The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The good news is that Pontypool recorded a hard fought victory over Tata Steel on a cold, grey and windy afternoon at Pontypool Park.

Pooler got off to a fast start playing down the slope when lock Jones crossed after some good interplay by the backs and forwards. There was a strong cross wind that made kicking difficult to judge and the try went unconverted. The home team continued to press and increased their lead when, following a lineout on the visitor’s 22 metre line, Norton took a well-timed pass by Mills at pace to slice through and score without a hand being laid on him. The successful conversion gave Pooler a handy 12-0 lead. Tata stormed back and showed that they had plenty of pace in their back line but it was the power of their pack that paved the way for an unconverted try. Pooler almost immediately responded when loose head prop Prosser scored a try after an attempted relieving kick was charged down near the away team’s line. The successful conversion increased the lead to 19-5. The last score of an entertaining first half was a penalty for Tata that closed the gap to 19-8.

In the second half, Tata emerged with real purpose and began to dominate possession and territory with their scrum getting on top. They hammered away at the Pooler line for about 15 minutes but the home defence somehow managed to keep them out. Very much against the run of play, Pooler managed to escape from their 22 for Mills to kick a penalty and increase the lead to 22-8. The play returned to the Pooler 22 but Tata still couldn’t manage to cross the line despite their best efforts. It was left to Taylor to hammer the final nail in the coffin when he scored Pooler’s bonus point try after a kick and chase.

This was another gutsy performance from Pontypool who once again took their chances and scrambled well in defence. Hopefully the team will continue to develop and we can look forward to a successful new year and a top three finish in the Championship.

So on to the bad and the ugly but I will let you choose whether it is the WRU or the Welsh regional rugby teams that are bad and ugly.

So the Welsh regions have finally realised that Welsh rugby needs to be saved. They didn’t seem to be the least bothered when the WRU funding of the smaller clubs spiralled downwards as they frittered away money on second rate overseas players rather than helping the clubs any distance away from the M4 to develop their own. A lot of people warned that the roots of the game in Wales were being irreparably damaged in large swathes of the country as they were starved of funds. Small wonder that, after a while, the other parts of the tree are feeling the effect. If we are not careful the whole lot will collapse and have a major negative impact on the national team.

We currently seem to have just enough high class players to be competitive at test level in Europe but it wouldn’t take too many injuries before we would start to struggle. The exodus of our top players to France and England will surely lead to more injuries as they are forced to play week in week out in a far tougher league than they are used to.

The regions have recently launched a Protect Our Game campaign but perhaps it should be Develop Our Game. This not only sounds more forward-looking but the acronym also sums up the performance of the regions as businesses.

The regional product has never really worked in Wales as the results in the Heineken Cup and the poor attendances at home games clearly seem to indicate. The Welsh are a parochial race and we like local derbys and the only time the regions get decent crowds is when the play other Welsh regions - perhaps there is clue there.

In order to be competitive we hear, the regions need even more money to spend on players’ wages. This of course will just serve to fuel the upward spiral of player wages in Europe and we will inevitably end up in the same position as we are now but paying higher wages to even more mediocre overseas players as we can surely not compete with the deep pockets in England and France for the best players. Since there is no extra money available something else would have to suffer and I don’t suppose it would be the wages of the WRU staff but more likely the clubs again.

So what can we do?

The regions answer seems to be to bully the WRU into submission by getting popular support for their demands and threatening to go and play in England. They even talk about getting politicians involved but this is surely the kiss of death for any campaign. Could the WRU just cast the regions adrift and let them play in England like our major soccer teams? If they did that what would be the impact on the national team? This of course means that the WRU relinquishes control of the top players but at least they wouldn’t have to subsidise their wages.

From the WRU perspective, there is talk of central contracts for a small number of key players to keep them in Wales but they will need to pay big bucks to be competitive - even Ireland could not persuade Sexton to stay when the French came calling. There therefore doesn’t seem to be any point in wasting even more money in this way particularly when the regions may not even give these players a game. Then there was the empty WRU threat to players that they would not be picked for Wales if they played outside Wales. It soon became clear that this was not practical as the exodus of players gathered pace.

If you add to this standoff the uncertainty surrounding the Heineken Cup then you indeed have a recipe for disaster. I think it was Richard Burton who said that if you put a Welshman in a room with a hundred doors he would leave through the only one marked self-destruct and he should know. So it is no surprise that it seems to be the way that Welsh rugby is heading.

What would I do? I think that I would bring in the highly developed interpersonal skills of Vincent Tan to sort things out

Wind of Change

A visit to local rivals Newbridge is a good way to measure the progress that Pontypool have made this season. It has never been an easy place to get a positive result as Pooler found out last season when they were roundly trounced. We anticipated a fiercely contested local derby and were not disappointed.

Pontypool won the toss and elected to play with the strong breeze that was blowing up the valley. They started in a similar vein to the way that they played against Tondu with the backs looking sharp and wing James soon crossed in the corner for an excellent try. Mills converted expertly from the touch line and the away team took a 0-7 lead. As you would expect, Newbridge were stung into action and although they had plenty of possession the Pontypool defence looked strong and they were able to win turnovers and use the wind to send the home team back into their half. In the set pieces the Pooler scrum seemed to have the edge although the wind made the lineouts a bit of a lottery. From a scrum won against the head, Pontypool attacked at pace and after some incisive back play Thorley scored a try that was converted by Mills. Newbridge continued to have the lion’s share of possession but the away defence stood firm even when they were reduced to 14 men following the sin-binning of Organ. With the last play of the first half, the Pontypool backs had another chance to show what they could do and James crossed after some strong running from full back Taylor. The conversion failed but at half time Pontypool held a useful 0-19 lead. The first half had been an object lesson in clinical finishing.

The second half was a bad tempered affair and was dominated both in terms of territory and possession by Newbridge. The strong breeze of the first half increased in ferocity and the away side were pinned for long periods in their own half. Frustration frequently boiled over and the two scrum halves were yellow-carded for fighting before Pooler lock Davies was red-carded for rashly kicking out at an opponent. Newbridge turned their domination into points and scored three good tries but only converted one of them. This left the score at 17-19 and it looked more than likely that the rampant home side would take the spoils in the closing minutes. The weather had deteriorated with torrential rain in addition to the gale force wind blowing into the away team’s faces making it even more difficult for Pontypool to clear their lines. Somehow Pooler managed to hold on against all the odds in a desperate finish.

This was character-building stuff for Pontypool and no one can doubt their commitment and will to win but ill-discipline could so easily have cost them the match. A top three finish in the league would be an excellent outcome for the season and it should be possible if they can keep playing with this amount of heart and get the backs running at the opposition. Pooler have two home games coming up against Tata Steel and Beddau. Let’s hope we can finish 2013 in style.

