Feisty Festive Fare

Pontypool’s last game of 2018 required the short hop over to Newbridge. Local derbies between the two teams over the years have always been keenly contested affairs which have left a scar or two on players from both teams. Although Newbridge occupy a fairly lowly position in the Championship while Pooler sit proudly at the top, we were not expecting anything other than a tough examination of the away side’s credentials.

It was a mild, still afternoon and, although the pitch was quite muddy, conditions were well suited to open attacking rugby. Newbridge kicked off and it was clear right from the outset that both sides meant business as the packs locked horns. Pontypool suffered an early setback when a few choice words to the referee from Jeune following a penalty awarded to the home team at a scrum led to a yellow card. Newbridge sensed an opportunity and attacked with purpose. An excellent run by centre McGovern almost led to a try and Pooler seemed to be momentarily on the ropes. They are made of stern stuff these days however and an impressive defensive stint enabled them to work their way into the Newbridge half. A powerful run by Sparks got Pooler well over the gain line and some good handling by the backs ably assisted by flanker Matthews put Prothero over for a try in the right corner. Meek converted and Pooler were up and running at 0-7 as the first quarter came to an end.

This was a tough match for the referee to manage with a lot happening off the ball and frequent bouts of fisticuffs as both packs vied for ascendancy. The scrums were a real mess with frequent resets as they collapsed time after time. The crowd became restless as they were often baffled by the refereeing decisions and, for a time, there really did not seem to be much danger of any rugby breaking out. Pontypool had the answer for that - a strong driving lineout saw scrum half Luckwell score and this was closely followed by another strong surge by the Pooler pack that saw Drake touch down. The second try was converted by Meek and Pooler had stamped their authority on the match with a 0-19 lead.

Newbridge were stung into action and attacked strongly as the first half came to a close. They had a series of lineouts close to the Pontypool line but the away side managed to disrupt them. The referee ruled that the disruption was illegal and the repeated offending led to Sparks receiving a yellow card. Even with fourteen men Pontypool managed to hold out and hang on to their nineteen point lead as tempestuous half came to a close.

Newbridge, with their numerical advantage, started the second half in a similar vein to the way that they finished the first and made a major effort to close the gap. Pooler rode the storm reasonably comfortably and began to play more expansively. The Pontypool backs started to run at Newbridge and soon began to find gaps. Full back Walsh came into the line and put left wing Thomas in the clear to score the fourth try thus securing the bonus point (0-24).

Thereafter tries came at fairly regular intervals for Pontypool as Newbridge tired and Pontypool started to introduce players from their strong list of replacements. Thomas was soon on the score sheet again as Mahoney and Prothero combined well to create a gap for him. The try was converted and Pontypool now led 0-31.

More agony for Newbridge was to follow as a strong run by East and a pass to the supporting Herbert led to the away side’s sixth try under the posts (0-38). A few minutes later, things got even worse for the home side when that man Thomas popped again to take the scoring pass after a quick tap penalty and bring up his hat trick of tries. The try was again converted by Meek and Pooler were running away with it at 0-45.

Pooler were not done and a break by replacement outside half was well supported by Herbert who gave the scoring pass to Luckwell who touched down for their eighth try. With the conversion Pontypool had passed the half century and led 0-52.

The match ended with some spirited attacking by Newbridge but try as they might they could not reap any reward for the tremendous effort that they had expended during the match. The final score was Newbridge 0 Pontypool 52.

Newbridge posed a significant physical challenge for Pontypool for long periods of this match before Pontypool managed to gain the upper hand. It was nasty and niggly at times as local derbies often are but once Pontypool had found their way through this they were able to show what a potent try scoring outfit they are.

With Ystrad Rhondda’s thumping home defeat by Cardiff Met, Pontypool’s lead at the top of the Championship has now increased to sixteen points with two games in hand over Cardiff Met who are now second. Play-off watch in the Premiership shows that it is now Llanelli who are in the play-off position. Pontypool’s next match is the long awaited home cup tie against Neath. Let us hope that Neath somehow manage to get through their current difficulties and are able to fulfil the fixture.

The only other rugby I have watched was the Cardiff Blues v. the Dragons on the TV. It was a pretty low quality match in difficult conditions but a close encounter for all that. The Blues snatched victory with a last gasp penalty which was a real sickener for the Dragons who had played most of the match with fourteen players and given as good as they got. I thought Wainwright and Hill were outstanding for the Dragons in a depleted back row.

