know. Far more likely, it will be the Irish at the Aviva Stadium who do us all a favour. England have the blue jerseys at home so cannot really see any joy there. Soon there will be talk of an England “Engexit” in order to play in the Southern Hemisphere as there is no competition in Europe.

That is very much in the future and it is club rugby that matters in the present. Next Saturday Pontypool entertain Beddau who proved tough and resourceful opponents earlier in the season. I must be there!

Come on Pooler!

Winning Ways

Yet again I missed a Pontypool game due to international duties in Cardiff. It is a real shame, as from what I can gather, Pooler put in one of their better performances of the season in putting Glamorgan Wanderers to the sword in Ely by the convincing margin of 11-47. This of course makes it eleven wins out of eleven as we reach the halfway mark in the rather truncated season. There will be a major challenge next weekend when Pooler visit second placed Narberth who are clearly playing well as their good win against Tata Steel would indicate. This will be a chance for Pontypool to pull well clear at the top of the Championship but equally an opportunity for Narberth to close the gap to just a few points. It promises to be gripping encounter.

Meanwhile in Cardiff, Wales took on the once mighty Springboks. Neither team had covered itself in glory in the Autumn Series and both had a point to prove. The first half was eminently forgettable as neither side looked capable of finding their way to the try line. Wales clearly had the edge but there was only the odd flash of inspiration as defences were on top. South Africa looked a mere shadow of the team that has sat near the top of the world rankings for an eternity as they struggled to find any pattern. Wales were awarded a few more penalties than the Springboks and so went in at halftime with a 12-6 lead thanks to the trusty boot of Halfpenny.

In the second half you sensed that Wales finally truly believed that they could defeat a Southern Hemisphere heavyweight. They needed a try, the crowd needed a try, everyone needed a try and it finally came from a lineout drive with Owens flopping over. The relief was palpable and even though Halfpenny missed the conversion Wales led 20-6. With the Springboks going nowhere, surely the game was in the bag.

A raft of changes unsettled Wales and out of the blue the Springboks closed the gap to 20-13 with a well taken try. The nerves started to jangle in the stadium once again. Wales needed a moment of inspiration to seal the deal and it came from the excellent Tipuric who had been a clear candidate for man of the match. He burst on to a good pass from Faletau and rounded the fullback with a move that Shane Williams would have been proud of to cross near the posts. 27-13 and the game was over. The crowd went home happy – Wales really needed this.

This was a decent performance by an under pressure Welsh team. Remember it is only the third time that they have beaten South Africa in their history. Although this has to be one of the least impressive Springboks’ teams that has visited our shores, it was a pretty convincing victory. Biggar controlled the game well from outside half and did a few of his trade mark kick-and-chases to try and break the Springbok midfield defence. The outstanding player on the field, however, was Tipuric who seemed to have a hand in everything good that Wales did. While it was sad to see Lydiate leave the field with what looked to be a serious injury, it was great to see the influential Faletau back. Wales will certainly have a selection dilemma for the back row in the Six Nations. Wales are still a long way from being genuine Six Nations contenders but this was a step in the right direction.

I enjoyed the rugby on the TV on Friday night as I flicked between the Scarlets and the Ospreys. Both regions gave vibrant displays against Leinster and Glasgow respectively. There was plenty of talent on view in both sides and I managed to feel a bit more optimistic about Welsh rugby at least for a while.

But it is back to the real stuff next weekend and Pontypool at Narberth. 

Come on Pooler!

The Wales Team Is Losing Its Way

With Pooler not playing, we took a last minute decision to go to Cardiff to watch Wales play Japan. As it happens, so did a lot of other people and the Principality Stadium was almost full. Being a late entrant meant that our seats were high in the Gods at the end that Japan attacked in the first half. It was striking how many kids were there and all sporting their Welsh jerseys too – if there was a time for Wales to win hearts and minds of the younger generation this was it.

As we watched the teams warming up, the emphasis that Japan puts on teamwork was clearly evident. As they marched off after the warm up, they all put a hand on a teammate’s shoulder in a display of solidarity. If ever there was a team that that is bigger than the sum of the parts this it. They have had to be to compete at the highest level against the giants that populate the world of rugby.

When you watched Wales they looked dour and seemed to lack joie de vivre as they warmed up. Some may argue that this is professionalism and concentration on the job in hand but there doesn’t seem much of a buzz about the team as they go through their drills.

So to the match. Wales started wretchedly and Japan had soon registered a six point lead. It could have been worse as Liam William’s cynical block probably saved a try. He was awarded a fully justified yellow card for his pains. In fairness to Wales, they did wake up with Lydiate scoring a try. “This is it”, we thought, Wales should win this at a canter. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Wales played very much in fits and starts from then on with little flair and continuity. Japan, for their part, scurried around the field and made things difficult for Wales. It was very much punch and counterpunch as whenever Wales opened up a lead the Japanese came straight back at them seizing gleefully on the abundance of sloppy Welsh play.

Japan clearly won the tactical kicking battle with their kicks invariably putting the Welsh under pressure with an excellent chase. The Welsh kicking was often aimless and far too deep which gave the opposition too much time and room.  It was becoming abundantly clear that this was going to be a close run thing as the minutes ticked away. The crowd around us didn’t seem unduly worried as they fiddled with their phones and tried to start a Mexican wave or two. Even though the match was closely fought, the lack of Welsh artistry meant that their attention was wavering. Interest flickered when an excellent run and offload by Wyn Jones put Warburton in for a try but it was all too little for  demanding audience.