There is a wind of change blowing through Welsh rugby but I am none the wiser of where it will take us. Part of me just wishes that the regions would go and play in England and let the WRU concentrate their efforts and money on the development of players through the traditional club structure in Wales. This would leave something like the situation with football but you really wouldn’t want the national rugby team to follow the path of the national football team. I just hope someone manages to sort something out soon as the Heineken Cup has again produced some great matches this weekend. 

Unfortunately unless the Blues can produce a minor miracle at Toulon, I fear the only Welsh interest in the latter stages of this season’s competition will be whether Nigel Owens referees the final and how many pints they sell in the Millennium Stadium in May.

On a positive note, there does still seem to be plenty of young talent playing for the regions and they are certainly being blooded as the established players emigrate. If only there was an under-21 Heineken Cup (perhaps the Shandy Cup!) we might have a chance of winning something.

Does anyone know if there is a rugby equivalent of ACAS or do we need to ask Tony Blair to sort it out?

  

Normal Service Is Resumed

It was a joy to get away from the angst and over-analysis that characterises the Autumn internationals and return to normality. Normality in this case is watching Pontypool locking horns with Tondu at Pontypool Park. We didn’t have to worry whether our defence was blitz, drift, or scramble and fret about gain line success and tackle counts. Here we just had two sides going at each other with all out attacking intent and it was all the more enjoyable for that. The quality of the game was certainly improved by an excellent referee on an exchange visit from England who helped the game to flow. All too often in rugby these days the referee has the ability to kill a game as a spectacle.

Pooler playing up the slope started the match with attacking verve and looked set to blow Tondu away. They quickly established a 13 point lead through a well executed converted try and two penalties. The home half backs were controlling the game skilfully and it looked ominous for the visitors. As often happens though, Pooler relaxed and Tondu seized the opportunity to show what they could do. Whilst Pooler’s attacking threat came from the backs, for Tondu it was a strong driving maul. The second 20 minutes really belonged to the away side and they dominated territory and possession. It was no more than they deserved that they closed the gap to 3 points with a converted try and a penalty. With the score 13-10 at the end of an enjoyable first half, the result seemed to be very much in the balance.

The second half, however, turned out to be a pretty one-sided affair with Pontypool firmly in control. At times they played some scintillating rugby with Mills, having one of his best games for Pontypool, at the heart of things. Their most potent attacking weapon was the strong attacking thrusts by Taylor from full back who really was too hot for Tondu to handle. An early yellow card for Tondu seemed to give Pooler all the impetus they needed and they ran in three more converted tries and a penalty to run out convincing victors 40-10. Tondu never gave up and deserved something for their efforts but the home defence held firm despite some late pressure.

It was good to see Pontypool back to their best after a shaky period and let’s hope that they can carry it forward to next week when they take on the “Blue Pigs” of Newbridge in what is sure to be a tough local derby.

The Heineken Cup saga goes on and on and it now seems inevitable that it will be Welsh rugby that will suffer most. I cannot think for one moment that a court case will help anyone except perhaps the lawyers. It is almost unbelievable that the most successful club rugby tournament ever is likely to be grossly devalued next year by greed and pig-headedness. It’s a wonder that anyone would want to sponsor a rugby tournament going forward.

I haven’t seen much of the current round of Heineken Cup matches but I did catch a bit of Northampton v Leinster and it now seems quite obvious why the English teams want to avoid the Irish next year. The Irish players certainly look strong this season and I think I might put a few quid on them to win the Six Nations.

They say that Heineken reaches the parts that others don’t - what price Pooler representing Wales in the Heineken Cup next season? 

North South Divide

So here we go again, it’s the next instalment in the long running soap opera that is Wales v Australia rugby matches - Neighbours meets Pobl Y Cwm. The one thing that we can be sure of is a cliffhanging ending. The only trouble is we always seem to be able to guess what the outcome will be no matter how they get to the edge of the cliff.

In truth, for most of this match, the two teams were poles apart with Australia decidedly superior. Fortunately Wales had the North Star to guide them and that kept them in the game. North’s long range try and a Halfpenny penalty gave them an unlikely lead in the opening exchanges even though they barely had the ball.

For the next hour it was all Australia as they turned a 10 point deficit to a 14 point lead. Sitting behind the posts, it was alarming to see how Cooper managed to orchestrate overlaps with ease. The Australians were certainly helped by some indifferent kicking from Wales plus a pretty ropey Welsh line out but they have classy backs who are always looking to offload. A combination of, at times, inspirational defence plus a few missed chances kept the deficit to 14 points. In truth it could have been a lot more although some would argue that it should actually have been less as the referee awarded Australia a try from what looked like a clear forward pass.

In the nature of this fixture, Wales were bound to come back and come back they did. Cue George North and he didn’t disappoint slicing through to score under the posts. The converted try and a penalty closed the gap to just 4 points and the momentum swung to Wales. Australia were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card and Wales pressed hard. Could Wales do a Southern Hemisphere and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? You guessed the answer. Wales are not the All Blacks and lacked the precision and patience to set up a winning score and the score remained 26-30.

So yet another failure against one of the big three Southern Hemisphere teams. More hard luck stories and all those injuries too. It's the same old story when it comes down to it we are just not good enough.

Perhaps we just need a new script writer.

PS

Last week I was moaning about the scrums, well wasn’t it refreshing to watch a game with so few scrums. It’s almost like a different game.

No, I’m still not going to comment on the Heineken Cup debacle - at least not until I understand it (and that might take a while!)

Strictly Scrum Dancing

I was quite looking forward to the Wales v Tonga game on Friday night as it would be a nice appetiser before the main course of the weekend which saw Pontypool back in league action against Bargoed.

Imagine if you were in a posh restaurant and when your starter arrived it was a drab grey colour. Well this is how I felt when Wales came out dressed in grey. I don’t think any team in history has done anything of note dressed in grey - just think back to the Confederates in the American Civil War. Why on earth did we choose grey and why did we choose one of the drabbest of the fifty shades available? As it turned out the Tongans were in white so we could have worn red anyway.

The gloom was lifted when the Tongans gave a spirited rendition of the sipi tau and Wales actually started well enough scoring two good tries as the young backs cut loose. It had all the hallmarks of an entertaining match especially when Tonga scored a decent try themselves. The second half, however, turned out to be one of the most uninspiring periods of rugby that I have ever watched. It just seemed to consist of an endless series of inconclusive scrums. In the end the forwards looked like they were in the late stages of a marathon dancing competition as they clung to each other in scrums and mauls. Fortunately for Wales, Dr Who seemed to have set up a force-field around the Tongan half and both teams were trapped inside. It would have been better if the force-field had included the Tongan dead ball line rather than stopping at the try line however.