Well 2018 is drawing to a close and Pontypool have not lost a league fixture in a brilliant year. 2019 brings perhaps their biggest challenge – can Pooler claim a place in the Premiership? I certainly hope so. Come on Pooler!

Merry Xmas and a successful New Year to all Pooler fans.

Pontypool Defy the Elements

I was desperately in need of a fix of Pontypool rugby but as I looked out of the window on Saturday morning I wondered whether the lashing rain would put the kibosh on the afternoon’s match at the Park. To my surprise I learned that the match against Beddau was definitely on so I made my way up the valley through the increasingly large puddles. This was certainly not a day for the Bank so we took our places at the back of the stand and surveyed the dismal conditions with pools of water already gathering on the pitch. The pitch had been deemed playable and the players trooped warily out from the warmth of the changing rooms.

Pontypool kicked off and were playing upstream in the first half. There followed a plague of penalties against the home side that ultimately led to Beddau taking a 0-3 lead with a successful kick at goal by Chatham. Pooler started to get to grips with the treacherous conditions underfoot and a lovely pop pass from Meek put fellow centre Mahoney into space. The defence floundered and almost foundered as he sped over the goal line for the opening try. The conversion was good and Pooler had taken the lead at 7-3.

Pontypool continued to win the territorial battle as both sides kicked the ball in the hope of inducing a mistake from their opponents. Such a mistake by Beddau early in the second quarter, led to a scrum close to their try line. Pooler gained possession and Meek was put through on the burst to score under the posts. The conversion increased Pooler’s lead to 14-3.

Beddau enjoyed a period of possession and territory and hammered away at the Pontypool line but the home defence was in Ebenezer Scrooge mode and were not about to let the visitors score a try. In the end, Beddau had to settle for a penalty from Chatham which brought the scoring in the first half to a close. At half time, Pooler held a 14-6 lead but did look to be the dominant force especially as they would have benefit of playing downstream in the second half.

The rain kept teeming down and the pitch was looking more like a paddy field than a rugby field as the second half got under way. Beddau suffered an early blow when they were left shorthanded by a yellow card for one of their locks. Pontypool really started to get a stranglehold on the match and Beddau found it increasingly difficult to get out of their own half. Strong pressure from the home pack led to a try for Coundley under the posts and with the conversion Beddau had been cast adrift at 21-6.

The Pontypool handling under dreadful conditions was inspired at times, Sparks and Hughes combined to put Herbert in the clear. The flanker did not quite make it to the line but was able to offload to the supporting Luckwell who touched down for the bonus point try increasing Pooler’s lead to 26-6.

A few minutes later, Hughes who had a strong game was again prominent in a break that culminated in Thomas scooting over the line for Pooler’s fifth try. The conversion was successful and Beddau were looking pretty dejected with the score now 33-6 in Pooler’s favour.

Seconds later, Thomas had the ball on the left wing and with a pass that would not have looked out of place for a Fijian sevens player put Mahoney away. Mahoney galloped in from half way leaving what looked like a wake behind him. The conversion was gain successful and Pooler were now 40-6 ahead.

Not long afterwards, the awful conditions led to a series of defensive errors by the away side led to the ball going loose. Substitute Watson-Boycott was the beneficiary as he touched down for Pontypool’s seventh try of the afternoon which went unconverted (45-6).

It came as a great relief to the Beddau players when the referee blew the final whistle a little early. They had been swimming against the tide for virtually all of the second half. Final score: Pontypool 45 Beddau 6.

Well I got my fix of Pooler rugby but the match was played in really dreadful conditions. I am sure if the kick off had been scheduled an hour later it would not have taken place. Pontypool showed a tremendous ability to adapt to the elements and were worthy winners. Some of their handling was outstanding when you consider that the rain had been teeming down for hour after hour. Well played everyone.

The Welsh regions’ hopes of progress in the European Champions Cup have now been extinguished with further losses for both Scarlets and Cardiff Blues. The Dragons are surely out of the Challenge Cup after conceding another hatful of points. The Ospreys are still in contention but also lost, albeit narrowly, in France. The depth of the squads that the Welsh regions have do not look competitive when measured against the redoubtable Irish who seem to be setting the standard.

On Friday night, I did watch quite a bit of Merthyr v. Cardiff in the Premiership and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The standard was high and the Cardiff backs were particularly impressive. There did seem to be quite a few Blues’ academy players in the Cardiff team and it set me wondering about what happened to the age group regional teams that we heard so much about. The results must have passed me by somewhere along the line. Have they finished playing? Who won?

