Wales Overpowered by Argentina

This was match two of three as Wales visit three continents in three weeks in a punishing schedule in the Nations Championship. After beating Fiji in Cardiff, it was Argentina in San Juan - a far more demanding assignment.

Wales started well enough scoring a well-worked try from a driving lineout after kicking an early penalty into the corner. Lake touched down and Costelow converted - so far so good. It wasn’t long before it was clear that the Welsh defence would be sorely tested by the powerful running of the Pumas coupled with an effective kick-chase tactic. The home side hit back with two converted tries in a ten minute period and the ease with which they scored them was worrying to say the least.

Another penalty for Wales saw them deep in the Pumas’ twenty-two. We were then rewarded with what has become a trademark Carre try from short range. The scores were level at 14-14 but the home side looked to hold most of the aces. In a devastating surge in the last five minutes of the first half, the home side scored two converted tries to storm into a 28-14 lead.

A fifth try early in the second half for the Pumas put the game beyond doubt at 35-14. The game became increasingly scrappy as the benches were emptied but, for the most part, it was Wales scrambling in defence to keep the score down. A faint glimmer of hope for Wales came with another front row try from short range this time from Warren to close the gap to 35-21.

Wales huffed and puffed and there was still some hope of a bonus point or two but sadly the Welsh attacking play was pretty innocuous and was comfortably contained by the home side who claimed a well-deserved bonus point victory.

This was Wales coming down to earth with a bump after two victories. It seems our only method of scoring tries is through short range driving play. This may work against the less powerful nations but certainly will not do against the likes of South Africa. Our back play continues to disappoint with a lack of guile, pace and penetration.

Speaking of which, South Africa is the next challenge for Wales in Durban next weekend. Scotland gave the Springboks a fright this weekend with their power and commitment. Admittedly it was not a full strength Springboks side but they have such strength in depth that any South African will be a powerful outfit.  It was a tremendous match with the Scots giving as good as they got before going down 42-28 which flatters the Springboks.

The other four matches were rather one-sided with wins for France, New Zealand, Ireland and England. So, another overall tie at three wins each for Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Good luck to Wales against mighty South Africa !   

Six Matches in a Day – Almost Six Marathons

I spent a lot of yesterday watching rugby. This is not something I would normally do in early July but it was the start of the new fangled international rugby tournament.  Whilst there was some overlap, it was possible to watch almost six complete matches on the TV.

I have to say the general entertainment value was much greater than the Football World Cup. At the top end the encounters between New Zealand and France and Australia and Ireland were close matches with plenty of gripping rugby with New Zealand and Ireland just sneaking wins. South Africa duly thumped England as they continue to look the side that is setting the standards.

And so to Wales who were playing Fiji. Fiji were actually the home side although the match was taking place at the Cardiff City Stadium. Cardiff tried its best to turn itself into Suva for the day but at the end of the day Wales still had home advantage. The crowd was certainly colourful if quite sparse. I have to confess I was not one of them as I was firmly planted on the couch in front of the TV.

Fiji started by playing their distinctive style of running and offloading rugby and it looked for all the world that they would blow Wales away. That Fiji did not run up a winning lead in the first half was down to some sturdy defence but more down to over-indulgence from Fiji. Wales grimly hung on to the Fijian coat tails and showed that by capitalising on their superiority in the set pieces coupled with an effective driving maul they could score points of their own.

The score at half time was actually 10-10 with Wales having scored two tries for Jac Morgan from driven mauls to one from Fiji. Wales could probably feel quite relieved to still be well in the game.

The second half saw Wales gradually take control with the scrum continuing to dominate. At one stage they looked to be pulling clear with tries from Carre and Adams. Edwards did not have his kicking boots on so three conversions were missed. He did convert a penalty to give Wales a 10-25 lead.

Wales might have been guilty of taking their foot of the gas and Fiji came roaring back with two converted tries. Suddenly it was 24-25 and it was very much game on.

