Too Cool for Pool

One of the advantages of artificial pitches is that they are not subjected to the foibles of the British weather. Pooler play on good old grass which I still think is the appropriate surface for rugby . It did mean that yesterday the weather won and Pooler’s match against Carmarthen Quins had to be postponed due to a frozen pitch. So it was back to the couch for me.

There was plenty of rugby to watch on the TV and I did enjoy the match between Gloucester and Sale. Gloucester set off at a great pace and quickly opened up a big lead. The more pragmatic Sale with their forward power gradually closed the gap so it became quite close at the end but Gloucester held on despite a few yellow cards. The Gloucester back division contained no fewer than four Welsh internationals and could make an excellent backbone for the Six Nations Championship. Tomas Williams, Anscombe, Llewelyn and Hathaway all played pivotal roles in the Gloucester victory. If you added Tompkins and Liam Williams from Saracens and Halfpenny from Harlequins you could end up with a complete back division that plays in England. It set me thinking about the forwards and there are some strong candidates there too. In the front row Carre, Wyn Jones, Griffin and Lewis at prop although no obvious candidate at hooker although they do say that the young Kepu Tuipulotu who was born in Pontypool is a great prospect. In the second row there are Jenkins and Freddie Thomas and in the back row Refell and Tshiunza. You could add Rowlands who is playing in France  to make up an eight with Jenkins in the back row. You can tell I was missing my Pooler fix!

The two Welsh regional derbies in midweek were a little underwhelming in terms of quality although showing the usual level of commitment. The Scarlets overcame the Dragons while Cardiff and the Ospreys fought out a low scoring draw . They are all certainly way off the standards of the matches I watched from England and France yesterday.

The next match for Pooler is two weeks away when they are away to Llandovery who are climbing up the league table rapidly after an indifferent start to the season. This is the day that I am due to have my hip replacement operation but I will be with the Pooler in spirit.

Come on Pooler!

Couch Spectator

A really stiff hip and a sniffly cold meant that the sensible part of me won the day and I didn’t travel to Ebbw Vale to watch Pontypool in the return match. I did follow the course of the match on social media as I lay on the couch feeling guilty. Suffice it to say, that Ebbw vale exacted their revenge after Pooler’s triumph the previous Saturday. Pooler were well beaten going down 34-3 to the league leaders. Newport’s loss against Cardiff means that Ebbw Vale have now opened up a decent lead at the top of the table.

Not going to Ebbw Vale meant that I watched a lot of rugby on the TV. As a Welshman, it is all very depressing as you witness how Wales has gone from having the most competitive club rugby in the world to being a bit of an also ran. I watched games from England, Scotland, Ireland, France and even South Africa where large passionate crowds watched compelling rugby. Watching a really close match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at a bouncing Twickenham was the highlight. The skill levels were high and the rugby entertaining in a 34-34 draw. Welsh rugby seems to be sinking in a sea of mediocrity. Here we had a Saturday with no football in the festive season and no match featuring a Welsh professional rugby team – an opportunity missed for sure.

As a dinosaur, I am not sure that I like the pyrotechnics, lasers and DJs playing thumping music on display at Twickenham but thousands of people do. All this stuff does not win rugby matches but developing an atmosphere certainly does help.

2024 is coming to a conclusion which is a relief on a personal basis as it has been a difficult year. My hip replacement operation is scheduled in three weeks and if successful should improve things somewhat. For Pooler, it has been a decent year and they are finding their feet in Super Rygbi Cymru well. They have cemented a place in the middle of the table and have played some really good rugby with the home victories over Newport and Ebbw Vale my highlights. It is also great to see the progress being made by our young Dragons players.

For the national team, it has been an abysmal year with not a single victory recorded and constant debate about the suitability of the coaching team. A much needed victory will be hard to come by in the 2025 Six Nations on current form I am afraid. The regions have hardly fared much better with none of them dining at the top table in Europe. The optimist might say that there are encouraging signs at least at Cardiff but that remains to be seen.

It is a hard to find good things to say about professional rugby in Wales but at least some of the players who have ventured outside of Wales to ply their trade seem to be doing well. In the words of the song “Things Can Only Get Better. ” Can’t they?

Hopefully I can get to Pooler’s next game which is home to Carmarthen Quins next Saturday.

Come on Pooler!

I wish you all a prosperous, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Pooler Show Their Mettle to Down Steelmen

A local derby against Ebbw Vale provided our pre-Xmas fare at Pontypool Park. The fact that Ebbw Vale were sitting proudly at the top of Super Rugby Wales gave the match extra spice although it scarcely needed it. Two fully committed groups of fans were in attendance to watch two fully committed teams battle it out. Thankfully the rain had stopped and there was even some blue sky on view although it was chilly with a keen breeze blowing down the ground.

