Pooler Enjoying Life in the Premiership

Carmarthen Quins were the visitors to Pontypool Park for Pooler’s latest league game. After mixed fortunes at Aberavon over the last two weekends, I am sure Pooler were glad to be back on home soil. It was a great afternoon for rugby with little wind and no rain to contend with and a pitch that was in perfect condition.

Pooler playing up the slope in the first half were soon on the scoreboard with a penalty from Jarvis (3-0). This was soon followed up by a well-worked try by two of Pooler’s talented youngsters. Scrum half Lloyd’s shrewd cross kick was gathered by Anderson in space and he scurried over in the right corner. Jarvis converted and the home side were 10-0 to the good.

Pontypool were on top and it came as no surprise when they extended their lead to 13-0 with another Jarvis penalty after a quarter of an hour. In this league you can never relax and as the first quarter came to an end Pooler were caught napping when Quins scrum half Davies took a quick tap penalty and sprinted forty metres to score a try under the posts. Wilson converted and the visitors had finally made their presence felt and closed the gap to 13-7.

Pooler continued to have the upper hand but were finding the Quins defence difficult to break down. They were rewarded with another Jarvis penalty on the half hour (16-7) and kept up the pressure in search of a second try. Pooler won a series of penalties as the Quins defence was stretched and this led to a yellow card for Millin. From the ensuing penalty, Pooler opted to kick to touch. A powerful driven lineout saw Scarfe touch down in the left corner. Jarvis converted and the home side had opened up a significant 23-7 lead.

As the first half drew to a close, there was a flurry of scoring. A promising Pooler attack down the right wing broke down and Quins’ outside half Wilson was put in space in his own twenty-two. He showed a tremendous turn of speed as he left the Pooler defence for dead to score a try that he converted himself (23-14). Moments later, Pooler struck back when a line break by Pat Lewis was supported by fellow centre Mahoney who blasted over for a fine try. The try was converted by the ever-reliable Jarvis and left Pooler with a deserved 30-14 half time lead.

If the Carmarthen Quins coach wanted a reaction from his charges he certainly got one. Quins dominated the third quarter with Pooler finding it difficult to get their hands on the ball. Pooler were guilty of giving away a series of penalties as they were very much on the back foot. The Quins forwards battered away and they were rewarded with a try from Millin that was converted by Wilson to reduce Pooler’s lead to nine points at 30-21.

On the hour, the home side finally broke out as Price made good ground down the left wing. The attack was stopped just short of the visitors’ line but Pooler kept the pressure on. It was Price who got the vital score as he squeezed in for a try in the corner. The conversion failed but Pooler had secured the try bonus point and a 35-21 lead.

It was Pontypool who had the better of the remaining time in the match as they finished the stronger. Another precision penalty from Jarvis stretched the lead to 38-21. After pressing hard in the Quins twenty-two, Pooler finished the game with a deserved fifth try when hardworking flanker Davies pirouetted over after a series of forward drives. Jarvis converted with the last kick of the game. Final score Pontypool 45 : Carmarthen Quins 21.

This was an entertaining game of rugby that Pontypool thoroughly deserved to win. Pooler have demonstrated admirably that they can compete at Premiership level and have now risen to the dizzy height of third in the table having won three of their four matches. It is, of course, very early days and there are many tougher challenges to come as the season progresses. You cannot help feeling, however, that there is more to come from a fully committed squad. There is a challenging visit to Merthyr coming up in two weeks which will fully test their resolve I am sure.

Meanwhile Wales have had a week off in the RWC. Yesterday Georgia gave Fiji a tough time so Wales will have to be on their mettle if they want to win their group when they take on the Georgians next weekend. It is looking like the group winner will take on Argentina in the quarterfinal while the runner up will play England. Neither game should fill Wales with dread but there are no easy matches at that stage.

There have been some huge scores racked up as the weaker sides have been put to the sword over the last few weeks. I am not sure whether this does the weaker sides or rugby in general any favours. It is still difficult to pick an overall winner with South Africa, France, Ireland and New Zealand looking a class above the rest. Then there is Wales of course – it is nice to be able to dream!

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!      

Wales Power Into the Quarterfinals

One of the very best performances by Wales in recent years saw them trounce Australia 40-6 to guarantee a place in the quarterfinals of the RWC. No one really saw this coming. In fact, after an evenly contested first half an hour in which Wales lost Dan Biggar to injury, it looked to us Welsh pessimists as if Wales could actually lose despite leading 16-6.

