Saturday 30 April 2016

More Pain for Brave Pooler

Pontypool had one more chance to secure promotion to the Premiership when they visited Bargoed. Last week promotion was snatched agonisingly from their grasp by a penalty in the last few minutes of the match against RGC 1404. This week only a win would do but, if you had to pick a place to get a win, Bargoed is probably the most difficult one in the Championship. Bargoed are in storming form and have already beaten all three of the other main contenders on their patch. A large crowd with strong representation from both camps had gathered on a blustery day in the Rhymney Valley to watch the contest.

Pooler started with a bang with Lewis scoring a try in the left corner in the first couple of minutes. The conversion sailed wide but Pooler were up and running. This galvanised Bargoed into action and for the next ten minutes they took up residence in the Pontypool 22 with the away side giving away a stream of penalties. It was inevitable that the home side would score and their try came from Weyman from close range. The conversion failed and the scores were tied at 5-5.
Bargoed remained in the ascendancy as their pack and scrum half Pizey controlled the game. It took some stout defending from Pooler to keep them out. The away captain and hooker Parry had to leave the field with a shoulder injury which meant a reshuffle in the front row. Bargoed deservedly went ahead through a penalty but this was quickly cancelled out by a penalty for the away side from Gullis (8-8).
The last few minutes of the half belonged to Bargoed and they were awarded a further two kickable penalties as they attacked strongly and Jones duly obliged to leave the half time score 14-8. Pontypool certainly had it all to do in the second half.
The first half an hour of the second half was virtually all played in the Bargoed half as Pontypool raised their game and pounded away. The Pontypool scrum gained the ascendancy and the home side started to concede penalties. Pooler got over the line on a couple of occasions but failed to get the ball down. It was excruciating to watch as an away supporter. Try as they might, and they tried bloody hard, Pooler could not get the all-important try. The resolute Bargoed defence seemed impregnable.
As the game entered its closing stages, Bargoed were awarded a penalty in a rare incursion into Pooler territory. Jones converted it and the Eastern Valley contingent knew the game was virtually up as the Bargoed lead had stretched to nine points. Bargoed closed the game out deep in Pontypool territory and celebrated their promotion as the final whistle sounded with the score at 17-8.

The Pontypool players could not have tried harder or given more but they came up against formidable opponents in Bargoed who richly deserve promotion.  After a stuttering start, Bargoed have finished the season the strongest of all the teams and, of course, were denied promotion last season after winning the Championship by a street.

Pontypool now drop to fourth place in the league but have completed all their fixtures. RGC 1404 in fifth place are still seven points behind but have two games to play. If they win both games then they will be promoted. The Gogs have two away games at Cardiff Met and Glynneath so there is still some hope for Pontypool.

The Championship this season has virtually divided into two with the top five teams way ahead with almost forty points separating them from the rest. Whilst Pontypool’s performance against the lower teams has been exemplary, they have struggled against the top teams. They have only won once and drawn once in the eight matches with the points tally eight for and thirty against. If they fail to gain promotion, then this is the deciding factor. It is worth noting that Pontypool’s final total of ninety four points would have put them comfortably in third place last season.

If RGC 1404 win their last two games as expected, then the current situation is that Pontypool will be confined to the Championship for three years as the Premiership is to be ring-fenced. Some might say this is just sour grapes, but doesn’t that seem ridiculous.

We still have and anxious week or so as the final matches are played out so I will be keeping my fingers crossed. Stranger things have happened!

All this and England winning the Grand Slam – bah! It’s enough to put a man off his beer.

Come on Cardiff Met! Come on Glynneath!


Saturday 23 April 2016

It’s Not Over Yet

It is squeaky bum time as Sir Alex Ferguson would have it. Pontypool were entertaining one of their deadly rivals, RGC 1404, knowing that a victory would win them promotion to the premiership. It was a sunny afternoon, the pitch was in great condition, and a large crowd had assembled to watch what was sure to be a close game. The North Walians had brought a large and vociferous contingent of supporters who were intent on making themselves heard. It was like old times at the Park.