The Welsh bench proved to have more impact that the Fijian bench and Wales steadied the ship and managed to pull clear with a try from Elias from a driven lineout that was converted by Costelow who had replaced Edwards. It was left to James to add a last gasp try under the posts from short range to cap a great victory for Wales. Final score Fiji 24 : Wales 39.

The Welsh forwards were the heroes of the day with Morgan and Wainwright leading the way but all of the pack and replacements playing their part. There still seems a reluctance to run the ball behind with too many kicks leading to nothing. It is certainly not the best option to kick the ball to the Fijians  who can create mayhem from anywhere on the field.

Wales now face demanding trips to Argentina and then South Africa over the next few weeks as the tournament proceeds. Scotland did manage to secure a deserved victory in Argentina so perhaps it is possible for Wales to sneak a win. A win in South Africa is probably well beyond Wales as they continue to rebuild.

The other match in the first round saw Japan beat Italy 27-10 in Tokyo so the final tally was Northern Hemisphere 3 wins Southern Hemisphere 3 wins.

The summer is moving on apace and we will soon be back into Pooler action with the pre-season friendlies. Here’s hoping for a better season than the last one.

Overall a Disappointing Season for Pooler

When I look at the final league table for Super Rygbi Cymru it is with a heavy heart. It is so disappointing to see Pontypool RFC at the bottom of the pile. Pooler have by all measures been inconsistent this term.

The performances over the course of the season could be roughly divided into three: all too few great days, rather too many bad days and quite a few days where Pooler suffered agonising narrow defeats in games that could have gone either way. I missed the final game of the season which was the wildcard playoff against Carmarthen Quins which fell quite clearly into the third category with an injury time defeat. Towards the end of the season, Pooler were far more competitive particularly in the cup matches where the last minute loss at Llandovery in the semi-final was really hard to bear after a brilliant comeback in the second half.

On the positive side, Pooler have given a lot of young and upcoming players a chance to play competitive rugby which was one of the key objectives of SRC. This will surely stand them in good stead in the future. This coupled with a long injury list meant Pooler had difficulties fielding a settled team. Pooler could not be criticised for lack of effort and the Pooler Army was there in support through thick and thin.

I believe that the current situation is that the three year ringfencing of SRC comes to an end after next season so Pooler will need to put together a better season or face relegation. Of course, this is Welsh Rugby and no one really knows what is going to happen in the future. The future of regional rugby is far from settled let alone what happens to SRC as a consequence. I do believe that the ten team SRC league is too small and should be expanded by another two teams – there is just not enough league rugby.

God willing, I will be taking my place on the Bank next season with the usual degree of optimism. There is no better place to watch rugby. As always, we will say hello to new faces and goodbye to some current squad members on the pre-season merry-go-round.

I wish all involved the best of luck.

Come on Pooler!

More Heartache for Pooler in a Cracking Local Derby

Pontypool visited Rodney Parade to take on Newport in their last league game of the season. Rodney Parade always evokes memories of the glory days for Pooler when games against their neighbours were always bruising encounters but Pooler generally came out on top. Times have changed and how! It is difficult to remember the last time Pontypool won in Newport although a hard fought draw in the Cup earlier in the season might give them a cause for optimism. The league positions would indicate a home win but this was a local derby and Pooler would be sure to be motivated and an upset was entirely possible.

Pooler made the early running but it was clear that their scrum was under pressure and conceded three penalties. This gave Newport field position and after subjecting the Pontypool line to considerable pressure Westwood touched down for an unconverted try to open the scoring for Newport (5-0).

Pooler then monopolised possession and made good ground through aggressive ball carrying. A rolling maul inside the home twenty-two suddenly saw Pooler hooker Scarfe emerge from the blindside of the maul with no defenders to block his path. He touched down for a try but the conversion failed and the scores were now tied at 5-5.

Pooler continued to apply pressure and, as the first quarter drew to a close, Antrobus forced his way over for Pooler’s second try after strong work from the pack. Meek converted and Pooler had established a 5-12 lead.

Five minutes later Newport hit back with a try from Williams after the ball was spread wide after a series of forward drives. The try was converted and the scores were level again at 12-12. The bad news for Pooler was that skipper Herbert was shown a yellow card.