Looking down from our eyrie in the stand, you could see that Japanese energy and organisation was clearly superior. Wales at times resembled a shambles as they desperately tried to get hold of the tricky Japanese backs. A brilliant counter attack from Japan tied the scores at 30-30 with a few minutes left. The Japanese actually looked the more likely to snatch victory. Wales had other ideas and marched down the field with some purpose – probably thinking about those headlines in the papers if they failed to win. Sam Davies in his second appearance for Wales looked the coolest man on the field as he slotted a last minute dropped goal and grabbed the spoils for a rather fortunate home side.

Japan can consider themselves extremely unlucky to lose as they played the better rugby. Wales will need to do an awful lot better than this if they want to stay in the top eight sides in the world. They seem to have lost their way and it is difficult to detect a style of play. The will not have to wait long to have an opportunity to put things right. There is the small matter of a match against South Africa next Saturday. The Springboks may have lost to Italy but they will present a whole new set of challenges for a misfiring Welsh team. If this was soccer, we would be talking about heads rolling in the Welsh management team. It is a thought though!

Next Saturday Pontypool are back in action with an away fixture at Glamorgan Wanderers.  Two important games in one day.

Come on Wales and more importantly come on Pooler! 

Pooler March On While Wales Stutter

So it is ten out of ten for Pontypool after they gave the students of Cardiff Met a master class in rugby. While Pooler were extending their winning run with a comfortable 68-5 victory though, I was heading down to Cardiff to watch Wales take on Argentina at the Principality Stadium. Knowing what I know now, I think I would have been far better off at Pontypool Park.

The Wales game was a pretty tame affair with the stadium having rows and rows of empty seats. There were few thrills and plenty of spills as both sides failed to convince. Yes, it was close but it was hardly gripping stuff. Wales had plenty of possession and territory but their attacks lacked the killer punch and all too quickly seemed to run out of ideas. The return of several key players did make an improvement compared with the misery of last week. Liam Williams added much needed sparkle and determination and Wyn Jones some steel but even they couldn’t lift a lethargic Welsh team.

In the end Wales ran out 24-20 winners but were holding on at the end. It was a victory against Southern Hemisphere opposition but Argentina were a shadow of the team that performed so admirably in the RWC. Strangely, Howley didn’t see the need to use the resources he had on the bench to try and ignite Wales. The only replacements came in the front row and really because of injury rather than for tactical reasons. All in all, lunch apart, it was a pretty unfulfilling experience.

When you see how the other home nations are performing, Wales look out of sorts and off the pace. I am not sure why this is but they really do need to use the remaining two games in the Autumn Series to put things right. If they don’t, I shudder to think what resurgent England will do to them.

Pontypool have not got a game next week and take on Glamorgan Wanderers the following week. Another clash of fixtures means I will be in Cardiff watching Wales take on South Africa. I will need to look at the logistics to see if I can manage a double header and sufficient libation.

Well done Pooler.

The Good, the Bad and the Rugby

The rugby weekend started at Pontypool Park with a special memorial match to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic injury to former Pontypool player Roger Addison. A great example of the good heartedness of the rugby family. A Pontypool XV took on a Torfaen XV drawn from the clubs in the area on a chilly evening in front of a fair sized crowd. The Pooler team contained many players who were not first team regulars so both sides were likely to lack cohesion.

Torfaen playing down the slope settled quicker and played some good rugby to seize control of the match. Often this type of match lacks intensity with the emphasis on entertaining the spectators but both sides were certainly fully committed in a bruising encounter. Torfaen opened up a deserved 7-17 lead but Pooler, with a try from Boycott, closed the gap to 14-17 just before half time.

The second half belonged to Pontypool who played with much more purpose and they quickly overhauled Torfaen with a try from Smith 19-17. Whilst the game was played almost exclusively in the Torfaen half, it took Pooler a long time to find a way to turn possession and territory into points. In the last ten minutes they at last found the try line with Boycott and Jones crossing to make the final score 33-17.

Of course, the most important purpose of the evening was to both remember Roger Addison and to raise money for Rookwood and Stoke Mandeville Hospitals. Thanks to the generosity of all involved the princely sum of £6000 was raised on this special night.

On Saturday I went down to Cardiff to watch Wales play Australia. We are used to Wales starting a new campaign slowly but on this occasion they were virtually in reverse. Wales were awful as the Australians totally dominated the first half. If the Aussies had been more clinical, they would surely have led by forty points at the interval. As it was, they led 3-20 and Wales had failed to put any meaningful attacks in place. Wales looked sluggish and slow witted while the Australians were lively and quick to seize the ball. There were simply no redeeming features for the Welsh fans who looked on in silent horror.

The second half had to be better and it was but the improvement was marginal and not enough to challenge the Australian lead. Wales did manage a consolation try but the visitors were well worth their 8-32 victory. There is no doubt that the absence of the influential Faletau, Wyn Jones and Warburton played a part in the dismal performance but this was a really bad start for Howley and his team of coaches. It will be interesting to see what they do to produce a team that will be more competitive against Argentina next weekend.

If the Welsh were anaemic, the Irish were absolutely full-blooded as they took on the mighty All Blacks in Chicago in the evening. The Irish were everything that Wales weren’t. They played with pride and passion and not a little skill as they knocked the All Blacks completely out of their stride. They withstood a late New Zealand rally to run out clear winners by 40-29. This was the first time that the Irish have beaten New Zealand and if they continue to play like that they will be a very difficult team to beat. This match produced the best rugby of the weekend by far and hopefully it will have whet the appetite of the American public.

Next Saturday Pooler are back in league action with a home fixture against Cardiff Met and they will be hoping to further their unbeaten start to the season.

Come on Pooler!