The team talks at half-time must have been interesting to say the least. Wales emerged for the second half full of purpose and professionalism while Australia seemed to have lost their mojo. Eddie Jones obviously didn’t hit the right notes. Surely his days as coach are numbered.

In the second half Wales were absolutely tremendous and kept the scoreboard ticking over with a stream of Anscombe penalties as they kept Australia under extreme pressure. They also scored a couple of good tries to complement the excellent first half try from Davies. Yes, it was a comprehensive victory

The couch was pushed back against the wall as I watched with my jaw dropping in astonishment as Wales dismembered the dejected and woeful Wallabies. Bread of heaven!

Wales now have a couple of weeks off before they face Georgia in their last pool game. A win will see them top their group and potentially face Argentina in the quarterfinal.

Well done Wales!

Missed Kicks Cost Pooler Dear

Another Saturday afternoon and another trip to the Talbot Athletic ground to watch Pontypool take on Aberavon. Pooler just scraped home last Saturday in the league fixture but this time it was a cup tie. It was a tense affair the previous week and we were expecting something similar again. The weather was improved and the sun was shining and there were no traffic problems to contend with. Pontypool had made a whole raft of changes as they rotated their squad.

It was Aberavon who opened the scoring with a Thomas penalty in the first few minutes (3-0). Pontypool took the initiative but found the Aberavon defence in no mood to yield a try. Pooler were, however, awarded two penalties in the next five minutes but failed to convert either. We wondered how costly this would be in what was sure to be a tight game. The absence of the absence of Jarvis and his precision goalkicking was keenly felt.

The match was played at a higher pace than the previous week with both sides adopting a more open approach in the perfect conditions. It was Pooler who held the advantage in terms of territory but it was Aberavon who scored next with another penalty that doubled their lead to 6-0 as the first quarter ended.

The game was keenly contested between two evenly matched team and it was difficult to spot a winner. Pooler were awarded another kickable penalty but again the ball sailed wide. Undaunted, Pooler continued to attack and after kicking another penalty to the corner they finally got their reward in the final minutes of the first half. After a protracted series of forward drives and one try chalked off, Peter Lloyd plunged over to register Pooler’s first points of the afternoon. The conversion failed and Pooler trailed by just one point at 6-5.

Pooler continued to press but could not add to their score before the end of the half. It was another tight game and Pooler could ill afford the eleven points that they could have accrued through the kicks that they missed.

Pontypool brought on Bancroft to replace the lively Anderson at fullback for the second half. New scrumhalf, Flanagan, also came on to replace Leonard. Before we had time to consider the changes, a crosskick from Pooler outside half Malson found right wing Rosser in space. Rosser showed a change of pace to beat his man and score in the right corner. Bancroft took the difficult conversion from the touchline but the pesky ball wouldn’t cooperate and Pooler had to be satisfied with a three point lead (6-10).

Aberavon were stung into action and worked their way into the Pooler twenty-two. Flanagan received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on and Aberavon kicked for the corner. Pooler were now under immense pressure close to their line as the home side attacked with vigour. The defence worked overtime but ultimately the extra man told and Wizards’ wing Andrews was left unmarked and cantered in for a try. Davies converted and the home side were back in the lead 13-10.

On the hour, Pooler opted to attempt a long-range penalty but again it failed. To make matters worse from the ensuing play a searing break saw Aberavon surge up field and Jones outpace the defence to score in the right corner. A tremendous conversion from Davies saw the Wizards go two scores clear at 20-10.

There were still twenty minutes left but, despite some powerful thrusts from Nove, Pontypool could not make any impact on the lead. There were close calls at both ends but there were no additions to the score. Final score Aberavon 20 : Pontypool 10.

This was an enjoyable match between two evenly matched teams with both sides keen to play open rugby. The match could have gone either way with both sides scoring two tries. Ironically it was Aberavon’s missed kick that gave Pontypool their victory last week and this week it was Pooler’s missed kicks that played a big part in their defeat. Congratulations to Aberavon who progress to the quarter final of the Premiership Cup.

Next week Pontypool entertain Carmarthen Quins and will again be tested to the full. There are many encouraging signs for Pooler as the season progresses and they get to grips with life in the Premiership.