Ebbw Vale had first use of the wind and played down the slope in the first half. They quickly showed why they are one of the top teams as they dominated possession in the early stages. Pooler were forced to defend but did so with plenty of zeal and kept their try line well protected in the first quarter. Ebbw Vale did manage to get on the scoreboard with a penalty to lead 0-3.  This was a tough uncompromising match with big hits countering strong carries with Pooler giving as good as they got. Ebbw Vale were shading the scrums while Pooler managed to disrupt the away side’s lineout on occasions. The game proceeded in fits and starts with the referee awarding a high number of penalties which to the frustration of the home fans seemed to be mostly against Pooler.

Just before the half hour mark, Matthews burst through the Ebbw vale defence and found scrum half Lloyd in support. Lloyd found Pat Lewis running a great support line and the full back scored the opening try near the posts. Meek converted and Pooler had established a valuable 7-3 lead against the elements.

The Pooler lead was short lived when yet another penalty conceded saw Ebbw Vale take up a position deep in the home twenty-two. A driving maul proved unstoppable and despite the conversion failing Ebbw Vale took a slender lead at 7-8. Another penalty a few minutes later saw the away side increase their lead to 7-11 and this remained the score at half time.

Pooler had the benefit of the slope and the wind in the second half and must have fancied their chances of overturning the narrow Ebbw Vale lead after a combative first forty minutes. The Steelmen, however, were sure to have other ideas and we were in for an enthralling second stanza.

As the Pooler faithful hoped, Pooler started the first half with plenty of vim and dominated proceedings. The crowd responded and created a brilliant atmosphere. What Pooler needed was an early score and after going close a number of times they got what they wanted. It was a powerful surge form Morgan Allen that did the trick as he brushed defenders aside to score from a maul in the Ebbw Vale twenty-two. The conversion failed but Pooler had regained the lead at 12-11.

Pooler were now brimming with confidence and could smell victory but the Ebbw Vale defence was well-organised and was a tough nut to crack. Pooler also continued to get on the wrong side of the referee’s decisions at the breakdown and frustratingly conceded quite a few promising positions as a consequence.

A speculative grubber kick down the right touchline from halfway by Pooler seemed to bounce and bounce inches from the line. Most players through it was bound to go into touch but Pat Lewis was not about to wait for that he happen. He chased a seemingly lost cause to score in the right corner. The difficult conversion failed but Pooler had opened up a six point lead in this tight game at 17-11.

Ebbw Vale responded with some attacks of their own but they were quickly snuffed out by the home defence. A win for Pooler had not yet been secured with the away side within a converted try. Pooler were still having the better of things although the raft of substitutions did take a while to bed in. The tension for the home fans was eased when Meek converted along range penalty to make the score 20-11.

As time was running out, another penalty from Meek surely put the game to bed at 23-11 but Ebbw Vale still had belief. Straight from the kick-off, an attempted Pooler clearance kick was charged down and the away side snatched a try. The conversion failed but the Pooler lead had shrunk to seven points at 23-16. An unlikely draw was still on the cards for the league leaders.

A last-gasp attack from Ebbw Vale broke down as time ran out and Pooler hurtled down field. A kick downfield was hotly pursued by both sides and it appeared that the Ebbw Vale player pushed the ball over the dead ball line with his hand from the in-goal area. Pooler appealed for a penalty but the officials was having none of it and blew for time. Final score Pontypool 23 : Ebbw Vale 17.

This was a great win for Pooler against a good side. Ebbw Vale really made Pooler work for their victory and kept the result in doubt right until the end. The second half performance for Pooler probably merited some more points and they will need to look at discipline particularly at the breakdown.  Overall though a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon. Congratulations to all.

Next Saturday we have to do it all again but this time at Ebbw Vale. Pooler can expect a warm welcome as the home side will want revenge and desperately need to win to keep their hopes of winning the league alive.

A hope everyone has a great Xmas.

Come on Pooler!

Pooler Bridge the Gap with High Octane Second Half

Despite my sore hip, I did manage to get to Pontypool to watch them take on the Bridgend Ravens in their latest league fixture. Last week’s planned fixture at Llandovery was postponed due to the ravages of the storm Darragh. Club rugby has been in short supply these last few weeks so it was good to be back for only the fourth home game this season. I took a seat in the stand rather than in my normal place on the Bank and it does give a different perspective. The weather was cold but thankfully dry without those strong winds that have plagued the country.