To use a dancing analogy, this was not the high tempo quickstep that we expect from Wales but rather the slow, shambling, smoochy stuff at the end of a wedding reception. Don’t Tonga realise that they are an anagram of tango? If Craig Revel Horwood had been there he would have said, ‘It’s a disaaaster daaarling.’ Perhaps we should have sewn some sequins on those uninspiring grey shirts.

By Saturday afternoon I had managed to forget about the tedium of the previous evening and took my place on the Bank at Pontypool with an exciting local derby against Bargoed in prospect. The sun was shining and there was not even a hint of grey on view. The spooky thing was that the match turned out to be almost a carbon copy of the previous evening with Pooler unfortunately playing the part of Tonga.

The first half was quite entertaining and evenly contested although it was clear that Bargoed had the edge in the forward battle. Pontypool took an early lead with a penalty then Bargoed hit back with a try to lead 3-5. Another Bargoed try and a second Pooler penalty gave the away side 6-12 lead before Hurley scored a good try in the corner for Pontypool after excellent combined play. The conversion by Gullis from the touchline gave the home team a narrow lead at 13-12. The lead was short-lived, however, with a Bargoed penalty leaving the score 13-15 at half time. Still anyone’s game, we thought, although we would have to contend with playing up the slope in the second half.

Rather like the previous evening virtually all the play in the second half was concentrated in one half. Unfortunately it was in Pontypool’s half as the Bargoed forwards took a vice-like grip on the match. It was a turgid affair, indeed, with countless scrums as Pooler scrambled and scrapped valiantly to keep Bargoed out. Inevitably the pressure told and Bargoed eventually made the game safe with a penalty and a converted try to run out convincing 13-25 winners. Bargoed are one of the better teams in the league so losing to them was no disgrace and Pooler battled bravely to the end.

Now we don’t mind a scrum or two in Pontypool, but this weekend has been excessive. They haven’t even been good scrums - I can’t help feeling that it’s killing the game as a spectacle.

There is no Pontypool game next weekend as we must all watch Wales play Australia (yet again). Let’s hope the grey shirts have been consigned to the bin and we get a dynamic red-blooded display from Wales.

PS I can’t bring myself to comment on the debacle surrounding the Heineken Cup but piss-ups and breweries spring to mind.     

Don’t decry for me Argentina

I was there to watch Wales finally win an Autumn rugby international after lots of valiant and lots of not so valiant attempts.

‘It was only Argentina after all,’ I hear you snort. Well it was only a year ago when they stuffed us comprehensively and make no mistake this was a tough test match.  Yes Wales were always in control, but Argentina made it difficult at times and could have scored a couple of tries.

In a lot of ways I found the game frustrating and wished that Wales had thrown caution to the winds a bit more often. I find the tactic of Halfpenny virtually always kicking the ball in the air after he catches it in his own half irritating - particularly in a game like this. When Wales opened up and played at pace they made big inroads into Argentina territory and could have scored a couple more tries. Still we needed a win and the George North try in the first half was a beauty and what about Mike Phillips running 80 yards to score. If he carries on like that, Pooler will make him an offer!

The question of who plays at outside half against Australia has not really been answered in my view. I guess the way our centres are getting injured we might have to play Biggar, Priestland and Hook in the same team. I wonder if Gavin is waiting for a phone call.

I watched the Ireland v Australia game in the pub and we will have our work cut out to make an impression on the Aussies who really looked sharp in attack. Their scrum seemed to be in little trouble too.

Thank goodness Pooler are playing Bargoed next Saturday, these trips to Cardiff are proving expensive. After the match we had to wait 45 minutes to get the shuttle train back to Newport. Apparently they had let a train leave just before the match finished so we had to wait for it to go to Newport and back. Great planning!

PS I think England lost but they are still definitely going to win the RWC. It says so in the papers!

No Change for Wales

I made the short journey to Cardiff on Saturday for the first of the Autumn internationals. Nobody I spoke to seemed to think that we could beat South Africa and the crowd in the stadium seemed quite resigned to another gallant failure right from the start. There was none of the nationalistic fervour that we all felt for that famous victory against England at the end of last season.

It was certainly a hard match with both sides playing with total commitment. In truth neither side looked like scoring a try as tough defence and tactical kicking were the order of the day. The strange thing is that the Springboks managed to score three tries. They took their few chances clinically whilst Wales didn’t really create a try scoring opportunity as they got no change from the Boks defence no matter how hard they tried. The first Springbok try came about when Scott Williams was lying on the ground injured. Habana saw the gap and came in from his wing and created a try. The second was from a forward drive resulting from a lineout in the Wales twenty two following a penalty. The third try was from a speculative South African kick up field when the Welsh expected the ball to bounce into touch and were embarrassed when it didn’t and suddenly the quick thinking Boks were in under the posts. An object lesson in taking your chances.

Wales were unfortunate with injuries and lost the influential Jonathon Davies who made two great attacking thrusts during his short stay on the field. Losing Liam Williams at the same time didn’t help either with Halfpenny being shifted to the wing to accommodate Hook. The reliable goal kicking of Halfpenny did keep us interested until the crushing third try but it is the same old story really. We seem to lack a cutting edge and the opposition knows exactly what we are going to do. It is a shame that Eli Walker was injured as he is the kind of player who might have done something unpredictable. 

I guess when the analysts look at possession, tackles, territory etc on their laptops they will conclude that we did all right but in the only analysis that really matters we lost to a Southern Hemisphere heavyweight - no change there then.

P.S. I still don’t understand why the Welsh Championship has no fixtures for three of the four Saturdays when the Autumn internationals take place when the Regions are still playing.

Winning in the rain

It was a wild and windy day in Blackwood as Pontypool visited to seek some revenge for the three defeats that their Gwent neighbours had inflicted on them last season. The wind was cold and blustery and frequent torrential showers fell on an already sodden pitch. It was not a day fro the faint hearted and certainly not a day for open rugby. It was a day for the forwards and for kick and chase. Thirty or so years ago this would have been meat and drink for the legendary Pontypool pack but the modern day version does not contain the gnarled warriors that so terrified the opposition. It was going to be a real test of character. Even if Blackwood had not had the best of seasons so far, we knew that they would pose a stern challenge in a local derby.

