Oh Happy Days!

By all accounts, I unfortunately missed Pontypool’s best performance of the season where they secured a hard fought bonus point victory over Cardiff Met University at Pontypool Park. It sounds as if it was a real ding dong affair with the lead changing hands three times before Pooler power put the game to bed 26-14. The Pooler tries were scored by Attwell, Usher and Coundley plus a penalty try from a scrum. The students proved the kind of opposition that befitted their second place position in the Championship and scored two converted tries themselves. Well done Pooler and good luck to Cardiff Met in the BUCS.

Where was I you might ask? Well I was in Cardiff for the Wales v South Africa match. Rather like Pooler, Wales gave their best all round performance of the season in another bruising encounter. The Welsh attack fired in the first half and the Welsh defence was inspired in the second half. Wales shrugged off the late withdrawal of Lydiate and the early loss of Moriarty through a head injury with the back row, led by Ellis Jenkins, playing wonderfully well. The Welsh got off to a great start and were soon fourteen points to the good with Francis and Williams scoring well-worked tries. 

From then on, it was all about the Welsh defence as the Springboks attacked. True the South Africans did score a try and did manage to close the gap to 14-11 but the Welsh defence was in no mood to allow them to score again. Dan Biggar came on in the fourth quarter and added a measure of control and struck two well-judged penalties to give Wales the breathing space they craved. The final score was 20-11 with a thoroughly deserved victory bringing the Autumn Series to a close. The one dark cloud on a great day for the Welsh was the nasty looking knee injury to man of the match Ellis Jenkins just before the final whistle. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Wales have won all four of the autumn internationals for the first time and cemented their place as number three in the world. This makes great reading doesn’t it. The Southern Hemisphere giants have had a tough autumn with Ireland, Wales and England giving them plenty to think about before the Rugby World Cup next autumn. It has also set up what looks to be a highly competitive Six Nations with Ireland surely clear favourites. The home games for Wales against England and Ireland will more than likely determine the outcome of the championship but Scotland and France cannot be excluded from the equation. This is really something to look forward to o those cold days in February and March.

Something else to look forward to is getting back to watch Pontypool and their battle to return to the Premiership. They are certainly in a very strong position in the Championship having won ten out of ten so far. They have amassed 49 points from the 10 games with Ystrad Rhondda in second place with 41 points from 11 games and Cardiff Met are third with 38 also from 11 games. Play-off watch shows that the fifth from bottom position in the Premiership is currently occupied by Cross Keys but there looks to be a real dogfight developing between the bottom seven clubs with the outcome probably not decided until the final match

.

Next week Pontypool take on Ystrad Rhondda at Pontypool Park. Since being promoted to the Championship this season, Ystrad Rhondda have performed brilliantly and have only lost twice and now proudly occupy second place. Pooler’s visit to Ystrad Rhondda for the first match of the season was quite a battle with Pooler mighty glad to escape with a victory. Pontypool will need to be at their best again next Saturday that is for sure if they are to keep their unbeaten run going.

Come on Pooler!

Wales Blow Away Tonga while Ireland Subdue the All Blacks

Saturday was a couch day with plenty of rugby on the TV. The first match on the menu was Wales v. Tonga. Warren Gatland had rung the changes and to be honest I felt a little concerned as I watched the teams take the field. The Tongans did look pretty large gentlemen.

My fears were allayed almost instantly as Wales made an uncharacteristically fast start and had built a seemingly unassailable lead of 24-3 in what seemed like ten minutes. If I had been watching Pontypool, I would have been concerned as a fast start is usually followed by a bit of a slump. Surely this couldn’t be the case for a professional outfit like Wales – but it was.  The Tongans forwards with Vailanu to the fore started charging at Wales, the Welsh scrum began to creak, and there followed about twenty minutes of Tongan dominance. Such was their dominance that a few minutes into the second half the score stood at 24-24.

Wales called for reinforcements from the bench and at the same time the massive effort that the Tongans had put in to get back into the game began to take its toll. Wales suddenly cut loose with some brilliant running rugby that left the South Sea Islanders grasping at shadows. It began to rain tries and Wales scored fifty unanswered points in breath-taking fashion. When the final whistle was blown the final score was a record at 74-24. Why was I ever concerned?

Dan Biggar was named as man of the match with Liam Williams also very prominent. I think my man of the match would have been Jake Ball who gave a great all round display which clearly announced his return to fitness. Warren Gatland and his management team will need to think long and hard about the team that they pick against South Africa in a few key positions. The bulk of Ball might be an asset against the mighty Springboks forwards in the second row. Who do we have at outside half?  Has Liam Williams done enough to oust Halfpenny, North or Adams? We have to have a top class goal kicker in the team in what could be a close match is it Halfpenny or Biggar? Should we load the bench with impact players? It is certainly a change for the better for Wales to have many selection dilemmas.

I always enjoy watching Japan play rugby and they gave England a good run for their money at Twickenham. The Japanese back play is audacious and a joy to watch. In the end the English power was too much and despite leading 10-15 the Japanese eventually lost by 35-15 which rather flattered England.