Pontypool lost the toss and played down the slope in the first half. A good start was essential for the home side and they went to work straight away. The scrum looked strong and they set out their attacking intent. They were up against a strong and well organised defence, however, and the only reward for their early pressure was a Gullis penalty. The Pooler lineout creaked a bit and they got on the wrong side of the referee at the breakdown and RGC started to test the home defence with some astute tactical kicking. RGC 1404 evened up the score at 3-3 with a penalty goal converted by impressive outside half Lang. This was going to be a close match.
Then RGC 1404 speculatively kicked ahead into the Pontypool 22. Everything seemed to stop as the ball looked to have gone into touch on the full and bounced back in to play. Everything stopped that is, apart from two RGC attackers, and Lang gleefully touched the ball down for a try. The Pontypool supporters looked on in disbelief as the touch judge’s flag stayed down. The conversion by Lang gave the Gogs a 3-10 lead. Aaargh!
The home side went on the attack and closed the gap to 6-10 with another Gullis penalty. Just before half time came the second contentious incident in the match when Hurley and an RGC 1404 player collided in mid-air when they were both trying to catch a high kick. The referee rather harshly gave Hurley a yellow card when it looked a fifty-fifty call.
Pooler were stung into action and played their best rugby of the match but again found the Gogs’ defence difficult to penetrate. They did manage to win a third penalty that Gullis duly converted to reduce the arrears to 9-10 with half time looming. Nash fielded the restart but he was immediately swamped by the away pack who forced a turnover. The North Walians ruthlessly exploited the absence of the Pooler right wing for Bagshaw to score in the corner. Lang’s conversion from the touch line gave RGC 1404 a useful 9-17 lead as the half came to a close. Aaargh!
The late try was a real sickener for the home side who had given as good as they got in a pretty even first half. They certainly had it all to do in the second half.
The second half was really all about Pooler trying to crack the RGC1404 defence while staying on the right side of the referee. This was certainly not easy to achieve. For the first half an hour, the game was virtually confined to RGC 1404 half as Pooler pounded away. A fourth penalty from Gullis made the score 12-17 but Pontypool really needed a try. With around ten minutes remaining, Pooler finally got their richly deserved reward when Harris squirmed over for a try from a ruck near the line. The conversion just fell short but Pooler were on even terms at 17-17.  If they could just hold on to a draw, it was enough for promotion.
RGC 1404 bounced back as they knew a win was essential and Pooler started to get a little tense and the game ebbed and flowed. RGC 1404 were awarded a scrum in the Pontypool half and their scrum half knocked the ball on as the scrum wheeled. The referee decided to penalise Pontypool for the wheel and Lang gratefully accepted the opportunity for the Gogs to take back the lead at 17-20. Aaargh!
Pontypool worked their way back into the opposition half but a long range penalty attempt from Gullis went wide. Try as they might in the dying seconds, Pooler could not get the crucial score that they needed against the resolute RGC 1404 defence. The North Walian supporters danced in glee as the final whistle sounded and the home supporters trooped morosely out of the ground.

The Pontypool team gave their all to this match and a draw would probably have been a fair result. To the slightly biased supporter, Pooler didn’t seem to have the rub of the green with a number of crucial decisions not going their way. Still it is not all over as Pooler are still hold third place albeit narrowly.

Team                           Played             Points
Merthyr                         24                    108
Swansea                       25                    103
Pontypool                      25                    94
Bargoed                        24                    92
RGC 1404                    24                     87

The equation for Pontypool is quite simple they need to win at Bargoed next week to secure promotion. Nothing else will do unless RGC 1404 slip up in one of their remaining fixtures against Cardiff Met (a) and Glynneath (a).
If you say it quickly it seems easy but wins for the away side at Bargoed are as rare as hen’s teeth. Bargoed do not actually have to win as they have a home game against bottom-but-one side Glynneath to fall back on and six points from the two games will guarantee them promotion. Rest assured Bargoed will not do Pooler any favours and they will take great pleasure in putting one over on their Gwent rivals. So this is a really tough assignment.

The Pontypool squad and the supporters need to pick themselves up from Saturday’s disappointment and make the short journey to Bargoed next Saturday and make sure that we have a rousing last game of the season. Remember we are still in the race and it’s still within our grasp.


Come on Pooler!