The wind slightly favoured Pontypool in the first half although it seemed to be blowing across the pitch if anything. In the opening exchanges it was soon clear that the Pooler scrum was dominant as they pushed the Blackwood pack back yards. In the conditions, there were sure to be plenty of scrums so such dominance would surely prove a match winner we thought. Indeed from a scrum, Pooler scored an early try when Organ forced his way over near the posts. The successful conversion gave the away side an early 0-7 lead. This stung Blackwood into action and their forwards proved a real handful in the loose. They carried well and forced Pooler on to the retreat and generally made it very uncomfortable for the away side at the breakdown. There were lots of penalties and lots of handling errors and few three-quarter moves.

The referee must have had a particularly difficult job distinguishing the two teams as the only difference in strip was really a yellow stripe for Blackwood compared with a white stripe for Pontypool. As the jerseys got muddier and muddier it became almost impossible to tell the teams apart. The referee did very well in the circumstances.

Although the Pooler scrum remained dominant, Blackwood came more and more into the game and it was just reward that they scored the equalising try that was well converted from the touchline. Pooler had been reduced to fourteen men by a sin binning and failed to capitalise from several scrums close to the Blackwood line. The home side marched back up the field and pressurised Pooler and were rewarded with two successful penalty goals to lead 13-7 at the break.

Pontypool seemed to up their game in the second half and the forwards began to gain the ascendancy in the loose. This coupled with the still dominant scrum gave them a better platform to work from and, although the handling errors and turnovers continued in the slippery conditions, they gained territorial advantage. A penalty cut the deficit to 13-10 and it looked only matter of time before Pooler took the lead. Then, disaster! An interception by the home team as Pooler attacked on the home twenty two and the Blackwood version of Prince Obolensky just about managed to run the seventy odd yards to the Pontypool posts for a converted try to bring the score to 20-10. Pooler looked deflated, Blackwood were given new energy.  Pontypool regrouped and worked their way back into the Blackwood twenty two and were awarded a penalty accompanied by a yellow card for the home side. This proved decisive as the momentum swung towards Pooler. They scored an excellent try when Taylor sliced through the Blackwood defence from one of the few three-quarter moves. Although the try went unconverted it was soon followed by a converted try after a quickly taken tap penalty by Thomas. Pooler were back in the lead at 20-22 and just needed to play the rest of the game in the Blackwood half. Easier said than done, of course, and Blackwood would not lie down. A further penalty by Gullis took the score to 20-25 and gave Pooler a bit more breathing space and they held on to take the spoils.

This was a hard fought victory against a stubborn Blackwood side in truly awful conditions. Well done boys and good luck to whoever has to wash the kit.

I did watch the Dragons v Leinster Seconds on the TV on Friday evening. It was certainly a game they could have and arguably should have won. Ultimately a loss at home against much weakened opposition in a poor quality game is no cause for optimism.

England celebrated ten years without winning anything (no RWC, no Grand Slam, no Triple Crown) by narrowly beating the Aussies. I just hope that Wales can finally turn over one of the big boys this Autumn but recent history is very much against it. The strange thing is that it does not seem to matter that much when it comes to the Six Nations.

It still seems strange to me that the Welsh Championship takes a break to coincide with the Autumn Internationals. We do not lose that many players to the national squad after all. With two of the Wales kick-offs at 5.00pm, it would seem to be a good way of filling the clubhouses after watching your team playing. Maybe it’s an admission that the leagues do not have enough teams in them to fill the season.

So the next game for the Pooler is the 23rd November against Bargoed. Another tough local derby in prospect.

Parkie Prematurely Perpetrates Pooler Postponement

The parkie spoilt our fun and called off Pontypool’s home game against Cardiff Met on Friday afternoon. It seemed a strange decision to call the game off so early when you consider that the visitors didn’t have far to travel and the pitch could easily have been inspected mid morning on the Saturday. It also seems an odd decision when you consider that all the other matches in the division went ahead. Looking at the results, perhaps it was just as well that the match was off as 5 of the 6 games played in the Championship resulted in away wins!

As a result of the disappointment, I was confined to the couch on Saturday afternoon and flicked listlessly between football, English rugby and rugby league and I have to say didn’t really enjoy any of it. Watching Wales being dismantled by the Italians at the Millennium Stadium was particularly distasteful.

On Friday evening I watched the Ospreys v Dragons and did actually find it quite interesting until it was effectively over as a contest when Toby Faletau was carried off. I hope that he recovers quickly as he is a key member of the Welsh team and comes over as a model professional. As a Pontypool fan, you find yourself watching the people who have played for the Pooler in the past and wondering what sort of team we would have if they were all playing for us now. We would certainly have a strong back row! The star of the show, however, has not played for Pooler and it was Tuperic who in a pack of forwards that is dominant is brilliant. He must have enjoyed himself far more than the previous weekend against Northampton.

The Welsh squad for the Autumn internationals did not contain any real surprises. We will miss Cuthbert,that is for sure, as he has quickly become one of our most potent weapons. It is good to see that Mike Phillips has been filling himself with antifreeze ready for the cryogenic chamber!

Next stop for Pooler is Blackwood away - we lost there twice last season so let’s hope we can turn it around.

Pooler run out of puff

This has been a tough couple of weeks for Pontypool. The two longest away trips plus a challenging home game against the clear favourites for the league championship in quick succession has really tested their mettle. After performing well in the first two challenges, understandably they fell short at Narberth - never an easy place to get a win. The final score 24-11 to the home team was rather flattering with Pooler extremely competitive for the first 70 minutes. The last 10 minutes proved decisive with the rigours of the previous week catching up with the team. There was also the added problem of playing against the tricky wind. I don’t think we should be too disappointed as the team is still in its formative stage.

There is little respite with the next match at home against the very fit and well drilled students from Cardiff Met. Let’s hope we can bounce back with a win.

I started my rugby weekend with the All Blacks v Australia and it really was an incredible match played at tremendous speed. There was no milking of penalties but all out attacking rugby from both sides. Australia seem to have recovered their verve in time for their usual victory over Wales. The All Blacks, as we have come to expect, managed to keep their noses in front in an exhilarating encounter with some fantastic tries from both teams.

Everything that followed was like watching a different sport. The two French aristocrats from Toulon and Clermont seemed strangely off colour. Whilst Clermont were still able to account for the Harlequins, the Blues managed to upset Jonny’s boys with a try just before the final whistle. Fortunately for the Blues this put them more than a dropped goal ahead so they just about managed to survive an all-out onslaught on their try line. This was a tremendous result for the Blues after last week’s tribulations.