In the evening, I watched the heavyweight clash between Ireland and South Africa ion the RWC. This was a high quality and rousing encounter that Ireland just edged. It would have made a great final. In the end, South Africa’s goalkicking let them down in what was otherwise an evenly fought but bruising match. There will be some aching bodies this morning that is for sure.

This evening Wales face Australia in a pivotal match. If Wales win, and it’s a big if, they progress to the quarter finals. If they lose things get difficult but they can still progress. There are all sorts of scenarios regarding bonus points that are doing my head in with Fiji also in contention. I think I will be back behind the sofa again somehow.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!

Pooler Win Late, Wales Frustrate

Just as our heart rates were returning to normal after the tumultuous match between Wales and Fiji in the RWC, we were faced with that other thing that is sure to raise blood pressure – traffic jams. Various problems on the M4 on the journey down to Aberavon for Pooler’s latest match caused a lot of angst and led to a delayed kick off. It felt as if we were having a practice run for the twenty mile an hour speed limit on the motorway at times.

The pitch at the Talbot Athletic Ground was in perfect condition on a dank afternoon with little wind. Pooler sported a predominantly black jersey which seemed in keeping with the weather. Pooler had the edge in the first quarter and seemed to be a yard quicker but failed to make any impression on the scoreboard. Both sides were guilty of making errors and defences were on top in a close hard-fought game.

It was not until the 25^th minute that the first points were registered courtesy from a penalty kicked by Jarvis (0-3). Jarvis followed this up with another penalty a few minutes later to double Pooler’s lead to 0-6.

The scrums had been a source of much frustration with frequent collapses and resets that seemed to drain the oxygen from the match. Unfortunately for Pooler, the referee decided that Cochrane the Pooler loose-head was to blame and gave him a yellow card. Perhaps it would have been fairer if the Aberavon tight-head had had his marching orders too.

Pooler managed their period with fourteen men well with stern defence keeping out a concerted Aberavon attack. As the half drew to a close, Pooler’s numbers were further reduced when left wing Walker has also shown a yellow card for slowing down the ball in a ruck. Despite this Pooler held on to retain their six point lead at half time.

It was always going to be difficult for Pooler to keep Aberavon out with only thirteen men in the early minutes of the second half. Despite some excellent defence in the end they succumbed to a shrewd cross kick down Pooler’s right wing. Thomas comfortably won the chase for the touch down and with a conversion from Davies Aberavon had taken a narrow lead (7-6).

From then on, defences remained on top and, in truth, neither side really looked like scoring a try despite their respective benches being progressively emptied. The match was close and not lacking in effort and commitment from both sides but not of the highest quality it is fair to say.

Towards the end of the third quarter, Thomas from Aberavon was shown a yellow card for a high tackle and, to make matters worse for the Wizards, Jarvis slotted the penalty. Pooler were back in the lead at 7-9. It was difficult to pick a winner at this stage.

With around ten minutes left, the home side retook the lead with a penalty, this time from James, when Pooler were caught offside (10-9). Not to be outdone, Pooler retook the lead with little time remaining in this see-saw match with yet another Jarvis penalty (10-12).

There was yet another twist when Aberavon were presented with an opportunity to snatch the match with a last gasp penalty in an eminently kickable position. Fortunately for Pooler, the kick was adjudged to have narrowly missed. The spoils went to Pooler after a really close encounter. Final score Aberavon 10 : Pontypool 12.

Congratulations to Pontypool on grinding out a victory in a highly competitive match. As we know, any victories at the Talbot Athletic Ground are hard-earned. Next Saturday we do it all again as Pooler travel to Aberavon this time in the Cup. Let us hope that the traffic problems have been sorted out.

Wales took on Portugal a bit later in the Rugby World Cup. The really hard-earned victory against Fiji six days before meant that Wales had made wholesale changes. Portugal quickly showed that they play attractive, enterprising rugby and were going to prove a handful for Wales. In truth, Wales were far from their best with a disjointed error-strewn display that was immensely frustrating for those of a Welsh persuasion. Few, if any, Welsh players did much to warrant promotion to the squad for the match against Australia next week. Although Wales never really looked like losing after an early Rees Zammit try, it was Portugal who won the plaudits with their attacking flair. Wales defended well, however, and only conceded one rather soft try from a lineout close to their line. Wales scored a further three tries using their superior forward grunt close to the Portugal line. The fourth try from Faletau with the last play of the game was particularly important as it earned Wales a bonus point. The final score of Wales 28 : Portugal 8 was flattering for Wales to say the least. Wales need to improve greatly if they are to trouble Australia next week.