Saturday 9 April 2016

Pooler Keep The Pressure On

Bright sunshine greeted us when we arrived at Port Talbot which did seem a little incongruous when you think about the clouds that have hung over the giant steel plant over the last couple of weeks. Pontypool’s opponents were Tata Steel who have been putting together some good results of late. As the end of season pressure builds, Pooler know how important it is to keep the pressure on their promotion rivals by keeping their winning run going. Nothing is going to be easy that is for sure.

There was a strong breeze blowing down the ground and Pontypool had the benefit of it in the first half. Pontypool had a dream start with Gullis slotting a penalty goal to give them a 0-3 lead within a couple of minutes of the kick off. Pooler were intent on playing at a high tempo and really took the game to their opponents. The backs and forwards were combining well and within the next ten minutes Pooler had scored two good tries. The first from Gullis who cut inside to score near the posts and the second from Williams. Gullis converted his try and Pooler had built up a 0-15 advantage.
Pooler’s purple patch continued and again it was Gullis who struck after a break by Mills. The conversion sailed over and things were looking good at 0-22 with a quarter of the match gone. Perhaps there was a little bit of overconfidence creeping in as Pooler pushed for the bonus point try and a floated pass from Mills was intercepted by Evans the Tata outside half who sped over for a try under the posts (7-22).
The try seemed to give Tata Steel some impetus and they started to put some pressure on the away side as the half progressed. Pooler had the benefit of the wind and were able to push them back with their kicking game. As half time approached, Pontypool gained the ascendancy again and scored two more tries in the last five minutes of the half. Williams scored his second when he appeared on the right wing to finish off a brilliant move and then Hurley scooted over from a ruck close to the Tata line. With the conversion of Hurley’s try Pontypool had built up a healthy 7-34 lead and had also secured the try bonus point.
This was a really good half of rugby from Pontypool and although the wind was going to be a factor in the second half they had surely built a winning lead.
The second half belonged to Tata Steel as they used the wind to pin Pooler back in their own half. The away side also seemed to get on the wrong side of the referee and conceded too many penalties. Pooler’s defence was strong but in the end something had to give and after holding out for almost fifteen minutes Tata scored their second try from a quickly taken tap penalty (14-34).
The pattern of the game continued with Pontypool on the defensive as the strong wind made it difficult for them to gain a foothold in the Tata half. They held out for another fifteen minutes or so before the home side drove over from a lineout. Fortunately for Pooler the conversion failed and they were still more than two scores clear at 19-34.
Shortly afterward,s the nerves of the travelling Pontypool fans were settled when Lewis was given the ball from a tap penalty. He still had a lot to do but outpaced the cover to score in the corner. The conversion failed but at 19-39 with less than ten minutes to go Pooler could breathe a little easier.
Tata certainly did not take things easier as they set off in pursuit of their own bonus point and continued to press. It was no less than they deserved when Phillips crossed in the last play of the match to leave the final score 24-39.

Another fine win for Pontypool with a scintillating first half performance. The wind proved challenging in the second half but in truth they never looked like losing. We all waited anxiously for the results from Bargoed and Swansea. Bargoed had duly got their bonus point win against Bridgend Athletic but, joy of joys, Swansea had pipped RGC 1404 with a last minute dropped goal 39-38. This gives Pontypool a lit bit more breathing space but it is till desperately tight at the top of the Championship.

Team               Played             Points
Merthyr              23                    103
Swansea           24                    103
Pontypool          23                    88
Bargoed             22                     82
RGC 1404         22                     78

Mathematically Pontypool need 10 points from their remaining three games to be certain of promotion but, since they are playing both RGC 1404 and Bargoed in their last two games, two wins would do. This is still a really tough challenge.
First and foremost though, Pooler need to concentrate fully on next week’s match at Bridgend Athletic which will certainly not be easy. “Take each game as it comes” as the football managers would have it.

Congratulations to the Dragons on their excellent victory at Gloucester. I didn’t really see that coming but at least someone is flying the Welsh flag in Europe – we have avoided a Wexit!

I had foolishly thought that the season would have ended for Pontypool yesterday and booked a week’s holiday so will miss the game at Bridgend. I will be nervously clutching my phone waiting for the news.