“Play off watch” shows Cross Keys now occupying fifth from bottom place in the Premiership. Hapless Neath looked doomed from the Premiership whether it is on or off the field. The other relegation places continue to be a dogfight between the Gwent three: Bedwas, Cross Keys and Bargoed and the former “giants”:  Llanelli, Bridgend and Swansea. We continue to monitor the situation with great interest.

Next week Pontypool visit their longstanding foes at Newbridge. No matter what the league positions are this is always a tough and uncompromising fixture. I don’t expect this one to be any different.

Come on Pooler!

Square Eyes and Mince Pies

Pontypool were not in league action this weekend so sadly I watched a lot of rugby on the TV rather than being out in the wind and rain. Pontypool did have a rather low profile friendly encounter with Cwmbran on Friday night to keep the cobwebs at bay but I did not venture out.

Friday evening started with Merthyr v. Carmarthen Quins in the Premiership. It was pretty uninspiring stuff and you could cut the atmosphere with a banana. It was pretty clear from the outset that despite Carmarthen’s best intentions to run the ball Merthyr’s power would win the day. So I was soon watching the Scarlets v. Ulster in the Champions Cup. What the Scarlets could have done with was a big partisan crowd behind them but that was not the case as there were large swathes of empty seats in Parc Y Scarlet. From the outset, Ulster looked the livelier and stronger team and for the most part kept the much vaunted home backs under a close rein. The Scarlets played in fits and starts with only a few flashes of inspiration which usually involved Jon Davies. Gradually Ulster built a lead that was to prove unassailable despite a big last ditch effort from the Scarlets. The final score line of 24-25 is a bit flattering for the Scarlets as Ulster scored four tries to two and with better goal kicking would have been well clear. After last year’s good run, this must be a huge disappointment to the Scarlets as they now have no chance of progressing. And yes Merthyr did beat Carmarthen Quins.

Saturday brought more Champions Cup rugby. It started with a West Country derby where Exeter Chiefs took on Gloucester. With home advantage, Exeter were clear favourites but that didn’t seem to bother Gloucester. In a match of countless box kicks from the respective scrum halves Gloucester made the fewer mistakes. The Gloucester forwards were inspired and proved more effective that their opponents in tricky conditions. Exeter seem to find it difficult to be as dominant in cup rugby as they are in league rugby and it does remind me of those dim and distant days when Pontypool had similar problems in the Welsh Cup. For the record Gloucester won 19-27 which effectively means that Exeter will not progress. Cue a cup of tea and a mince pie.

It was then on to Bath v Leinster. This was another hard fought match with plenty of tactical kicking. There was not much to choose between the sides on the day but Leinster showed why they are the reigning champions by getting the job done. The match turned on a wild pass from the Bath fly half Wilson that was intercepted and run in for a try by Larmour. Leinster squeezed home 10-17 in what was an attritional affair with lots of injuries. Such is the way the fixtures fall, they get to do it all again in Dublin next Saturday – rather them than me!

I did start watching Wasps v. Toulouse and did enjoy seeing a small man amongst the giants, Kolbe, score a great try for Toulouse. But enough was enough and I felt that I had done more than my share of couch guard duty and repaired to the pub for some light refreshment. It is a hard life!

I did have a look at the scores from the other tournament that nobody seems to talk about. I think it is called the Challenge Cup. If I were a sponsor I would be pretty fed up of the lack of coverage in the media. Anyway the Dragons played at Northampton and shipped forty plus points to bring up the century of points conceded in an awful week. The Ospreys did thump Stade Francais but I don’t think the French teams take the mystery tournament too seriously. Unless the Cardiff Blues can do something remarkable against the Saracens away and home in the Champions Cup, then it would seem that the Ospreys are the only Welsh region that could progress to the knock-out stages. Perversely this generally seems to enhance the chances of the national team with the Welsh players not involved in the slug fest that is European rugby.

Next weekend Pooler are back in action, thank goodness, with Beddau the visitors to Pontypool Park. It will give me a chance to get the couch re-sprung before Xmas.

Come on Pooler!

Pontypool’s Pack Pave the Way

It had rained and rained overnight and then rained some more on the Saturday morning. Surely the Pontypool match would be postponed. I was very much on tenterhooks as I waited for the result of the 11.00am pitch inspection to flash through over the ether. I was suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms - no live Pooler game for a month or more. The news was good the match was on – the couch heaved a sigh of relief.