Battling Pooler stay top of the pile

I missed another Pontypool game as the long trek to Newcastle Emlyn unfortunately clashed with another part of my busy social programme. “Get your priorities right young man”, I hear you say. Pooler games are like gold dust in the slimmed down version of the Championship this season so it was with a heavy heart that I took up my position on the couch with my tablet close at hand. What is more, I may well miss the next Pooler game as I will be going to Cardiff for the Wales v. Argentina game. Even though the Pontypool game has been brought forward it still does not leave enough time for travel and adequate liquid refreshment.

The good news was that Pontypool recorded their ninth straight win in the Championship by the narrow margin of 18-23 at Newcastle Emlyn. It all sounded pretty tense with Pooler yet again tested to the full and just managing to squeeze home. Having read the excellent match report and fielded the tweets, it doesn’t seem as if Pooler were firing on all cylinders against a spirited home team. I felt quite tense on the couch I must say.

There certainly wasn’t much tension in the Ospreys v Dragons game on the TV. Two late tries by the Dragons made the final score (35-17) look a lot closer than the match actually was. The Dragon’s forwards struggled to be competitive against what was not far off an Osprey’s second team pack and the home backs were far sharper. Keelan Giles on the wing certainly looks an exciting prospect.

One of my hobbyhorses is the massive variation in the size of in goal areas on rugby pitches. It really does have a significant effect on the game – the laws say that the dead ball line can be 10-22 metres from the goal line. It seems a massive variation and with the way the ball bounces on both artificial and converted football pitches it has a major impact on tactical kicking. In the Dragons’ game Macloed actually had so little room that he put his foot on the deadball line while trying to make a clearance kick.

I also cast my eyes over Cardiff Blues v. the Scarlets on Friday night. A really strange game full of thrills and spills and perhaps the direst ten minutes of rugby that I have seen. The Blues were pressing with ten minutes left in the first half and the full ten minutes was consumed by five metre scrum after five metre scrum. Even though two of the props were yellow carded, it went on and on for what seemed to be an eternity. This does the game no favours at all. The referee didn’t have his greatest day but there has to be some responsibility on the players to produce a spectacle. The Scarlets would probably argue that they achieved the aim of stopping the Blues scoring but, dear oh dear, it was excruciating.

In the Premiership, there are wildly differing starts to the season from the four teams that pipped Pontypool for promotion last season. Merthyr and RGC 1404 go from strength to strength with six wins out of seven while Swansea and Bargoed struggle with only one win each. I wonder how Pontypool would have fared? Sadly it will be a few years before we get a chance to find out.

Next weekend Wales kick off the Autumn Internationals with a match against Australia. It must be a year since we played them last so we must all be getting withdrawal symptoms. Let’s hope we can finally play for the full eighty minutes and sneak a win. One can only hope. I suspect will not make too many changes from the tried and tested team and formula but it would be refreshing if they took the opportunity to try something or somebody new.

Come on Wales!

For Pooler there is a chance to reflect on what has been a terrific start to the season. Well done boys you have made us proud. There is still a long way to go and certainly no room for complacency but so far so good.

Keep it going Pooler!  

It’s Getting Harder

Management had decreed that I had to spend the weekend in Oxfordshire so I missed Pontypool’s latest encounter and it sounds like I missed a good close game. Bedlinog clearly gave a really good account of themselves and Pooler were mighty relieved to grab a narrow 13-10 victory when a first defeat of the season was staring them in the face. That is three tough encounters in a row and Pontypool have found a way to win all three. When you sit at the top of the Championship and have the great history that Pooler has, you can expect everyone to raise their game when they play against them and that certainly seems to be the case. Well done for keeping the impressive running going Pooler.

For my part, I did manage to sneak out to watch the local Oxfordshire side, Chinnor play against Bury St. Edmonds. Chinnor are enjoying a good season and are unbeaten and sit proudly at the top of English League Division Two South. This is just three leagues down from the English Premiership so it was interesting to compare the standard with Pontypool in the Welsh Championship two leagues down from regional rugby. I did spend most of the match fiddling with my mobile phone trying to keep up with events at Pontypool Park but I did watch the rugby enough to form an impression.

Chinnor have a mixture of professional and semi-professional players and what immediately struck me was the size of the forwards. These were not young players making their way in the game but burly men who knew their way around a rugby field. The ground itself had no stand or terrace but did have floodlights and a large clubhouse at the side of the pitch. There were also another three or four pitches nearby although there were no other matches being played. Apparently they have a tremendously strong mini-rugby set up. There are sixteen teams in their league so they do manage to play a decent amount of rugby unlike the Welsh Championship.

Chinnor were by far the stronger team and played some good rugby to overpower Bury St. Edmunds 45-14. The million dollar question of course is how would Pontypool fare against them? It is difficult to judge but I got the feeling that it would be a close run thing with home advantage possibly tipping the balance either way. When you think that Chinnor actually play on the outskirts of Thame  which has a population of around 12,000 and you consider how many similar setups there are in England you begin to realise just how powerful a rugby nation England is. You really wonder how the other home nations can compete at all when you look at the sheer weight of numbers. Is it only just over a year ago that Wales beat England in the RWC?

I did get to watch four matches from the various European competitions on the TV. I started with two pretty poor spectacles: Bath v Bristol (Thur) and Sale v Toulon (Fri). Both matches were the typical slug fests that are so often European rugby. It is tough and uncompromising and punctuated by injuries and referrals to the fourth official. There is plenty of muscle but little of the artistry that you would hope would set the rugby at this level apart. The two games yesterday: Toulouse v Wasps and Leicester v Racing 92 were in a similar vein although there were some flashes of brilliance from Wasps and Racing 92 at times. The neutral observer wonders at the ferocity but there is little to get the pulse racing.