Scotland v South Africa was a tough and bruising encounter with the Scots giving as good as they got. The South Africans are building the foundations of a very competitive team as they meld their traditionally tough forwards with some exciting backs. In the end the Springboks edged the game 20-26 but were pushed to the limit by the doughty Scots. There were flashes of brilliance from both sides particularly in the first half.

Then there was Ireland v. New Zealand. Sadly I was dragged kicking and screaming from the couch and escorted to an evening of songs from the musicals in the Riverfront Theatre –aargh! I have managed to watch the match since but I couldn’t resist looking at the score beforehand which did take the edge off it a little. Ireland gave an inspired display and showed the world that the All Blacks are certainly not the super-humans that we had started believing they were. Of course New Zealand will be back probably even stronger when the Rugby World Cup comes around but some of the mystique surrounding them has been lost with England also running them so close. What price Ireland for the RWC?

The perceived gap between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres seems to have closed markedly almost to the point of being non-existent on the evidence of the matches this autumn. Yes the northern teams are at the start of their season and the southern teams at the end of theirs and the northern teams are playing at home but it does bode well for a truly competitive world cup.

Next Saturday Wales take on South Africa and most of the Welsh team will have had the advantage of resting while the Springboks were going toe to toe with the Scots. It is sure to be a tough, close match and Wales will have to be at their very best to prevail.

Next Saturday also Pontypool will take on Cardiff Met at Pontypool Park. Despite the early kick-off, I will miss this top of the table clash as I am again on international duty. It would be a close run thing but the traffic and the requirement to get into the Principality Stadium earlier for security reasons makes the logistics of going to both too difficult to manage. Bah! I will be closely monitoring the progress of the match that is for sure and bad company until I know the final outcome.

In the meantime, the Welsh Premiership had been progressing and Pooler fans have more than a passing interest in the league table. If Pontypool can top the Championship (still a big if of course) then they will need to beat the fifth from bottom team in the Premiership to gain promotion. The Premiership seems to be splitting into two with the top nine teams opening up a fourteen point gap to the bottom seven. The bottom seven consists of the three Gwent clubs: Cross Keys, Bedwas and Bargoed who sit above the four former “giants” Swansea, Bridgend, Llanelli and propping up the table Neath. As it stands Bargoed are fifth from bottom. There is still a lot of water to flow under the bridge though!

Next Saturday I will be hoping fervently for a double – Wales and Pooler to win.

Come on Pooler! Come on Wales!

PS The show at the Riverfront was really very good – but don’t tell anyone I told you.

Winning Ways

Faced with the club v. country debate, I plumped for my country. I decided to go to Cardiff to watch Wales play Australia rather than to Trebanos to watch Pontypool. Even though there was a gap of about two and a half hours or so between the expected final whistle in Trebanos and the kick off in Cardiff, the logistics of going to both was just not going to work.

So it was off to Cardiff and to the annoyance of my companions I was fiddling with my phone as I tried to keep abreast with what was happening in Trebanos. Isn’t modern technology wonderful? The game at Trebanos was evidently a forward dominated encounter in testing conditions with yellow cards and penalty tries abounding. Despite conceding two penalty tries, I was delighted to learn that the Pooler had won though 24-29. The lead changed hands a few times with Pooler scoring five tries (Matthews, Lewis, Attwell, Thomas plus a penalty try) to the homes side’s three. A had fought bonus point win for Pooler was just what the doctor ordered and I was ready to enjoy Wales v. Australia. Could Wales sneak a win after ten years of heartbreak?

We got into the Principality Stadium in time to see the last quarter of the England v. New Zealand match on the TV. England were giving as good as they got and the people crowding around the screen seemed fairly evenly split between those who were fed up of seeing the All Blacks win all the time and those who didn’t want England to win under any circumstances. I will not reveal which camp I was in but suffice it to say that it was poetic justice for England’s probable match-winning try to be disallowed after the controversial decision that went England’s way at the end of the Springboks game last week.

Before the Wales match kicked off, there was a really poignant tribute to the fallen in the various conflicts. The bugler who played the Last Post was absolutely fantastic and the two minutes silence was impeccably observed. I am really horrified by the scenes from the First World War that have been on the TV as we mark the passing of a century since the armistice. Fantastic courage and patriotism but what a waste.

Wales v. Australia turned out to be a bruising encounter with defences decidedly on top. For Wales the biggest priority was to any sort of win after ten years of coming second best. For Australia it was to try to regroup after a lack lustre few months. Neither side wanted to give an inch.

The first half was cagey and a defensive masterclass with the only scores a penalty apiece. Perhaps the most noteworthy occurrence was that the normally reliable Halfpenny missed a couple of easy penalty attempts – if anything can be easy in a tense test match with all those people watching . The crowd gasped in amazement when he missed a real sitter which would have given Wales a narrow lead just before half time.