Well two victories to celebrate - both a stressful watch in their different ways. We’ll take that though!

Come on Pooler!

Come on Wales!

Hot Stuff at Pontypool

A roasting hot day in September is not ideal for rugby but of course there are far worse alternatives which we will be seeing no doubt in the not too distant future. There were many mutterings of “I am glad I’m not playing,” amongst the fans around Pontypool Park as Pooler prepared to take on Swansea in their fist home league game in the Premiership. A large number of “Bankites”, myself included, thought it best to take the shade offered by the stand. It really was that kind of day.

Swansea took the field in blue jerseys when you thought that their traditional white would have been more appropriate in the baking sun. Pooler in their traditional red, white and black played down the slope in the first half and there was no breeze to speak of.

Pontypool dominated territory in the first half but found it difficult to put points on the board. In fact, it was Swansea who opened the scoring against the run of play with a long-range penalty from Jones (0-3). The home side struck back a few minutes later with a peach of a backs move which put Anderson in for a try in the right corner. Jarvis converted from the touch line and Pooler took the lead at 7-3.

Pooler remained on top and were attacking around the visitors’ twenty two when a pass went astray. The ball was scooped up by Swansea right wing James who outpaced the Pontypool chasers to score under the posts. Jones converted and Swansea had snatched back the lead with their only meaningful incursion into the home twenty two (7-10).

The game was more evenly contested in the second quarter but Pooler looked the more likely to score although Swansea did show at times how dangerous they could be if given time and space.  Frustratingly, the Pooler lineout was not functioning well and meant a loss of possession when Pooler got into promising positions.

As the first half drew to a close, Pooler were attacking fiercely in the Swansea twenty two. They spurned several kickable penalties as they went in search of a try. The penalty count against the away side mounted and Baker the Swansea flanker was given a yellow card. Pooler had the extra man and they made it tell as, after a series of forward drives, Matthews powered over for a try from short range in the last play of the half. Jarvis converted and Pooler marched off to the shade of the changing rooms with a deserved 14-10 lead.

The second half saw the players wilting in the heat and both benches were emptied. Neither side was about to give up that was for sure and it made for a closely fought half of rugby. The third quarter saw Pooler increase their lead with a long-range Jarvis penalty after Swansea had missed with their attempted penalty. Pooler were leading 17-10 but this was by means a comfortable lead.

Swansea kept probing as the Pooler penalty count rose. Their kicking game gave Pooler anxious moments and they had both territory and possession and tested the Pooler defence. Eventually, the Swansea attacks bore fruit with Jenkins squeezing in for a try in the left corner. Aubrey converted superbly and the match was tied at 17-17 well into the fourth quarter.

Pontypool responded well and went on the attack. Swansea strayed offside just inside their half and a booming penalty kick from Jarvis made them pay. Pooler had snatched the lead at 20-17 with minutes to go. To the relief of the home fans, Pooler spent those minutes deep in the Swansea half with ball in the hands of the forwards. Despite being reduced in strength by an injury to Sweet, the pack almost powered over for a try as the match ended. Final score Pontypool 20 : Swansea 17.

Pontypool deserved to win a tight match and the win will boost confidence after the defeat at Newport the previous Sunday.  In stifling conditions, they finished the stronger and can be justifiably proud of their efforts. The first Pooler try was a beauty and you cannot help feeling that, with a little more attacking intent, the backs could be a potent unit. Of course, there are things to work on and I imagine the lineout will be top of the list. Well done Pooler - you have a win under your belt. It is now on to two tough away matches in Aberavon with the second being a cup tie.

The Rugby World Cup is underway and France set things in motion with a win against New Zealand without playing their best rugby. I started watching England v Argentina but it rapidly turned into a kick fest with little interesting rugby played by either side. I can see how important the game was to England who despite being down to fourteen men (again) fought hard to win but it did little to promote rugby to the uncommitted viewer. I have to say I found the Last Night at the Proms decidedly more interesting and the flicks back to the match became less and less frequent. Talking of music, I have to say that the singing of the national anthems by the choirs at the RWC sounds absolutely dreadful to my, admittedly untrained, ear. Why can’t they be sung in the normal way?

This evening sees Wales play Fiji and the sofa has already been pulled away from the wall to allow space to hide behind if things get bad. This will be the acid test for Wales who I believe really do need to win if they are to progress. From what I saw of the Australian scrum against France and Georgia, it looks pretty damn powerful and will cause the Welsh unit a lot of problems if Wales are in the situation where they have to beat Australia to get out of the group.