Yet again in Wales we wait with bated breath to see if our players plying their trade outside Wales will be able to play in the extra Autumn international. You would think by now we would know one way or the other but it never changes. Only a few years ago, people were saying how much Welsh players would gain from a spell playing outside Wales with the exposure to different cultures and coaching methodology. Now we only want the old dogs to finish their playing days outside Wales and they certainly will not learn any new tricks. Maybe we need to award rugby scholarships to promising young players that enable them to go and play in the Southern Hemisphere in our summer.

Next week Pontypool are away at Newcastle Emlyn and will be hoping for a win to keep them ahead of the chasing pack in the Championship. I am sure the recent victories will leave the squad in confident mood but there is certainly no room for complacency.

Come on Pooler!

Pontypool Rumble On

A grey autumnal day in Pontypool Park greeted Skewen RFC for their Championship match. This was going to be a tough challenge for the West Walians as Pontypool have made a commanding start of the season with six straight victories. For Pooler, it was all about maintaining their momentum as they continue in their quest to win the league.

The trees around the Park provided a stunning backdrop with the leaves showing their autumn tints as Skewen kicked off playing down the slope. Pontypool made a tremendous start and soon had the visitors under pressure. The power and pace of their attacks stunned Skewen and within the first fifteen minutes Pooler had scored two converted tries to lead 14-0. The first came after some excellent approach play had led to a scrum five metres from the visitors’ line. Quick sniped after Sparks had made ground to score near the posts. The second followed a break by Hancock that resulted in Kent crossing the whitewash for the second time in two weeks.

As the finally gained some possession, Skewen did manage to get a foothold in the match and showed that they had strong ball carriers to go with a resolute defence. Pontypool, however, were in no mood to give away any tries and thundered into the tackles thwarting most of the attacks on the gain line.  Skewen did manage to get on the scoreboard through a penalty when Pontypool gave away a penalty at a scrum (14-3) after fifteen minutes spent almost exclusively in the home half.

The driven lineout has become a weapon of choice for Pontypool and a reliable source of points. They turned to it to reassert their authority and from a lineout close to the Skewen line, Nash scored after a textbook drive. The try went unconverted but Pooler held a solid 19-3 lead at the interval.

The heavens opened during half time and the rest of the match was affected by heavy rain which rather dampened both teams’ attempts at attacking rugby. Pooler set off in pursuit of the bonus point try but there followed a scrappy period of play with neither side able to make much headway against well organised defences. After about a quarter of an hour of frustration, Pontypool won a lineout just inside the Skewen 22. The lineout was won and the forwards drove fully twenty metres for Smith to score the try. The successful conversion gave Pooler a comfortable 26-3 lead.

Both sides made a series of substitutions in the third quarter and Skewen continued to frustrate the home side with good defensive work at the breakdown. For their part, Pooler continued to tackle fiercely with Tu’ipulotu to the fore and, hard as they tried, Skewen were prevented from scoring a try. It was one such Tu’ipulotu tackle that resulted in the ball coming loose near the halfway line. Thorley scooped up the ball and outpaced the cover defence to score near the posts (33-3).

Pontypool continued to attack but the combination of the dogged Skewen defence and the slippery ball proved too difficult to overcome and the score remained 33-3 at the final whistle.

Although the match did not really have the tension of the match against Tata Steel last week, make no mistake this was a tough encounter. Skewen never gave up and certainly provided a stern challenge. Pontypool were always in charge, however, and produced a workmanlike performance to deliver a bonus point win. Their lineout drive has become a potent weapon and takes us old codgers back to the days of the rolling maul with Bobby Windsor at its heart.

Talking of the past, it was great to see that Pontypool feature prominently on the new Lions’ website. It is almost forty years ago but it brings a tear to the eye to remember those heady days when Pooler were the best and most consistent team in the UK and provided a string of players for Wales and the Lions. It seems pretty unlikely that we will ever see that again but you can still dream!

Wonder of wonders, the Welsh Regions had a great start to the European rugby competitions. All four Regions recorded good victories – admittedly only the Scarlets in the Champions Cup. Let’s hope that they continue with the good work and avoid a Wexit at the pool stages.

Next up for Pontypool is a first visit by Gwent rivals Bedlinog. Their victory over Tata Steel yesterday shows that they certainly cannot be taken lightly. We have now completed almost a third of the Championship matches with Pontypool sitting proudly at the top of the table with a ten point lead. Long may it continue!

Come on Pooler!

Pontypool Show Their Mettle

Two unbeaten records were on the line when the top two teams in the Championship clashed in Port Talbot. Tata Steel had started the season impressively and were sure to provide Pontypool’s sternest test of the season so far. A decent crowd had gathered and there was a roar of from the Eastern Valley faithful as the teams took to the field. Everyone knew that this was going to be one of the biggest games of the season. Conditions were perfect for rugby with a dry pitch and little wind for the players to contend with.

Pontypool started the stronger and really pressed hard in the opening ten minutes. Unfortunately, for all the pressure they exerted, they came away pointless. A combination of indiscipline from the away side coupled with some over-zealous refereeing led to a string of penalties being awarded and meant that Pooler’s early control of the match was wrested away from them. As Tata gained territory, the penalties became kickable and the home side took a 6-0 lead. Pooler did manage to respond with a penalty from Jones to close the gap to 6-3.

It was a fiercely contested game and the two sides were quite evenly matched at this stage with Tata giving the Pontypool plenty to think about at the scrum and at the breakdown. Hurley was rather harshly yellow carded for what looked like a fifty-fifty challenge in the air for a high ball and the away side were down to fourteen men. Worse was to follow when a Pontypool lineout close to their line went wrong and Hall gleefully gathered the loose ball to score the first try of the game. The successful conversion meant that Tata had opened up a substantial 13-3 lead.