The second half was more of the same with, in truth, neither side creating any clear chances of scoring a try. It was 6-6 with three minutes remaining when Biggar who was on as a replacement slotted a penalty for Wales to edge into the lead 9-6. How many times had we been in that position over the last ten years only for our hopes to be dashed by some inspired Aussie play? Surely it couldn’t happen again? The nerves jangled but the Welsh defence held firm – we had won at last.

This was a gutsy display by Wales but they urgently need to find a few more ways to threaten in attack. The Australian defence was a step up from the Scottish defence and really did not give Wales any opportunities. Line breaks were few and far between – the only one that stays in the mind was a powerful thrust by Jon Davies featuring a couple of trademark hand-offs. Everybody tackled their hearts out and in the end I think Wales just about deserved to win but we need to score tries. Of the changes from the previous match, Adams showed up well in defence and attack, Beard worked hard and will surely have benefited from this outing and Francis held the scrum up well enough. It was noticeable that the scrum started to creak when Francis was replaced.

Next week Wales play Tonga and there will be a totally new starting line-up I suppose. A good chance to assess the much vaunted strength in depth that Wales have been building.  I will watch with interest from the couch as Pontypool do not have a match.

Back to Pontypool and, after reeling off nine straight victories, they have now opened up a useful six point gap at the top of the Championship. Their two nearest rivals Cardiff Met and Narberth both lost yesterday and newly promoted Ystrad Rhondda have now jumped above Narberth into third place. All yesterday’s matches in the Championship were close which reflects the competiveness of the league and underlines the fact that Pooler cannot afford to let up if they are to stay on top. The next match for Pooler will be a home fixture against second placed Cardiff Met in two weeks’ time.

Come on Wales! Come on Pooler!

Doddie, we salute you

Still wiping the sleep out of my eyes, I headed for Cardiff and the Wales v. Scotland rugby international. The teams were playing for the Doddie Weir Cup and that brave warrior was there to oversee proceedings. He really is an inspirational figure as he battles against the debilitating effects of motor neurone disease. I was glad to see that the Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions, albeit after a bit of public prodding, decided that they should make a donation to Doddie’s very worthy cause.

The match itself was a fine spectacle with both sides trying to play open rugby in perfect conditions before a large crowd. Wales dominated territorially in the first half while Scotland had the upper hand in the second half. As luck would have it, I was sitting at the opposite end of the ground to where most of the action took place although two of the three tries were scored in front of me.

For the most part, defences were on top with the teams seeming to cancel each other out.  It seemed that one side would attack for a while and having failed to create an opening kicked the ball to the other side for them to have go. Wales were slightly better at it in the first half as they built up a lead through three penalties from Halfpenny with one by Hastings in reply. The rejuvenated North nearly scored in the right corner before a few minutes later appearing on the left to power through some weak Scottish tackling to score the opening try. Wales were leading 14-3 and looking comfortable.

This all changed towards the end of the first half when a driving lineout by Scotland close to the Welsh line resulted in a try for McInally that was converted and the score at half time was tight at 14-10.

Scotland dominated possession and territory in the second half but it was Wales who scored the only points. In a rare foray into the Scottish half, a perfectly executed backs move by Wales saw Jon Davies power over for a try. Halfpenny converted which gave Wales a significant lead at 21-10. Scotland pounded away at the Welsh line and, with Wales down to fourteen men following a yellow card for Dee, did everything but score. A driving lineout went perilously close and Horne should have touched down when he was first to the ball following a kick through. Wales held out though and kept up their formidable record of wins against Scotland in Cardiff. The result is not that important as this was really all about Doddie and raising public awareness of motor neurone disease.

A solid win for Wales- they are pretty rare in the autumn that is for sure. The Welsh defence for the most part looked pretty watertight with Tipuric and Lydiate getting through a load of work. In attack it was difficult for Wales to find a way through an aggressive Scottish defence. Two rare defensive lapses by the Scots led to the two tries. The creative spark for Wales still seems to be missing – perhaps it is like the Holy Grail and will take some finding.

 Next week Wales take on Australia - our nemesis. Even though Australia are not in the best of form, if Wales are to win they will need to go up a gear. I guess we can expect a few changes – Liam Williams into the back three, maybe a change or two at prop and possibly Dan Biggar. There are four tough games in four weeks and a bit of judicious rotation of players is surely necessary.

My measure of inflation is the cost of a pint at the Principality Stadium and I can report that the price of a pint has now reached a dizzy £5. I make that an inflation rate of 6.38% as I think it was a mere £4.70 last season. The price of tickets is also becoming monumental with the £100 barrier being breached for the England and Ireland games in the Six Nations Championship. I may be imagining it but there seemed to be far fewer trays of pints of beer passing me by yesterday. If that is the case then some good has come from the rising prices. I suppose a splash of beer is now a pound wasted.

While we are on financial matters, the current trials and tribulations faced by Neath RFC seem all too common at the moment. It really brings it home how lucky we are at Pontypool to have the solid backing of Peter and Ben Jeffreys. Without it we would surely have been in dire straits. 

Next week Pontypool are back in action with a visit to Trebanos. I am back in action with another visit to Cardiff for the Australia game.

Come on Wales and come on Pooler!