Bridgend kicked off playing down the slope and within a minute or so had scored a try when the Pontypool defence was breached by Evans following a Bridgend lineout. The try was unconverted but was soon followed by another unconverted try when the Ravens forwards rumbled over from close range. The two tries came either side of a Meek penalty for Pooler. The Ravens had scored two tries and were 3-10 ahead almost before Pooler had drawn breath. This is of course is nothing new for Pooler and we knew that they are more than capable of growing into a game.

Pooler did stir their stumps and  replied with a try by Walker Price. Meek spotted Price in the clear and his accurate kick pass found the speedster in space on the right wing. An excellent conversion by Meek drew Pooler level at 10-10.

Pooler played rather laboured rugby for the rest of the half with far too many mistakes. The Bridgend backs looked dangerous every time they had the ball and Pooler looked distinctly second best. Bridgend retook the lead with a penalty and then increased their lead just before half time with their scrum half touching down after some scintillating play by their backs. The conversion was successful so the teams made their way off the field with a halftime score of Pontypool 10 : Bridgend Ravens 20. Pooler had it all to do in the second half.

Pooler made a couple of substitutions with Pat Lewis coming on in the centre and Scott Matthews replacing an injured Calum Davies. Pooler needed a fast start and they did that in spades. First came a penalty from Meek and then Price scored in the right corner after some great work by the Pooler centres to put him in space. The conversion failed but Pooler were well back in contention at 18-20.

Cue Scott Matthews. The Pooler forwards were getting on top and worked their way deep into the away twenty-two. Matthews was on hand to force his way over near the posts. A few minutes later there was almost a carbon copy when Matthews again scored from close range after powerful work by the forwards. Both tries were converted by Meek and in a short space of time Pooler found themselves 32-20 to the good with the try bonus point secured.

Things got even worse for Bridgend when Ieuan Jones powered over for Pooler’s fifth try. Although the conversion failed Pooler were now well clear at 37-20. The game then became incredibly open as both sides threw caution to the winds and ran the ball from everywhere. Despite a number of injuries Bridgend had certainly not given up and were next on the scoresheet with a well taken try by Greenhall that gave them a bonus point and some hope of a revival at 37-25.

Both sides used up their benches as Pooler turned on the style. They played high tempo rugby with continuity and offloading being the order of the day. It was brilliant to watch as Pooler ran in three more tries all from long range. Leonard scored the first as he steamed up in support and then there were tries for the substitute halfbacks Ford and Dylan Davies to round things off. All three tries were converted and the final score was Pontypool 58 : Bridgend Ravens 25.

I don’t think anyone saw this result coming after the first half when Pooler really struggled to contain a lively Bridgend side. As so often, the introduction of Scott Matthews seems to act as a catalyst and the team steps up a gear. Of course, it is not about one man and the whole team really lifted their performance after the half time team talk.  There was some brilliant rugby played by both sides in a thoroughly entertaining match.  Let’s have more of the same – we need cheering up in Wales!

Next week Pooler take on Ebbw Vale who are having an excellent season. As always, a local derby will be a tough encounter and Pooler will need to be at their best right from the kick-off if they are to keep the noisy neighbours at bay. Should be a Xmas cracker.

Come on Pooler!

A Painful Weekend

My live rugby watching has been severely curtailed by a very painful hip. To get me fit for action again I am due to have a hip replacement operation in January.

The injury prevented from watching Pontypool take on Cardiff in the Arms Park in their first game after a long layoff. The timing of the layoff wasn’t great as Pooler had hit a good patch of form prior to it and had generated some real momentum.

Cardiff are currently top of the heap and obviously presented a major challenge to Pooler particularly on the artificial pitch. From the reports, despite a decent start, Pooler were gradually outplayed and the final score of 27-10 a reasonable reflection of the balance of play.

Next up for Pooler is a trip to Llandovery which is one I have enjoyed in the past. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to make it this time but I am sure the boys will give a good account of themselves.

Welsh rugby continues to frustrate with not much by way of direction and decision-making coming from the WRU. There are plenty of opinions from plenty of pundits but little action to try and find a way out of what can only be termed a crisis. A consensus seems to be growing for reducing the number of fully professional teams from four to three but it always seems to stop short of how to do it without upsetting the various vested interests. Meanwhile public interest in rugby wanes and any cash the WRU gets leaks away. I have to say I feel a certain sympathy for the players and coaches who are trying their best against seemingly overwhelming odds. Let’s have no more reviews and let’s do something before it is too late.

Well at least we’ve still got club rugby.

Come on Pooler!