It is at times like these that good sides respond although the odds are seemingly against them. Pooler responded brilliantly and took the game to Tata despite being short-handed. First Jones kicked a penalty and then, after a great drive from the forwards, the ball was moved out into the threequarters where a miss pass allowed Kent to gallop over for a try. The conversion from Jones tied the score up at 13-13 and Pooler were well and truly back in the match.

There was no further scoring before halftime and Pontypool must have felt mighty relieved to be on equal terms after a half that had been littered with penalties against them. It was going to take a big effort to overcome their opponents in the second half that was for sure.

Pontypool brought on the vastly experienced Nash as a replacement in the pack for the second half and started the stronger. They began to gain a measure of dominance in the scrum and Tata conceded penalties as a consequence. Jones converted two of them to ease the away side into a 13-19 lead.

Just as Pooler were beginning to assert a measure of control, a high tackle by Coundley led to a yellow card and they were reduced to fourteen men again. Tata yet again seized the opportunity and came back strongly with two penalties of their own to level the scores at 19-19. It was still anyone’s game as we went into the final quarter.

Tata were penalised and combative No8 Llewellyn yellow carded for an offence at a ruck on the Tata twenty two. Jones obliged with the kick to edge Pooler into a 19-22 lead. It was now Pooler’s chance to make numerical advantage pay and a powerful drive from a lineout close to the home line resulted in a try for Parry. Although the conversion went narrowly wide Pooler there was now daylight between the sides at 19-27. The away side continued to apply the pressure and a further penalty from Jones further increased the lead to 19-30.

The home side were far from finished and put together a storming finish which was given further impetus with Pooler’s third yellow card as a consequence of a deliberate knock-on by Kent. Pooler somehow managed to weather the storm despite Tata battering away at their line for the last five minutes or so. This prevented the home side gaining a losing bonus point which might turn out to be important in the latter stages of the season. Final score: Tata 19 Pontypool 30.

Make no mistake this was a really searching examination for Pontypool. Tata Steel were tough uncompromising opponents who never gave up. The turning point in the match was Pooler’s magnificent comeback in the last ten minutes of the first half when everything seemed to be against them. The whole team stood up to be counted and this will surely stand them in good stead as the season progresses. There were some great performances in the pack and with Matthew Jones controlling the game and kicking his goals this was an excellent win that takes Pontypool five points ahead at the top of the Championship.

There are still a few issues with discipline which need to be looked at with too many penalties and yellow cards. Not all the referees that we come across will have Nigel Owens’ sympathy for the game! I take my hat off to those who referee at this level. I certainly wouldn’t want to do it. Fortunately there are those who do and remember that without them we wouldn’t have a game.

I did watch Ospreys v Blues on the TV on Friday night and the Blues were brought well and truly down to earth. You have to be impressed with Sam Davies – there must surely be a place for him in the Welsh squad. At prop Arhip is a real handful – shame he’s not Welsh. I also saw the tail end of the Springboks v the All Blacks. There is no doubt that NZ are taking rugby to a new level and the rest of the world is some distance behind. The Lions are certainly going to find it very tough next summer.

For Pooler, next up is Skewen who visit Pontypool Park next Saturday. They have certainly made an encouraging start to their first season as Championship level winning three of their six matches to date.

Great win boys let’s keep it going. Come on Pooler!

Pooler Power Home

I had been away for a couple of weeks and missed three Pooler games and was in urgent need of a fix. Fortunately it is not as bad as it seems as the excellent service provided by the tweeters and the facebookers enables you to stay in touch whether you are on the couch or in some far-flung part of the world. We were able to keep up to date by visiting the local Starbucks (free wi-fi) in the USA or Canada. Not quite like being at the ground but a decent substitute. Anyway I was delighted to learn of three excellent victories against Beddau (16-26), Newbridge (50-17) and Glynneath (10-33) which meant four wins out of four. A great start to the season.

The opponents for my re-initiation were Dunvant a club that we had crossed swords with many times in the past. Like Pooler they are trying to recapture their place in the Welsh pecking order. The morning had been punctuated by heavy showers so the first big decision was whether to risk standing on the Bank. The sky was blue with few dark clouds so we decided to risk it. Much is said about the trees in the fall in New England but the trees in autumn in Pontypool Park present as captivating sight as any in the world. Anyway enough of this - let’s get down to the rugby.

Dunvant had a rather splendid red and green kit which would not have looked out of place on Stade Francais. This meant that Pontypool sported their blue strip which is also rather fetching. Dunvant kicked off with Pooler playing up the slope in brilliant sunshine with the pitch in remarkably good condition. From the outset, Pooler looked the more powerful outfit and scored a great long range try almost the first time that they had decent possession. Robinson outpaced the Dunvant defence after good work by Jones and Usher. Further good tries were added by Usher and Hurley in the next ten minutes or so and at 19-0 it all looked pretty plain sailing for a home side that looked full of running.

As so often happens with such a good start. Pooler went off the boil a little and the second quarter became scrappy and littered with mistakes. Dunvant seized their opportunity to get back into the game and their backs showed a good turn of speed and eye for a gap to score two quick tries from Williams-Parry and Lewis to close the gap to 19-14.

Pontypool were stung into action and the forwards took control with Rusby-Davies scoring from a lineout drive to secure the bonus point and ease the home side into a 24-14 lead. Dunvant were not about to lie down and kicked a penalty just before half time to leave the score at 24-17 at the interval.