Early in the second quarter, Newport were also down to fourteen men after their open side flanker was shown a yellow card. Scarfe was proving a menace at the breakdown winning several turnovers and also carrying the ball well. Pooler again pressed hard and with five minutes remaining in the first half a crosskick from Meek was bravely fielded by Pooler right wing Duggan who beat two Newport defenders to get the touch down. The conversion failed but Pooler were back in the lead 12-17.

There had not been many scrums in the first half so Newport were not able to capitalise in this area of superiority. A late penalty in favour of Pooler at a scrum came to nothing but it was certainly encouraging for the away side.

So, at half time Pooler held a narrow five point lead which on the balance of play they deserved. They could expect Newport to emerge for the second half with all guns blazing.

Pooler started the second half with a bang. A neat kick ahead from Meek was gathered at pace by Pooler fullback Davies who steamed over for a try. Meek converted to increase Pooler’s lead to 12-24 with the try bonus point secured.

Pooler so nearly increased their lead when a long Pooler clearing kick was chased downfield. Pooler wing McDonough was leading the chase but tried to kick the ball on but missed it. Marcus Jones also chasing did manage to pick the ball up but his pass to the supporting Meek went astray with the try line begging.

There followed a period of Newport pressure with their backs finding some gaps in the Pooler defence. In ten minutes they brought the scores back level with two tries one of which was converted. It was 24-24 and Newport had secured their bonus point.

Pooler needed to respond quickly. As the third quarter came to an end Pooler won a scrum penalty and kicked to the corner. From the lineout Matthews on as a replacement emerged from a maul to force his way over for Pooler’s fifth try. The conversion failed but Pooler were back in the lead at 24-29 with twenty minutes to go.

Pooler continued to press and were awarded a penalty and elected to go for goal. Meek’s penalty attempt hit a post and stayed out which brought back memories of the drawn game in the Cup. How crucial would that be?

The answer was very. With ten minutes remaining a pass from the Newport threequarters went astray. A rather fortunate bounce saw the ball in Newport’s hands and with the defence flatfooted Ackerman headed for the line. Some great tackling stopped him just short but from the ruck that formed Leary was able to cross for a try. The try was converted and Newport now held a narrow lead 31-29.

Pooler were not about to give in and some great passing by the backs saw Duggan racing down the right wing. He almost made it to the line but was tackled just short. The referee ruled that a Pooler attempt to score was held up over the line and the chance had gone. A couple of minutes later an attempted dropped goal from Meek missed.

Pooler continued to attack but the Newport defence showed great discipline and did not concede a penalty which might have turned the game in Pooler’s favour.

Final score Newport 31 : Pontypool 29.

This was a great advert for SRC with both teams contributing to an exciting spectacle that could have gone either way. Pooler put in a tremendous performance with Scarfe quite outstanding and overall can consider themselves unlucky not to pull off a win. The bounce of the ball and some missed kicks made the difference in the end.

We now move on to the play offs where Pooler will start with a wild card game with the opponents yet to be confirmed. On this kind of form. they will be a difficult proposition for anybody.

Come on Pooler!

Pooler Spring into Life

Pontypool’s last home league match of the season was against Llandovery. This would be the third meeting of the season with Pooler having lost two encounters in West Wales. The last defeat in the semi-final of the cup had been particularly hard to bear as Pooler were leading with less than a minute remaining on the clock. There is no denying that Pooler have been in the doldrums of late but here was an opportunity to end the season with a home win to cheer us all up.

It was a grey breezy day with the wind blowing up the slope but seeming to swirl around a lot. Pooler started well playing up the slope and attacked the Llandovery line but could not open the scoring. Llandovery were awarded a couple of penalties and used them to good effect and took play down deep into the Pooler twenty-two.  A powerful lineout drive from the Drovers saw Gemine plunge over the line for a try. Maynard converted and it was first blood to the visitors at 0-7 after nine minutes.