As for the other Welsh regions, the Ospreys were outgunned by Northampton and with two losses are effectively out of the competition. The Scarlets drew at home with Racing so are still very much in contention although the back-to-back matches with Clermont will certainly be challenging. The four Irish provinces all won as did Glasgow so overall not a bad weekend for the Celtic fringe. In the Amlin Cup the Dragons went down at Bath so have it all to do to qualify for the next stages.

I don’t really understand the British & Irish Cup but I think the Dragons’ second team aka Cross Keys won. I don’t know why the Welsh don’t go the whole hog and do as they Irish do and field a provincial/regional second team.

The Autumn internationals are just around the corner and the battle for the outside half spot for Wales is hotting up. Both Biggar and Priestland look to be playing well so it will be a tough call. If there are no injury worries the rest of the starting team virtually picks itself although the Warburton, Tuperic, Lydiate debate I’m sure will continue to rage. The selections for the bench are becoming more and more important in the professional game and we are still a bit lacking at prop and second row and there is no Olly Kohn to come to the rescue although Coombs is still about. I’m not clear who is the second choice scrum half assuming that Mike Phillips plays - is it Williams or Knoyle or someone else?

On the subject of substitutes, I find it strange that in the Welsh Championship teams are only allowed five when seven and even eight are allowed at higher levels. It has already led to forwards playing in the backs and vice versa. I suppose the Welsh Championship is a long way from international rugby.

Good luck against those pesky students Pooler!

There is still life in the land that the Welsh Rugby Union forgot

This was re-emergent Pooler’s biggest test of the season so far. A visit from their powerful neighbours Ebbw Vale was always going to be a massive challenge.

Both sides have reasons to be disgruntled with the WRU. Ebbw Vale have long been good enough to play in the Premiership but have been denied promotion for spurious reasons. The cynic would say that the WRU are waiting for a team that they do not like to finish at the bottom of the Premiership before they permit promotion. Pontypool, of course, are a team that the WRU don’t like and although they didn’t actually finish bottom of the Premiership were relegated on “track record”. This precipitated the well-documented Poolergate and nearly resulted in the total demise of the club. Suffice it to say that the upper Gwent valleys, a longstanding hot bed of rugby, have been left unrepresented at the higher level which certainly cannot be good for Welsh rugby.

The substantial crowd admirably demonstrated that the local punters are still more than willing to turn out to watch local derbies such as this rather than watch the Heineken Cup on the telly. It was great to see a long queue at the ticket window and the pre-match atmosphere was reminiscent of former times.

So to the match. Ebbw Vale started clear favourites and quickly demonstrated why they have been the major force in the league for several years. They set off with all guns blazing and the home side froze like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car. The away side immediately gained superiority in all aspects of the game and had registered two tries through Meyers and Cunliffe and stormed to a 0-12 lead in a twinkling of an eye. The Pooler faithful were stunned and feared a repeat of last season’s drubbings. To their eternal credit Pontypool did not fold but fought bravely against their stronger and more cohesive neighbours. Ebbw Vale started to make uncharacteristic mistakes as the Pontypool defence pressurised them and although they still held the initiative at scrum and lineout amazingly could not add to their score in the first half. From an attacking perspective, Pooler were unable to get anything going against the well organised Vale defence. They did however manage a Mills penalty to leave the score at half time a rather unlikely 3-12.

In the second half, Pooler seemed to gain inspiration from the closeness of the scores and continued to harass the away side into mistakes. Substitutions and yellow cards made the game less structured which favoured the home side and they finally began to win some decent possession from set pieces. Another Mills penalty closed the gap to 6 points and the Ebbw fans began to shuffle uneasily on the terrace. Pooler began to gain the ascendancy and were rewarded with an excellent try under the posts by Taylor after a precision piece of back play. Against all the odds, the conversion put Pooler in the lead 13-12 and a major upset seemed possible. Ebbw Vale then ably demonstrated why they have been virtually unbeatable in the Championship and put together some irresistible forward drives that resulted in what turned out to be the winning try from Kynes. The successful conversion made the score 13-19 with time running out. Ebbw Vale continued to press as they tried to make the game safe but missed two kickable penalties. For their part, Pooler continued to give everything and got themselves agonisingly close to the Ebbw Vale try line before conceding a penalty. Despite the titanic efforts of both teams, there were to be no more scores however.

Ebbw Vale had protected their unbeaten record but looked mightily relieved when the final whistle sounded. Pooler were left with a losing bonus point but more importantly took another big step forward towards building a competitive team. I think most Pontypool fans would have settled for that before the match but what might have been!

I got home just in time to catch the second half of the Harlequins v Scarlets game. You had to be impressed with the Scarlets and an away win is a great start but I fear there are tougher challenges ahead. The Blues were anything but impressive in the first half against Exeter’s furious onslaught as they conceded virtually a point a minute. Fortunately for them, Exeter could not keep the intensity up and the Blues bagged an unlikely bonus point for scoring four tries in the second half. I didn’t see the Ospreys game but I gather that they were outthought and outfought by Leinster who have clearly decided to concentrate on the Heineken Cup so that they have a strong bargaining position when the time comes. Our old friends the Dragons brushed aside Mogliano minnows so are off to a good start in the Amlin Cup. So overall a patchy start in the European competitions with the Scarlets the standout Welsh performers. I still won’t be putting any money on a Welsh winner though!

It's another long away trip for Pooler next week when we visit Narbeth. Another big challenge but I'm sure that the boys will give a good account of themselves.

The queue at the ticket office for the local derby

Fans enjoying the sunshine on the Bank

Two out of three ain't bad

Well I’ve been on holiday for a couple of weeks and that together with the away fixture in North Wales means that I have missed three Pontypool games. The first was the away trip to Llanharan where we suffered our first defeat of the season. By all accounts, Pooler rather shot themselves in the foot and the result should have been a lot closer. The home game against Bonymaen resulted in a bonus point win that put the show back on the road. The away trip on Saturday to RGC1404 was never going to be an easy one so I was delighted that Pooler managed another away win 20-26. I was at home and rather overdosing on televised rugby flicking between Springboks v All Blacks and Leicester v Northampton. More important was the excellent twitter feed coming in from Ken Hunt at Colwyn Bay which kept pinging away. You could almost feel the tension at the ground as RGC1404 gradually closed what should have been a comfortable Pontypool lead. Modern technology eh!

The win leaves Pooler in second place with the crunch match against unbeaten leaders Ebbw Vale at the park next Saturday. Ebbw Vale have brushed everyone aside so far this season so Pontypool will have their work cut out to get something from this local derby. I’m looking forward to it.

I thought the Springboks v All Blacks was excellent, by the way, with both sides playing open rugby as the Boks tried to get a bonus point win. They managed to get their 4 tries but the All Blacks showed why they are the best side in the world by pulling away at the end. The other games I watched over the weekend were pedestrian in comparison but Toulon v Clermont and Leicester v Northampton were both really hard games.