Pontypool had their game faces on when they returned to the field after some mentoring in the changing room. They certainly went up a gear or two and proceeded to dismantle Dunvant with a great second half display. They ran in no fewer than seven tries as Dunvant’s resistance faded – the tries came from Williams, Dyer, Harford, Robinson, Jones, Thorley and Meek. With five successful conversions, it meant they racked up forty five unanswered points to leave a final score of 69-17. It really was exhilarating stuff with backs and forwards combining effectively. Towards the end of the match the dark storm clouds reappeared and the rain pelted down and we were delighted when the referee called a halt a little early.

A fine second half performance form Pooler resulted in a convincing victory and must put them in good heart for next week’s tough challenge at unbeaten Tata Steel. The good thing is that there is still plenty of room for improvement with the team not always running like a well-oiled machine. The passing at times was a bit erratic which might have been more problematic against stronger opposition. The game was won in style and I went away feeling content with my fix - if a little damp. We even won the half time raffle so a really good day.

The great news in Pontypool now have a clear lead at the top of the Championship after gaining 24 of a possible 25 points on offer. Just behind are Tata Steel on 23 points so next week’s match in Port Talbot promises to be “le crunch” with two unbeaten records on the line. I can’t wait!

On Friday I spent the evening (much to the annoyance of Isobel) flicking furiously between the Ryder Cup, Northampton v Exeter and Dragons v Glasgow. What is really striking is the difference between the English Premier League and the Pro 12 in terms of atmosphere, quality of player, intensity and even the quality of television coverage. You guessed it - the English Premiership comes out on top and it really demonstrated the gulf between the two leagues. It is all about money unfortunately and it is hard to see how the gap will ever close. The good news for Wales was that George North looked in fine fettle and set the Northampton game alight with a super break as well as scoring a try. The Dragons had a good go at Glasgow but came up short and it looks like another tough season for them.

It’s great to be back and to see Pontypool playing so well. Good luck next week – come on Pooler!

Pontypool Storm It

Pontypool Park in the early autumn is a beautiful place particularly when the sun shines. Unfortunately there was no evidence of the sun as the rugby season proper started for Pontypool RFC. The rain beat down relentlessly on the newly mown pitch with a severity ranging from a heavy drizzle to a torrential downpour.

With that warm feeling of optimism that you have at the start of every season, we took our places on the Bank during a period of drizzle firmly believing that the sky was lightening. Pooler were taking on the Otters of Narberth in the first match in the SWALEC Welsh Championship for 2016/17. There was much to look forward to with a raft of new faces in the home team.

Pontypool played up the slope in the first half and it proved difficult to concentrate on the rugby as most of the brave souls on the Bank were engrossed in trying to control their umbrellas in a gusty wind. In truth there was not a lot to miss in the opening minutes while we agonised whether to decamp to the shelter of the stand. After ten minutes or so, we did retreat to the stand when there seemed little prospect of the rain stopping. At least we had a taste of the difficult conditions the players were having to cope with and I didn’t envy them one bit.

The first quarter was eminently forgettable as both sides struggled to keep hold of the slippery ball and to get rid of the ring rustiness after the summer break. If anything, Narberth looked the more likely to score but even that was a pretty remote possibility. This was poor fare for the spectators and I found myself thinking that the goal posts could do with a coat of paint. Was this the rugby that I had been anticipating for four months? Not really!

Finally the deadlock was broken with a penalty by new player coach Matthew Jones. He and new fullback Meek had been doing some pretty astute tactical kicking seeking out mistakes from the Narberth backs which seemed to be the best tactic in the conditions. Such a kick from Jones led to a fumble from Narberth near their try line with Meek gleefully accepting the opportunity for the first try. The conversion failed narrowly but Pooler had slithered to an 8-0 lead and the crowd became much more animated.

Another great kick ahead, this time from Meek allowed Hurley to show his footballing skills to score in the corner. The try was again unconverted but with the score at 13-0 the home side were in the ascendancy. The scoring for the first half was completed by an exchange of penalty goals with the sides gratefully trudging off to the warmth of the changing rooms. The score line of 16-3 was possibly a little flattering but Pooler were beginning to show their worth as a team.

Narberth started the second half strongly - no doubt as a result of some well-chosen words during the interval. The exerted pressure on the home line and came away with a second penalty to close the gap to 16-6.

Slowly but surely the Pooler pack started to get on top and as a measure of their dominance Parry scored in a powerful concerted drive by the forwards from a lineout close to the Narberth. The lead was now 21-6 and it was difficult to see Narberth being able to find a way back into the game.

Pontypool went in search of the all-important try bonus point. An extra bonus point or two last season would have led to promotion in the final analysis so they were determined not to let the opportunity slip. As has now become the norm, fresh legs were brought on from both benches with the strength of the home squad becoming apparent with the replacements making considerable impact.

The fourth try came from a well-worked move from a scrum on the Narberth twenty two. Sparks picked up from the base of the scrum who passed to Quick who fed Busby-Davies who galloped over the line. The conversion was successful to the delight of the crowd and opened up a surely unassailable 28-6 lead.

Pontypool were by no means finished and they completed what had become a one-sided contest with tries from Hurley and Sparks, with the former being converted, to run out 40-6 winners at the final whistle.

Once the cobwebs have had been blown away, this was a very encouraging performance from Pontypool who showed all round strength in horrible conditions. In Jones and Meek they have two clever players who can control the game through their tactical kicking and the pack looks to have the potential to become a formidable unit. It was not really a day for running rugby so it was difficult to assess the potency of the backs in an attacking vein but I feel sure that they have plenty to offer. Injuries always play a critical part in the success of a team and Pooler certainly look to have a really strong squad. Of course one swallow doesn’t make a summer and there is a stern test at Beddau to contend with next Saturday. The signs are encouraging though that is for sure.