Wales Walloped

Wales as expected lost heavily to the World Champions South Africa bringing a soul destroying Autumn Series to an end. The gulf between the two teams was cruelly exposed in a 12-45 loss with Wales shipping seven tries. There was not a phase of the game that the Boks did not boss as their powerful players out-muscled Wales. Things could have been a lot of worse if Wales had not given their all in defence and there must be some very sore bodies in the Welsh camp this morning. Botham, Morgan and Lake put in heroic shifts but at times the Springboks were just irresistible. The Springboks have brought the physicality of rugby to new levels but have also added a cutting edge that is supplied by their back three.

So where do Wales go now? That is twelve losses on the bounce and no real signs of the dire run ending.  Next up will be France away in the first match of the Six Nations’ Championship – a tough assignment if there ever was one. Then there are England and Ireland at home and Scotland and Italy away to follow. Having watched Italy ruffle the all Blacks’ feathers last night there is no “easy” fixture for Wales to target to end this losing sequence. Surely heads must roll but whose heads? The burning question of course is will Warren Gatland still be in charge? If he isn’t then who is? Whoever it is has a mammoth task ahead as they will have to turn a squad of young hopefuls into a competitive outfit in short order. Wales have the now infamous “black hole” in terms of big powerful specimens to contend with.

Congratulations to the Welsh Football team that are making positive progress under Bellamy despite not having a large pool of experienced top flight players to choose from. Maybe there are lessons to be learned from this.

Pontypool were due to resume their season with a match against Aberavon yesterday but storm Bert put paid to that. Next Saturday it will be Cardiff Rags away in a double header that sees the Dragons take on Cardiff afterwards. Hopefully we will see some truly competitive Welsh rugby matches as we try and forget about the national team’s trials and tribulations.

Come on Pooler!

Welsh Woes Continue

Well what can you say as a Welsh rugby fan? Eleven losses in a row speaks for itself and would try the patience of Job. The worst thing about it is the latest two losses to Fiji and Australia come as no great surprise with Wales plummeting down the world rankings like a lead balloon. At the heart of the two defeats was that we were outplayed and even the most one-eyed Welsh fan cannot say we were unlucky or blame the referee. Quite simply Wales are not good enough and a pale shadow of the team that performed well at the Rugby World Cup only just over a year ago.

There are many reasons by the catastrophic collapse. The mass retirements of our tried and tested core players has left a squad bereft of the battle-hardened warriors that are essential in today’s test rugby arena. The lack of truly competitive home-based professional rugby teams means the step up from regional to test rugby is too great for the most promising players. We are left with a team that is inexperienced and underpowered when trying to take on the behemoths that are to be found in virtually the opposition squads. Yes, Wales continue to show willingness and bravery but in the end the odds are stacked against them.

You can of course look at the management and coaching staff and wonder whether Gatland has been in the job too long. His record shows that he is a good coach but perhaps a new broom could make a difference. Whoever that may be would still be left with a small pool of players that is lacking in experience. Can these players step up to fill the boots of their illustrious predecessors? That remains to be seen. We do not help the Wales team’s cause by imposing the twenty five cap rule which prevents talented players who ply their trade in England and beyond from being selected.

You can blame the Welsh Rugby Union that seems to be making a hash of running Welsh rugby. Scandals and indecision abound around every turn with the only response seemingly to bring in more consultants who never seem to say anything new. As for so many professional sports, everything comes down to money in the end and Wales are short of it. Being on such a bad losing run means difficulty in filling the Principality Stadium for international matches and devalues the product that can be offered to TV etc. This creates a death spiral if we are not careful.

There are many people who would say this has been coming for years and that the signs were there for all to see. The community game has suffered with clubs going under and with too many matches postponed for lack of players. The professional game is not competitive with little to show with progression in the European competitions that are the benchmark. Little wonder then that in the end the performances in the test arena drop off. Is the country falling out of love with rugby?

On a personal basis, I still love watching Pontypool home and away and the Pooler Army is still supporting them in numbers. I have done this through thick and thin and will continue to do it. I watch players of no little talent giving their all for the jersey in competitive matches and that’s what makes the game so enjoyable. I have watched Wales home and away for fifty plus years but have to confess that the attraction is beginning to wane. High ticket prices, badly behaved fans and too much hassle with travelling combined with too many matches lost are making the product far less compelling. There is no sofa to hide behind when things start getting ugly on the pitch.

Welsh rugby has been in a trough before and has clambered out of it with the help of a good coach and talented players. This time we seem to be busy digging the trough deeper and deeper as we wait for what seems to be divine intervention. I fear it won’t come from consultants.

I wish I had a magic wand but I don’t but something needs to be done and quickly. A Hollywood star or two did it for Wrexham.  

Meanwhile next week Wales face South Africa the world champions with an even more powerful set of players. Good luck boys!