So the last Heineken Cup starts next weekend. On the face of it, you would not give the Welsh Regions any chance at all of featuring in the latter stages. At least the Blues won yesterday but the Scarlets and Ospreys were both outplayed at home over the weekend. But you never know the Dragons might do some damage in the Amlin Cup.

I saw Roger Lewis pontificating about the future of European rugby but I wonder if the English and French really care what the WRU thinks. They seem to have got everyone by the short and curlies and if the Rabo teams play in a European competition next season it will very much be on Anglo-French terms. Maybe a European super league is the answer but it is doubtful whether a Welsh region would feature in the premier division. It must be my hearing deteriorating, but the Rabo is sounding more and more like the rabble when people talk about it on the TV and radio.

Anyway I don’t really need to lose any sleep over regional rugby when Mr. Lewis is looking after it. I just need to worry about Ebbw Vale next week - come on Pooler!

Bridging the Gap

The first home game of the season always has a special atmosphere. It’s rather like the first day of term at school when you renew acquaintances with people and places that you haven’t seen for a while. Everything looks very familiar but as you look more carefully you pick up lots of small changes. Pontypool Park looked a picture and the ground had been spruced up over the summer. There were a few extra grey hairs and maybe an extra pound or two on view amongst the Pontypool faithful on the Bank but there were plenty of smiles.

Conditions were perfect for rugby and we were ready to be entertained. The previous week’s uplifting performance at Beddau had given us every reason to be optimistic that we could beat our visitors, Bridgend Athletic.

A glance at the smart retro-designed match programme showed that the side was largely the same as that that had accounted for Beddau so convincingly.  Things started very much according to plan with Pooler attacking strongly up the slope. It was surely only matter of time before they opened the scoring. They actually crossed the try line but were called back for a forward pass. Then disaster; a Pooler attack broke down on the visitor’s 22 and the ball was fly-hacked down the field for the Bridgend wing, Howells, to win the chase and score a try completely against the run of play. The conversion sailed over and the crowd were stunned. Bridgend Athletic took heart from this and began to impose themselves on the game. Poor tackling by the home side following a tap penalty led to another try by Velu that was duly converted. The score was 0-14 and the Pooler players were looking slightly bewildered. A penalty by new outside half, Martin, brought some relief but it was short-lived as the visitors asserted their superiority with a third converted try by Parsons. With the score now 3-21 Pontypool were in a deep hole and didn’t really show any sign of knowing how to get out of it. It could have been even worse if the visitors’ goal kicking had been more accurate.

This was now a true test of whether the team had the character and resilience necessary to have a successful season. The first half was drawing to a close as a rather tame Pooler attack seemed to break down in midfield. The ball was hacked on and most people expected the referee’s whistle to blow for a knock on but it remained silent. There was a desperate chase as the ball bounced towards the Bridgend dead-ball line. Norton won the foot race and just managed to touch down in time to score a try that gave Pooler a glimmer of hope. The successful conversion made the score 10-21 as the whistle went for half time.

The half time interval was the time for the Pooler coaching staff to earn their corn. No doubt Leighton Jones had a few choice words for his charges. Maybe even a hairdryer moment or two.

When the teams re-emerged Pooler certainly looked fired up and a few changes in personnel had been made. The combative Tom Organ and the experienced Jeune and Mills joined the fray. Almost before they could make their presence felt, Pooler gave away a very kickable penalty and were very fortunate that it drifted wide of the uprights. Organ proved to be a little too combative for the referee and was dispatched to the sin bin shortly afterwards following a bout of fisticuffs. The match was on the line; if the visitors scored next there was probably no way back for Pooler. The game suddenly turned as the Pontypool scrum started to dominate and Pooler got on to the front foot. The home side’s cause was helped when Bridgend were also reduced to fourteen men when their scrum half was sin-binned. Full back Hurley made several exhilarating runs as Pooler turned the screw. Excellent tries by James and Quick both converted by Martin gave Pooler the lead during this golden period of concerted pressure. It was the visitors’ turn to look bewildered and they certainly did not seem to have any answer to the dramatic shift in momentum. The bonus point try was duly secured by Sparks to give Pooler a 31-21 advantage. The home side relaxed slightly and Bridgend finally managed to convert a penalty to close the gap to 31-24. There were a few anxious moments as the clock ran down but Pooler hung on for another bonus point win.

So another victory but this was certainly not plain sailing. There is no doubt that this type of comeback will do wonders for team building and confidence. I think everyone realises that this is a team in the making and there is still much work to do. Finding the right blend of youth and experience is going to be the key to future success. I suppose in reality TV parlance we are all on “a journey”.

I wonder if all this business with the Heineken Cup is ever going to be resolved? I can’t think that England and France having their own cup is the solution but at least it would stop the Irish winning I suppose. Imagine that happening in football - it would be like England and Spain having their own cup competition because they were fed up with the Italians or the Germans winning. European football seems to be able to manage a cup competition successfully with vastly more countries to satisfy. There must be some lessons to learn from them.

Money is indeed the root of all evil. It’s never truer than in sport.  

A Pleasant Surprise

Victories for Pontypool in the first three months of the season over the last five or six years have been as rare as good decisions made by the WRU concerning the structure of Welsh rugby. It was therefore with some trepidation that we headed for Mount Pleasant Park, Beddau for the first league match of the season. We needn’t have worried, Pooler put on a vibrant display that served notice that they might be something of a force in the league this season. It is a much changed Pontypool team with plenty of new faces. Identification of our new heroes was made a little challenging when the programme had the team printed in reverse order with the full back Davies given the number one.

Right from the first whistle Pooler seized the initiative and looked the stronger side. They played with positive intent and very quickly Hurley had crossed for an excellent try. Those of us who have watched Pooler for many decades have seen them flatter to deceive with an early score many times before. This time it seemed much more convincing and they dominated the first half to lead 0-20 with three tries in the bag. Heady stuff indeed! In truth they should have racked up a few more points but were let down by some inaccurate passing with the line beckoning. Pooler had some strong ball carriers from numbers 4 to 8 (or 8 to 12 in the programme) with Dychoff and Sparkes particularly prominent. The backs also looked to have plenty of pace and power.

Beddau re-emerged in the second half and scored a try after concerted pressure on the Pooler line. Was a comeback on the cards? Pooler quickly slammed the door shut and secured their bonus point try. From then on, the game degenerated into a mistake fest as tired bodies and copious replacements affected both sides. Pooler grabbed two more tries and Beddau had some consolation from a penalty try and another try from short range from the last play of the game. The final score was 21-41 - this is a welcome reversal of last season’s 29-8 defeat at the same venue.