As a supporter looking forward to the season, I do feel a little cheated by the limited amount of league rugby on offer this season. The reduction of the Championship to twelve teams does seem to be a regressive step. In fact by the end of October we will have played over 40% of our matches!  I remember the days when Pontypool played well over 40 games in a season. Sill I am sure, as always, the WRU knows best.

Well done Pooler I have almost forgotten about last season’s heartache – well not really, but a good win certainly helps!

Come on Pooler!

Season’s Greetings

So here we are again looking forward to another rugby season with our beloved Pooler. A solid pre-season and a number of new faces in the squad give a feeling of optimism for a successful campaign. The closure of trapdoor to the Premiership by the WRU is a source of great frustration to all at the club I know.  Some may argue that there is little to play for this season but I disagree. It is an opportunity to stamp our authority on the Championship and build on the progress that we have made over the last few seasons. When the trapdoor eventually opens, we need to be ready and waiting to take our place. In the uncertain financial climate in Welsh Rugby no club is guaranteed to survive.

The first league match of the season is always the acid test of squad strength and Pontypool have doughty Narberth first up. The good news is that we start with a home fixture and we really need to start with a win. It will not be easy against Narberth who always give us a tough outing. Whilst we only lost to the teams that eventually finished above us in the league last season, we had quite a few close calls against the lower ranked teams. This season will be full of challenges but if it weren’t it wouldn’t be rugby would it.

I can’t wait.

Good luck to squad and management alike.

Come on Pooler!   

Out with a Whimper

So the Welsh rugby season finally staggers to a close. It went out with more a whimper than a roar as the Welsh team suffered a heavy defeat by New Zealand in the final test in Dunedin. Since August last year, Wales have played an incredible nineteen matches – small wonder some of the players looked as if they were running on empty yesterday. A small nation like Wales with its limited resources is always going to struggle with this kind of work load.

On the other hand, England started with a whimper and have finished the season with a tremendous roar. They finally seem to have found a winning formula under Eddie Jones. For years the smaller nations in Europe have relied on the managerial incompetence, club self-interest and in-fighting in England and France to give us a chance of being competitive. Now it looks as if this is disappearing in England at least. It doesn’t bode well.

Back to yesterday’s game and the All Blacks seem to have put even more pace into their game as the test series against Wales progressed. Wales were left floundering at times by Barrett, Dagg and co. Whilst Wales never stopped trying their hearts out they were only really competitive for the first quarter of the third test which is a step backwards. Six tries to none is a pretty comprehensive defeat.

Has any good come out of this tour? Well it seems that we are at least trying to change our game plan and adopt a more open style. I don’t really think we currently have the right personnel for this but it was encouraging at times. It does seem to rely very much on the presence of Liam Williams at the moment who has had a marvellous series. In combination with North and a rejuvenated Halfpenny, we should have a decent back three. The other standout player for Wales has been Faletau who is a remarkable athlete and could fit quite comfortably into an All Blacks team. A special mention for Tomas Francis who must have been on a starvation diet on tour as he looks much more like an athlete and is contributing more outside the scrum.

On reflection, my two high points of the season both came early on – the unlikely Wales victory over England in the RWC and Pontypool’s stunning victory away at Merthyr. Unfortunately neither ultimately led to success but at least we could dream for a while. As the season progressed, the dreams disappeared and we are now left looking forward, no doubt, to more ups and downs next season. Such is the lot of a Pontypool and Wales supporter.

It is not all bad for the Welsh as we have our football team performing heroics in France, Yesterday’s rather scrappy victory against Northern Ireland has put Wales in the quarter finals of Euro 2016. Wow!

Let’s try and forget the rugby for a while.

Come on Wales

Déjà Déjà Déjà Vu

After last Tuesday’s embarrassment in Waikato where a Wales “seconds”  were humbled by Waikato “seconds”, I was more than concerned about the senior Wales team’s prospects against the All Blacks in Wellington yesterday. You have to watch though….just in case.

The first half, as ever, was close and hard fought with Wales matching the All Blacks for intensity and spirit. Wales managed to score a good try when Wyn Jones popped up on the wing to cross in the corner to level the scores to 10-10 at half time. For all their undoubted passion, there were still worrying signs for wales as the home ball carriers almost always managed to evade the first tackle to make extra yards. It is noticeable that both backs and forwards have the ability to step sideways just before contact to avoid the full force of the intended hit. For Wales only Faletau and Liam Williams seem to possess this skill.

The second half suddenly erupted after about 50 minutes or so as the All Blacks, bolstered by a substitute or two, cut loose. They turned up the pace and power a notch or three and in the space of twelve minutes any Welsh hopes of a victory evaporated. How do the All Blacks do this? It is as if Hansen flicks a switch that gives them all an electric shock. I do note that the All Blacks seem to bring their replacements one by one with a five minute gap between them from the fiftieth minute onwards. Wales seem to bring them on en masse usually after the horse has bolted. A rout was very definitely on the cards and I was thinking of taking refuge behind the sofa.

To their great credit, Wales refused to buckle and even had the temerity to score a couple of decent tries as the All Blacks seemed to throttle back. The final score of 36-22 is a fairer reflection of the tremendous effort and no little skill that Wales demonstrated. Wales were yet again gallant losers and the wait for a victory goes on.

So to matters parochial and Pontypool’s prospects for next season. I was delighted to see that we seem to have retained the majority of last season’s squad. Hopefully the team will continue to develop and have a really good season. It is a shame that there is no promotion as a carrot but all we can do is keep playing good rugby.

