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!