I don’t think anyone should get too carried away with this victory but it is a marked improvement on the fare served up a year ago. Pooler seem to have recruited wisely and the team look fit and motivated. There are far more difficult assignments ahead, however, and the coaches will need to work hard if we are to challenge the likes of Ebbw Vale. Whilst the set pieces looked reasonably solid, there were a lot of turnovers conceded at the breakdown - the only area where Beddau had an edge. The cohesion between half backs and backs also broke down alarmingly at times but this can only improve as the team gels over the course of the next few months.

I am optimistic that we can build on this win and enjoy a far better season (with fingers and legs firmly crossed and a rabbit’s foot in my pocket).

I watched the Scarlets lose to Leinster on the TV. After promising much in the first half, they were dismantled by a weakened Leinster side after the break. No change there then. One noteworthy change was the Dragons defeat of Ulster - could it be that they can move up the regional pecking order this season? Early days I think.

I also watched a French league match between Toulouse and Racing Club. I was amazed to learn that in France the home side wins more than 85% of league matches. More often than not the away team fields a weakened side as canon fodder so that their better players can be protected and  hopefully secure a win in front of their sponsors. Dan Lydiate had to do even more tackling than he did for the Dragons as Racing Club were stuffed. No wonder French teams travel notoriously badly - a losing mentality must become engrained.

PS: Good luck to Josh Lewsey - he’s going to need it. Let’s hope he can bring some much needed good sense to the WRU.

Season's Bleatings

I have just purchased my Pontypool season ticket and have to say I am looking forward with a degree of optimism to the start of the season. If I believe half of the pre-season hype Pooler should be capable of winning the Heineken Cup. We've heard all this before of course and I will reserve judgement until I see the team that takes the field for the first match. Still we have a go-ahead management team who should provide the necessary energy to make significant improvements. I am sure Ebbw Vale will be the team to beat although the league is a tough one especially now the WRU's pet North Wales based side is in with us too.
I haven't really got a clue what is happening in regional rugby and whether the differences with the WRU have been resolved. We just hear more and more rumours about the better Welsh players heading for France - c'est la vie as we say in Pontypool.
I notice Wales are playing Australia again in the Autumn - this only came to light after the WRU had sent out the ticket application forms for the other matches. Even though we normally lose (unless you count the Lions!) it seems to work as a warm up for the Six Nations. You have to say though that it is ridiculous that we play Australia more often than we play the other teams in Europe. Maybe we should have a home and away Six Nations taking place before and after Xmas.

Saturation saturday

You would never believe we are in the closed season for rugby! On Saturday there were wall to wall rugby matches on the telly if you had nothing better to do. Overkill doesn't do it justice.
It started poorly with Wales' abysmal performance in Japan. A committed and workmanlike Japan team destroyed Wales in the second half after Wales had failed to capitalise on early superiority. "Ah it was only a team of youngsters and they have learned an enormous amount," I can hear the WRU say. That is all well and good but, if that is the case, how on earth do they get awarded Welsh caps? If we are that cash-strapped how do we justify a tour like this that probably only revealed players who are not up to international rugby? Meanwhile the real Welsh youngsters are acquitting themselves well in the World Cup. It doesn't really make sense does it?
The main event of the morning was the latest Lions match and it was with great sadness that we witnessed Jamie Roberts limping off the field and posiibly out of the tour. I suppose running into brickwalls was bound to take its toll. On the positive side, it was great to see Leigh Halfpenny, Jon Davies and Alun Wyn Jones playing so well. They must have given Mike Phillips valium to stop him reacting to the constant niggle that he was subjected to. It looks like the test side is coming together but the attrition rate is so high and injuries will certainly play a part in determining the outcome of the test series. The Pontypool two of Vunipola and Faletau have played a full part in proceedings and should both get a cap before the series is over.
I just flicked through the rest of the rugby but was impressed with the Scots' committment against South Africa and another All Blacks victory over France. I think England might have won.
On Sunday we had then news that Shane was flying out to join the Lions. I hope he doesn't regret it. The Lions have quickly gone from having the biggest wings in world rugby in North and Cuthbert to the smallest in Williams and Wade. Even David Cameron would have been proud of a U turn like that!
I need more rugby - roll on the rugby season.

Regions to be fearful after black Friday

It didn’t take long for the euphoria of the selection of fifteen Welsh players for the British and Irish Lions squad to disappear. All four of the Welsh regions slumped to defeat on a dismal Friday evening. The defeats for the Ospreys and Blues away in Leinster and Ulster would probably predictable but the abject capitulation of the Scarlets at home to Treviso was a bit of a shock. The Scarlets were left shell-shocked by an excellent performance by the Italian side who were more of a match for the home side even when reduced to thirteen men by yellow cards. To add to the Welsh misery the Dragons went down in Edinburgh although they did manage to get a losing bonus point.

So how can the Six Nations champs be such chumps at regional level and what will happen next season? It’s hard to see how the regions are going to do anything better with the resources they have. I wonder how many of the fifteen Welsh Lions will be playing in Wales after next season? Phillips, Roberts, North, Lydiate and Jenkins have already gone although there is still talk of Jenkins returning. As happened with Scotland, the Welsh regions are rapidly becoming feeder clubs for the wealthy French and English clubs. If there was a two division European league the Welsh regions would be very much second division. It is probably doubtful whether the Irish provinces could survive week in week out in what would surely be a brutal and attritional first division.  Maybe it is time to accept the situation for what it is and hope that the players who seek their fortunes elsewhere don’t get too banged up to play for Wales. I am not sure even if you had the money of Croesus you could change things.

Welsh football is of course the complete opposite to rugby with success stories all over the place at club level and little to shout about at international level. Perhaps the Welsh rugby regions could learn from Swansea City who seem to be competitive on a much smaller budget than the Manchesters and Chelseas of this world. Cardiff City and Swansea City in the Premier league - how can rugby respond to that challenge?

Returning to the Lions squad, it was pleasing to note two Pontypool boys: Faletau and Vunipola making the touring party. Dan Lydiate has also played for Pontypool once or twice. I felt sorry for Ryan Jones and James Hook but you really can’t complain about the amount of Welsh representation. I think I would have preferred to see Best rather than Hartley and possible Zebo instead of Maitland but, all in all, it looks a strong selection if lacking a little in flair. You have to admire Jonny Wilkinson not only for his play on the field but also for being totally professional and honest and turning down a place on the tour. I still have some fears about Farrell in pressure situations after watching him lose the plot against Wales and again for the Saracens against Toulon.