I am amazed that the Championship is now reduced to just twelve teams – twenty two games is not enough to fill a season. With fourteen teams there were big gaps in the fixture list in the autumn and spring this will only make matters worse. The lack of depth in Welsh rugby was cruelly exposed by the Waikato Chiefs – we need more grass roots rugby rather than less.  Maybe there is going to be some exotic cup competition where we get to play teams from Georgia and Romania.

I guess I will have to turn on the TV again next Saturday morning…. just in case!

By the way England beat Australia again in case you haven’t heard.

Déjà déjà vu

I duly switched on the TV at 8.15 am yesterday to watch Wales take on the mighty All Blacks in Auckland. I must confess I did not feel any real sense of optimism. Whilst I can at least say that I was alive when Wales last beat New Zealand, I was only one at the time so cannot claim that “I was there”.

After a ropy start, Wales really took it to the All Blacks in the first half and even had the temerity to go into the interval with a narrow lead. True the home side only played like world champions in fits and starts and had an error count that wouldn’t look out of place in the Welsh Championship, but Wales certainly played with more verve than we have seen for a long time. Two good tries by Faletau and Webb gave Wales the edge but there was an ever present threat from the All Blacks when they gained any sort of momentum.

You don’t need to be a psychic to know what to expect in the second half. This story has been told many times before. Around the hour mark, as the major substitutions start, New Zealand inexorably gain control. The rest, as they, say is history. The All Blacks seem to get stronger as the replacements’ bench is emptied while Wales find it disruptive and then of course there is only one winner. Wales wilted under the pressure and the All Blacks ran out comfortable winners 39-21. I guess that it reveals something of the All Blacks champion’s mentality that leading 32-21 as the last play of the game arrived they still had the presence of mind to attack the Welsh right wing where North was clearly struggling with a leg injury to score a final try. Most other teams would have been content to kick the ball into touch to kill the game.

So Wales finish gallant losers again and we are left to think about what might have been. Plenty of good, committed performances but in the end we were not quite good enough to beat a New Zealand team that was certainly not firing on all cylinders. We have two more attempts to beat them but I fear that they will get stronger and our inevitable injury toll will weaken us …. but you never know. Well perhaps we do really.

In the evening we went to see Rod Stewart in concert in Cardiff. We parked up and watched the Wales v Slovakia football match on the TV in Canton Rugby Club. There was a great atmosphere and it was nice to be in a traditional old style rugby club with pictures and jerseys on the wall and few airs and graces. What is more we were able to celebrate a brilliant Welsh victory. Unfortunately it sounds as if we might have to invoke the Rorke’s Drift spirit when we play Russia if the news headlines about the hooliganism are anything to go by. Rod Stewart was great by the way and we should check if he has any Welsh ancestry as he certainly looked pretty useful when he kicked some rugby balls into the crowd.

On a sad note, I was really sorry to hear about the passing of Cae Trayhern - a real Pooler stalwart. He was a fine combative player who always looked more than prepared to take on the whole opposition pack by himself. My condolences to his family.

I am led to believe that England beat Australia – I wonder if there will be anything about it in the papers?

The Fat Lady has Sung

Well it’s finally all over. Yesterday RGC 1404 duly secured the victory over Glynneath that they needed to pip Pontypool at the post and secure the final promotion place to the Premiership. Pooler are now confined to the Championship for at least four seasons unless the WRU relent on their ring-fencing policy for the Premiership.

The table as it stands is shown below. Incredibly Glynneath have yet another game to play this time against champions elect Merthyr. This means that Glynneath will have played Bargoed, RGC 1404 and Merthyr in the three weeks since Pooler finished their fixtures.

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
Merthyr	25	23	0	2	113
Swansea	26	22	1	3	108
Bargoed	26	19	1	6	97
RGC 1404	26	19	0	7	96
Pontypool	26	19	1	6	94
Beddau	26	10	1	15	52

When you look at the table, you realise what a close run thing it was between Bargoed, RGC 1404 and Pontypool. Their playing records are virtually identical with only those pesky bonus points making the difference. You also realise just how far behind the rest of the league was with Beddau in sixth place forty two points behind Pooler. You could analyse it to death but Pooler need to look no further than their home record against the four other top teams where they only secured three points out of the twenty on offer.

I am sure everyone is frustrated and disappointed but we really need to regroup and build on what has been achieved this season. It is sad to see Louie Tonkin leaving but I am sure that Leighton Jones will do a great job and provide the continuity that we need.

The blue line on the chart shows Pontypool’s progress since the dark days of season 2012-13. As shown by the red line, for the first three seasons 83 points would have secured fourth place but the bar was raised this season with 96 being gathered by RGC in fourth. I know this is no consolation but Pooler really did have a good season and there is much to build on.

You may say that there is nothing to play for over the next three seasons but all we can do is follow Ebbw Vale and keep knocking on the door. Who knows the WRU may change things – they have been known to! Unfortunately it has rarely been in our favour.

Anyway my thanks to everyone at the club for at was what, at times, an exhilarating season. Despite the disappointment, I will definitely be taking my place on the Bank next season and willing this great club on. We will get there in the end!

I watched the European Rugby Champions Cup final yesterday on the TV. I have to say for something that is meant to showcase rugby it was a pretty poor spectacle. I know the weather was poor at times, but as a match it did nothing to sell rugby to the masses. No tries, little open rugby and plenty of cynicism and petulance. It’s a real shame but this seems to be the way in finals.

Well next on the agenda will be the trials and tribulations of the Wales team. First stop Twickenham for the money grabbing match and then on to New Zealand. As usual, we hear the optimism but I for one are not expecting anything but more disappointment. Of course you never know….

Thanks to all at Pooler for a great effort and see you next season.