Pooler were guilty of a missing too many tackles and that allowed the Llandovery attackers to make ground. As the first quarter drew to a close, powerful Llandovery left wing Aaron Warren scored two tries and on both occasions the Pooler defence seemed full of holes. The second was straight from the kick-off after the first with Maynard converting the second try. Pooler were already staring down the barrel of another defeat at 0-17.

Pooler did not quite see it that way and hit back on twenty minutes with a well-worked try of their own.  The backs moved the ball right and substitute full back Ellis Davies made a half break that allowed Duggan space to run and he scored Pooler’s first try. This was converted by Meek and brought the score to 17-7.

Llandovery resumed their offensive on the Pooler line and, after about half an hour played, they had a lineout a few yards out. This time they scored with a well-worked front peel from the lineout with hooker Lewis touching down in the left corner. An excellent conversion from Maynard in the tricky wind saw the Drovers regain their seventeen points lead at 7-24 and a bonus point in the bag.

Pooler did not take this lying down and attacked down the left flank. They were held up deep in the Llandovery twenty-two. This resulted in a yellow card for Llandovery and a great attacking position for Pooler. In the dying minutes of the first half, Pooler attacked through their forwards. After some near misses it was Randall who got the ball down over the line. Meek converted and Pooler had closed the gap to 14-24 with the second half to come.

Pooler were still well in the game and no doubt there would be some lively discussions in the confines of the changing room.

The second half began with Llandovery hammering away at the Pooler line. Some brilliant defending saw Pooler repel wave after wave of Llandovery forward surges. Pooler held out at the cost of a yellow card for Scarfe. This tremendous goal line stand seemed to represent a turning point in the match. From then on, Pooler seemed to grow in confidence and wrested control of the match from the visitors.

The tactical substitutions began and this seemed to further invigorate Pooler.  After about a quarter of an hour of the second half Pooler attacked spreading the ball left after a lineout. Fullback Ellis Davies jinked his way over the line for a try that Meek converted. The gap was down to just three points at 21-24.

The Pooler forwards took charge and it was great to see Mike Herbert back after a long injury layoff. It was all Pooler now and the crowd sensed that a victory was in sight. Scarfe touched down after a powerful drive by the forwards following a lineout near the Llandovery line. Meek again converted and Pooler were now in the lead at 28-24 and had secured their own try bonus point with almost a full quarter remaining.

Pooler continued to press and had the put-in at a scrum five metres from the visitors’ line. Number eight Matthews picked up from the base of the scrum and attacked the blindside. He scored virtually unopposed in the left corner. The conversion failed but it was now 33-24 and Pooler were two scores ahead with less than quarter of an hour remaining.

More was to follow for Pooler where a break by Pooler scum half Lewis saw him score their sixth try of the afternoon from twenty metres or so out. Meek converted and Pooler were now well clear at 40-24 and holding an extra bonus point.

The last five minutes saw Llandovery on the attack but Pooler were determined to hold on to the extra bonus point and defended as if their lives depended upon it. They succeeded in that ambition and there were scenes of jubilation in the Park at the final whistle that we have not seen for far too long.

Final score Pontypool 40 : Llandovery 24.

Wow! A brilliant second half performance from Pooler following a largely unpromising first half. Pooler seemed to be a team transformed after their tremendous defending at the beginning of the second half. To “win” the second half 26-0 against a strong team like Llandovery is some achievement. Hearty congratulations to everyone involved.

Next up for Pooler is a visit to Rodney Parade on Thursday evening to continue our longstanding rivalry with Newport. This victory will surely give Pooler a much-needed confidence boost for what will, no doubt, be a fierce encounter. This will be the last league match of the season and it looks like Pooler will finish bottom of the league so overall it what must go down as a disappointing season. From then we move into the play-offs and most likely a visit to RGC or Carmarthen Quins.

It would be great to finish off the league with a win at Newport though wouldn’t it!

Come on Pooler!

No Joy for Pooler at Aberavon

Pontypool travelled to the Talbot Athletic Ground to take on Aberavon still searching for their first away league win of the season. Indeed, you need to go back to October 2024 for the last away league win which was at Swansea. Not a good record to take to Aberavon where despite Aberavon’s lowly position in the league a tough game would be anticipated.