Anyway, I will be hoping for the best this afternoon. Please do not butcher the Welsh national anthem.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!

Back Where We Belong

Well, this is it, Pontypool are finally back in the Premiership and what a place to kick off their campaign. None other than at Rodney parade against their long-time foes Newport. The pitch looked like a green carpet on a warm late summer afternoon and the TV cameras were in attendance. A large, vociferous crowd had gathered to cheer their teams on and generated a tremendous atmosphere. The big question was could Pooler step up to Premiership quality. Their warm up games against Premiership opposition had demonstrated that it would not be easy.

The first task of the afternoon was a sad one. David Watkins one of Newport favourite sons had passed away and when the tribute was read out you realised just what a great player and ambassador for both codes of rugby he had been. I distinctly remember him dancing around everyone at the Snelling Sevens. My condolences to his family.

So, to the match. Pooler really could not have got off to a worse start - a loose pass after a period of possession found its way into the hands of Lloyd Lewis. His ex-team mates knew what was inevitably going to happen next as the former Pooler flier sped down the right wing to score. The conversion missed but it was first blood to Newport (5-0).

Undeterred, Pooler hit back with a penalty from Jarvis when the home side transgressed at a ruck (3-5). This was quickly followed by a try from Pooler right wing Rosser who won the race for a shrewd kick ahead from scrum half Lloyd. Jarvis converted from wideout and Pooler had snatched the lead at 5-10.

The lead was to be short lived as a well-conceived backs move for Newport put Lloyd Lewis in the clear and he galloped over for his second try. This time O’Brien converted and now Newport led 12-10.

As a frenetic first quarter came to an end, Pooler moved the scoreboard on again when a quick tap penalty from live-wire Pooler scrum half Lloyd near the Newport line led to Mahoney crashing over for a try. Jarvis converted and Pooler had regained the lead at 12-17. Wow, what a twenty minutes of rugby that was!

On the half hour, Jarvis increased Pooler’s lead with another penalty and opened up an eight point gap at 12-20. A feature of the first half an hour had been a lack of scrums which had suited Pooler well. In the last ten minutes of the half there were some scrums and Newport latched on to what was to prove an Achilles heel for the away side. A series of scrum penalties transformed the game as Newport won field position and possession. Their well-organised and powerful pack did the rest and led to Newport scoring three tries in the last few minutes of the half. Short range tries from Davies and Roach and a try in the corner for Westwood were all converted by O’Brien. Pooler’s lead dissolved and Newport were disappearing out of sight at 20-33.

Pooler needed to up their game in the second half and a new front row helped to bring some temporary solidity to the scrum. Pooler attacked from the outset but found the home defence difficult to breach. Newport, however, were forced to give away a series of penalties that led to a yellow card for Jenkins. This gave Pooler their chance and Cochrane finally barged over for a much-needed try that was converted by Jarvis. Pooler felt that they had a sniff of victory at 27-33 with twenty minutes or so remaining.

Newport managed to break the Pooler stranglehold and with the help of a penalty were back in Pooler territory. Westwood bagged his second try from close range after a driven lineout. The conversion failed but the score had effectively ended Pooler’s chances of a win (38-27).

Pooler tried hard to salvage a bonus point or two and spent the rest of the game on the attack. Even with a second yellow card for Jenkins they could not find a way through the Newport defence. Final score Newport 38 : Pontypool 27.

Wow, what a game that was. Well done to both sides with Newport deserving their victory by scoring six tries to three. It was thoroughly enjoyable if a little disappointing for Pooler who deserved to get something out of the game. Pontypool clearly showed that they can compete at Premiership level but will know that there is considerable room for improvement. They will need to work on the set pieces which proved an area of vulnerability. There is no shortage of effort and team spirit that is for sure with Pooler never giving up and still going strong at the end despite the warmth of the afternoon. We “won” the second half anyway! Well done Pooler!

Next up for Pontypool are Swansea at Pontypool next Saturday. This is great it is just going back in time to the great days of Welsh club rugby!

Next weekend also sees the start of the Rugby World Cup. Wales have what may be their toughest match first up when they take on Fiji. A loss will probably leave them having to beat Australia to get out of the group. This is going to need a special performance from Wales and they are quite capable of doing it I am sure.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!