Come on Pooler!

Saturday 2 April 2016

Pooler Spring into Action

The first Saturday in April and we finally got a lovely sunny spring afternoon at Pontypool Park. Pooler had only just managed to sneak a victory against visitors, Glynneath, in the corresponding away fixture earlier in the season so they needed to be treated with respect. All the remaining games are critical to Pooler’s promotion hopes so a high octane performance was required.

Pontypool played up the slope in the first half with a breeze blowing across the pitch. It was clear right from the start that Pontypool were intent on playing a high tempo game. They quickly exerted pressure on the Glynneath line and spurned the opportunity to kick a penalty from in front of the posts in favour of a scrum. Things didn’t work out as planned and they were forced back into their own half. A few minutes later Pooler were presented with a similar opportunity and this time Gullis kicked the goal (3-0).
Moments later Hurley was given the ball just outside the Glynneath 22 and with a touch of brilliance managed to beat three men to score in the corner (8-0). Whilst Pooler were on top, Glynneath were still competitive and at times looked threatening in attack. As the match entered the second quarter, Pontypool worked their way back up the field and Hudd drove over for a try from a lineout close to the try line and Gullis converted to open up a 15-0 lead. The visitors hit back with a penalty shortly afterwards to decrease the deficit (15-3).
Pontypool were really starting to hit their straps and were clearly revelling in the good playing conditions. Two well worked tries were their reward for enterprising play. One from Gullis who skated through under the posts and then a really good team try when Hurley finished of some brilliant inter-passing to score in the left corner. Both tries were converted and Pooler went into the half time interval with a 29-3 lead and the try bonus point already in the bag.
After a sluggish start to the second half when Glynneath did most of the attacking, Pooler eventually rediscovered their rhythm. Pontypool then scored tries at fairly regular intervals as the tiring away defence began to crumble under the tremendous pressure applied. In all Pooler scored a further seven tries with all but one converted. This was achieved despite a yellow card for Nash. Tries were scored by Gullis, Lewis, Sparks, Quick, Jeune, Lewis and Hancock. It was breathtaking stuff with some really high quality rugby. A special mention for Jeune who supported a break by Nash and sprinted to the line to score his try - not bad for a prop in the last five minutes of an exhausting game! The final score was a resounding 76-3 victory with eleven tries scored. Glynneath to their credit never gave up but came up against a side in irresistible form. The away side had several periods of the game in the Pooler 22 but came up against a really strong and stingy defence that was determined not to concede a try.

This was a really powerful display by Pontypool admittedly against one of the teams towards the bottom of the league. This should put the team in good heart for the major challenges that lie ahead. When Pooler play at a high tempo they really look a good side and it was great to have the weather that allowed them to play that way.

As expected, both Bargoed and RGC 1404 had bonus point wins so there is no change in terms of their respective positions in the Championship but we are a step nearer the finishing line. The one surprise result was Swansea being held to a draw at Beddau. The top of the Championship table now looks like this:
Team               Played             Points
Merthyr              22                    98
Swansea           23                    98
Pontypool          22                    83
Bargoed             21                    77
RGC 1404         21                    76

Next week’s game for Pontypool is away at Tata Steel. Tata beat RGC 1404 last week and won, what sounds like a remarkable match, at Cardiff Met. 46-49 this week so this is going to be tough challenge. Almost as important is RGC 1404’s visit to Swansea where a win for the Whites would do us a big favour.
It is interesting to note that last season RGC 1404 finished fourth in the final Championship table with 83 points – the same number as Pontypool have with four games to go. This shows the gap that the top five have created between themselves and the other teams in the Championship. It will be really hard on the side that misses out on promotion – let’s hope it is not us!

What I saw of the two Welsh inter-regional derbies was quite entertaining rugby with the two away sides Ospreys at the Dragons and the Blues at the Scarlets coming out on top. It is sad to see Faletau leaving the Dragons but I am sure that he will benefit from playing in the English Premiership. Let us hope he has a similar contract to George North at Northampton which means he is fully available for Wales.

Still my mind is back on Pontypool and the trip to Tata Steel next week. Yet another must win game but I’m sure the boys are up to it.

Come on Pooler!