While the sun was shining, there was a keen wind blowing down the ground which was sure to affect the balance of play. Aberavon kicked off and had the wind behind them in the first half. Pooler got off to a bad start when they conceded a penalty in front of their posts virtually straight from the kick off (3-0).

Pooler managed to take play into the home twenty-two but could not make anything of it. A massive relieving kick gave Aberavon a 50:22 and, after gaining possession from the lineout, the home threequarters made ground and the first try of the afternoon was scored by scrum half Whitlock popping up in support. Cullen converted and it was 10-0 with less than ten minutes played.

The Pooler scrum was dominant and Aberavon were penalised on a number of occasions. Pooler finally managed to get back into Aberavon territory. They were awarded another penalty but the Pooler kick to the corner missed touch and the attack fizzled out. It had been a struggle in the first quarter for both sides, but scrum apart, the home side with the benefit of the wind were on top in terms of territory and possession.

The second quarter started with a succession of four penalties awarded against Pooler in the first ten minutes. The home team kicked the first to the corner but lost the lineout. The second they tried a quick tap penalty which led to nothing. The third and fourth they took shots at goal but both missed. Pooler were a little fortunate not to have conceded any more points as they were very much on the back foot.

Just after the half hour mark, Whitlock scored his second try after the Aberavon threequarters cut through the Pooler defence. Whitlock was again there in support to take the scoring pass. Cullen converted and the gap lead had increased to 17-0.

A few minutes later, another dominant Pooler scrum saw the Aberavon penalised near halfway line. When the forwards got their feet, Pooler prop Popple lay prostrate on the ground. The medics rushed to help him and after a long delay, where every precaution was taken, he was stretchered off the field. We wish him a speedy recovery.

The home side started the better after the long delay and immediately forced their way back into the Pooler twenty-two. Pooler conceded more penalties and the referee showed Pooler flanker Hill a yellow card. Immediately afterwards Whitlock scored his third try with a sniping run. A mass brawl followed and Aberavon’s Roderick was shown a red card. Cullen converted the try to give Aberavon a commanding 24-0 lead at half time.

Pooler had the strong wind at their backs in the second half so a comeback was certainly not out of the question but they would need a good start. Pooler immediately went on the attack and were rewarded with a brace of tries in the first twelve minutes of the half. The first was scored by Marcus Jones after a bit of a comedy or errors. A Pooler attack was foiled by an interception. Aberavon kicked ahead and Pooler fielded and kicked the ball back. The Aberavon defence made a meal of it and McDonough and Jones somehow managed between them to retrieve the ball and for Jones to score. Ford converted and Pooler had hit back (24-7).  Pooler’s second try was more clinical. The Pooler threequarters made ground to create an overlap for Rosser to touch down in the right corner. Meek converted and a comeback looked on the cards with Pooler having the wind behind them and the opposition down to fourteen men.

Hopes of a comeback were soon dented when Pooler conceded another two penalties in succession to give Aberavon field position. The home forwards battered away at the Pooler line and it was No 8 Evans who barged over to score. Cullen again converted and it was 31-14.

Pooler’s hopes were hit further with a yellow card for hooker Evan Wood as we entered the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter turned out to be a very scrappy affair with both sides guilty of handling errors which lead to a plethora of turnovers. The benches were emptied and the Aberavon scrum became dominant which certainly did not help the Pooler cause.  Pooler did come close to scoring their third try when Kelvin Williams got over the line from short range but the referee deemed that the ball was held up.

It was left to Aberavon to have the last say when in the dying minutes Delnevo scored their fifth converted try. Final score Aberavon 38 : Pontypool 14.

More disappointment for the Pooler fans to discuss on the journey home as the long run of league defeats continues. Too many penalties conceded were at the heart of this defeat I am afraid. Two more tough league games follow with Llandovery at home and Newport away which will further test the squad’s resolve. The cup run apart, where Pooler showed good form, this is a season to forget so far.  I am sure everyone is working hard to put things right and the support of the Pooler army is still very much behind them. 

Come on Pooler!