Pontypool had another opportunity to stamp their authority on the Championship with the visit of second placed Ystrad Rhondda who had been proving a worthy addition to the league with their impressive nine wins out of eleven starts. They had really given Pooler a scare in the corresponding away fixture earlier in the season so a tough encounter was anticipated.

The pitch was in remarkably good condition considering the amount of rainfall but it was a grey blustery afternoon with more rain not far away. Pontypool were playing up the slope and against the wind in the first half as the game kicked off.

After a cagy first few minutes, the first scrum gave us a taste of what was to come. The power of Pooler’s pack earned a penalty and the ball was kicked for touch. A powerful surge from the forwards saw new hooker Hughes touch down for a try. Lewis converted and Pooler had drawn first blood (7-0).

The next half an hour was nip and tuck with both sides having their share of decent possession and field position. Pontypool seemed to be content to kick for position and negate the Ystrad attacks with their blanket defence. As you might expect, the tricky conditions were not making handling easy so errors were abundant in a scrappy period of play.

As the half was drawing to a close, Pooler established a position in the Ystrad twenty two. A series of forward surges were repelled by the visitors before the ball was spread wide where Lloyd Lewis on the right wing managed to skip around his opposite number to squeeze in at the corner for a try. The try was unconverted but this was a great boost for Pooler on the stroke of half time and they had a spring in their step as they made their way to the changing rooms with a 12-0 lead.

Pontypool with the advantage of the slope and the elements started the second half strongly and were soon deep in the Ystrad twenty two. The forwards carried strongly as they edged closer and closer to the goal line. It was Danny Hodge who finally broke the defence to dot down for the third Pontypool try. The try was again unconverted but Pooler looked in control at 17-0 and were in the hunt for the bonus point try.

They did not have to wait long. Pooler again worked their way into the Ystrad twenty two and this time the ball was spread wide with Lloyd Lewis put in the clear and he needed no second invitation to gallop down the touchline and score in the right corner. The conversion failed but Pooler had secured the bonus point and held a 22-0 lead.

Pontypool had momentum with them but this was lost when Meek received a yellow card and outside half Lewis left the field due to injury. This led to the away side putting a series of attacks together with Pooler very much on the defensive. The Pooler defence held firm as Ystrad desperately tried to break their duck.

Meek returned to the field amid the usual round of substitutions for both sides and Pontypool once again were on the attack. Again it was the driving play of the forwards that proved too much for Ystrad who were forced into conceding a penalty try as they tried to halt Pooler’s progress. The Pontypool lead had now grown to 29-0 and there was no way back for the visitors.

As the game moved deep into the final quarter, Pontypool conjured up the best try of the match. They were awarded a penalty in their own twenty two and elected to run it. The ball was moved right where Lloyd Lewis made good ground before being tackled. The support was on hand and a couple off offloads saw replacement scrum half Quick cap a brilliant move to score in the right corner. The conversion once again sailed wide leaving Pontypool well clear at 34-0.

Ystrad Rhondda never gave up trying and as the game and had made a major contribution to a competitive match. They got their just reward as the final whistle approached with an unconverted try by Williams. Final score Pontypool 34 Ystrad Rhondda 5.

Pontypool thoroughly deserved this victory against spirited and well organised opposition. The foundations of the victory were laid by the forwards with a strong scrummage and powerful driving play. In the backs Pooler have a potent weapon in Lloyd Lewis who is ever ready to finish off the approach play of the rest of the backs. The strength in depth of the squad would be the envy of most Premiership teams.

Pontypool have now recorded eleven wins from eleven starts and at the half way point hold a thirteen point lead at the top of the Championship with a game in hand. A strong position indeed but there is no room for complacency that is for sure.

On Friday night I watched Cardiff v. Swansea in a Premiership match on the TV. To say the size of the crowd was disappointing is an understatement. I know the match was live on TV and Cardiff City were playing but where were all the fans? For the record, Cardiff won reasonably comfortably if anyone is interested. At the end of this round of Premiership matches, playoff watch can reveal that Bedwas are now in the playoff position but it is till mighty tight. Neath looked to be doomed but the struggle to avoid relegation is going to be tense.

I did also catch a bit of the Glasgow v. Scarlets match. Despite being down to fourteen men for most of the match Glasgow seemed to win most of the physical battles and were worthy 29-20 winners. The Dragons must surely be devastated to be absolutely stuffed at home by Leinster. Can anyone stop the current Irish dominance of regional and international rugby?

The Pontypool game against Tata Steel due to be played next Saturday has been postponed so the next match is at home against Beddau. There is serious danger of me having to do Xmas shopping – bah humbug!

Come on Pooler!