Shortage of Gas for Pontypool

Two rarities for the last few months at Pontypool on the same day – a beautiful sunny afternoon and a home league match for Pontypool RFC. The Pontypool faithful were hoping for another rarity a Pontypool win in the league after a long barren spell. Pooler’s opponents were a strong looking Cardiff team flying high in the league who would present a formidable obstacle.  While Pooler had beaten Cardiff in the SRC Cup they had been well beaten in the corresponding away league fixture.

Cardiff started strongly and showed clear intentions to play fast open rugby in nigh on perfect conditions. Pooler did well to survive the early salvos and even fired a few shots of their own. They nearly opened the scoring after ten minutes when Matthews charged down a kick but the final pass did not go to hand. Pooler did however open the scoring with a penalty from Ford to lead 3-0. This was the only score in the opening quarter.

The second quarter saw a Cardiff onslaught that settled the match. The Pooler lineout misfired and the Cardiff attackers began to find gaps in the Pooler defence. Cardiff played at a pace that Pooler could not live with. The first Cardiff try came from a failed Pooler lineout with the Cardiff backs combining at pace to put Young over. Wilde converted and it was 3-7.

Their second try came five minutes later when scrum half Lloyd supported a searing break to score and with the successful conversion by Wilde it was 3-14.

A couple of minutes later Pooler failed to deal with an awkwardly bouncing Cardiff kick ahead and Young got the touch down in the right corner. The conversion failed but Cardiff were rapidly disappearing over the horizon at 3-19.

Pooler were looking shell-shocked as the away side continued to pick holes in their defence. A fourth try looked inevitable and it came from Hudd with the Cardiff forwards getting in on the act. Wilde converted and Cardiff already had their try bonus point at 3-26. Even worse was to follow, when Cardiff scored their fifth try straight from the kick off. Despite some desperate last ditch defending from Pooler they eventually ran out of numbers for Darwin-Lewis to score Cardiff’s fifth try with a couple of minutes left in the first half. The conversion gave Cardiff a commanding 3-33 lead.

Just as the half was coming to a close, Cardiff looked odds on to score a sixth but a poor pass at the crucial moment meant the ball went loose. Pooler gathered and kicked ahead and it was Pooler outside half Ford who won the chase to score an unlikely try. The conversion failed but Pooler at least had something to give them a glimmer of hope.

The score at halftime was 8-33 and Pooler had been very much second best. It was a half very much in the vein of the second half at Bridgend a couple of weeks before. It was going to take some team discussion at halftime to turn around the fortunes of a dispirited home team.

Things didn’t start well for Pooler in the second half when they conceded an early try when Emanuel forced his way over from short range under the posts. The conversion made it 8-40 and it was just the start to the half that Pooler didn’t want.

Ten minutes into the half, a Pooler kick ahead eluded the Cardiff defence Cole took the final pass to score in the right corner. The conversion failed but at least Pooler were into double figures at 13-40 and a try bonus point might still be a possibility.

In the next ten minutes, Cardiff squashed any hope of an unlikely Pooler come back. Poor tackling saw Hudd score his second try and it was closely followed by a second short range try by Emanuel. The former was converted and Cardiff had racked up the half century at 13-52 with twenty minutes remaining.

The beginning of the fourth quarter saw McDonough score for Pooler after a mazey run leaving defenders in his wake. The try was converted by Meek, on as a replacement, to make the score 20-52 with Pooler in the hunt for a bonus point.

Both benches had now been emptied and it seemed to make the game a bit more evenly contested.  The teams toiled hard to add to their tallies but too many passes went astray in a frustrating final quarter. In the context of what had gone before, rather surprisingly there was no further scoring.

Final score Pontypool 20 : Cardiff 52

Yet another league defeat for Pooler and few if any redeeming features in a one-sided game. Cardiff played with pace and power that became too hot for Pooler to handle especially in the second quarter when the real damage was done. Pooler remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the league table which is highly disappointing for the squad and fans alike.

The next match is way at Aberavon and Pooler will need to improve in all areas if they are to win in what has been a challenging venue over the years.

Come on Pooler!