The season is over for Pontypool but there are still rumours abounding about changes in the league structure and rules for promotion and relegation. Could the WRU please tell us what the plan is for the next five years and then stick to it? It would be nice wouldn’t it but it would probably better to consult Mystic Meg.     

Pontypool steal it

The Pontypool resurgence continues with yet another hard-fought victory, this time against Tata Steel at Pontypool Park in the final game of the season. Admittedly, judging by the plethora of changes to the Tata team that were announced before the kick off, the opposition were not at full strength. Nevertheless, when the drubbing that Pooler received at the hands of Tata in the away fixture is considered, this represents a significant turnaround.

The game was played in excellent conditions but was very scrappy and error-strewn. From the off Tata looked superior in virtually every department and quickly took the lead with a smartly taken try when their right wing kicked ahead and gathered. As it turned out, this was the only try of the match as Tata squandered a series of very promising positions. Pontypool’s first-up tackling was often ineffective and the away side’s back three frequently made major incursions. Pontypool for their part never really looked like scoring a try but managed to keep in touch through penalties kicked by their fullback Gullis and their tenacious scrambling defence. To be only losing 6-11 at half-time was not a bad outcome for a half when the home side were frequently outplayed.

The second half was equally scrappy although Pooler playing down the slope seemed to get a bit more of a foothold in the game. Tata still looked much the more likely to score a try but the Pontypool last ditch defence kept them out on several occasions as they hammered away close to the try line. There was an exchange of penalties to take the score to 9-14 and then another penalty for Pooler to close the gap to 12-14. Even when Tata were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card, they still looked the likely winners. With about 10 minutes remaining and against the run of play Pooler were awarded a penalty close to the halfway line. Gullis converted with an excellent kick to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match at 15-14. From then on, it was almost constant pressure from Tata who were camped in the home 22. They even got the ball down over the line only for the try to be disallowed. The home supporters’ nerves were frayed as the seconds seemed to tick away agonisingly slowly. Then blessed relief as the final whistle came at last.

Pontypool have finished the season strongly with 6 wins in 7 matches which is all the more astonishing when you consider they had only won one other game in the rest of the season and that against bottom side Whitland. I don’t think anyone should get carried away and think that Pooler have a side that can go on and win the league next season but it has certainly made the long-suffering and loyal supporters feel a whole lot better.

Pooler are full of the joys of spring

What could be better than spending a lovely spring afternoon in Pontypool Park? Answer a lovely spring afternoon accompanied by a win for Pontypool RFC. Yes, Pontypool’s recent good form continues with a narrow victory over Narberth.

Narberth seemed to hold all the aces with a taller, heavier pack and the usual pacy set of West Walian backs. Pontypool, however, had other ideas and produced a tenacious, committed display that never let Narberth settle and gain control of the game. Frequently out-muscled in the scrums and forced to concede territory by the away side’s driving maul, Pooler countered with strong tackling and gained the edge at the breakdown forcing a series of turnovers. Once the home side got the ball they showed their attacking intent with, at times, excellent handling with backs and forwards combining well.

The two sides scored three tries each but it is the manner in which the tries were scored that is rather surprising. In a reversal of roles, the West Wales club’s tries all came from forward dominance - a push-over try and a penalty try from scrums and a forward try from close to the line. Pooler, on the other hand, scored their tries from distance following excellent work by the backs and forwards in unison. The Pontypool backs seemed to be revelling in the dry conditions and are looking a far more potent unit than they did only a few weeks ago.

Pontypool spent most of the match narrowly in the lead but Narberth never allowed them to gain a decisive lead. Pooler’s third try finally opened up and 8 point lead at 23-15 with not much time remaining. Narberth came storming back and exerted tremendous pressure on the Pontypool line and eventually closed the gap to just 1 point at 23-22 folowing a penalty try. Pooler survived a tense few minutes to gain a narrow but deserved victory. Finally, a word of praise for the referee who allowed the game to flow and helped to make it an enjoyable spectacle.

Only one game left now and a home win over Tata Steel would finish a difficult season on a high note. Hopefully, over the closed season, we can strengthen the squad and approach next season with a degree of optimism and leave the dark days behind.

Congratulations to Ebbw Vale on winning the Championship. They have looked by far the best side in the league and it is a travesty that they cannot take their place in the Premiership. I am sure that they would have been more than a match for most of the teams in that league this season as their narrow defeat by Pontypridd (champions elect) in the Cup demonstrated. The standard in the Premiership seems to be patchy at best and I’m not sure that it is achieving its objectives (whatever they were!). The lack of relegation seems to have allowed a degree of complacency amongst some of the WRU’s favourite clubs.

Congratulations also to Cardiff City on their promotion to soccer’s Premier League. This will put even more pressure on the regional rugby to provide a competitive product. I still do not detect any signs of any progress on charting a way forward. Then again, I’m not really surprised. 

Pooler blown off course

Pontypool made the trip to Bridgend to play Bridgend Athletic in good heart following their recent run of good form. The venue was a very windy Waterton Cross ground with the match being played under floodlights on a Wednesday evening. It certainly did not feel like a warm spring evening as the chill wind whipped across the pitch. These are certainly not the conditions that favour good rugby but to the credit of both teams they served up a hugely entertaining match.

Although the wind was virtually across the pitch it did slightly favour Pontypool in the first half. With an early yellow card for Athletic, Pontypool built up an 8 point lead with a penalty and a close range try. The home side quickly reduced the deficit to 5-8 with a try following a charged down kick. It soon became clear that the home side were cohesive and well-drilled and in their driving maul they had the most potent attacking weapon on view. They frequently drove the Pooler forwards back 20 yards and more and looked the more likely team to score. Somewhat against the run of play, it was Pontypool that scored next with an opportunist try by centre Norton who brushed aside the defence to gallop in from 25 yards. With the successful conversion the score was 5-15 approaching half time. Athletic attacked strongly through their pack and scored a try with the last play of the half to reduce the deficit to 10-15. The try was accompanied by more bad news for Pooler with the sin-binning of Macey.

After the break, the home side seized the initiative against the 14 men of Pontypool and scored two converted tries to make it 24-15. It looked bleak for Pooler as Athletic seemed to be well in control. This was when Pooler showed their new found grit and determination and literally threw caution to the wind. Assisted by another sin-binning for the home side, they attacked in scintillating fashion, running the ball from deep at every opportunity. Gullis was particularly prominent and ran the ball back with good effect. In the space of 10 minutes or so Pooler completely turned things around with two tries and a penalty. One of the tries from well inside their own 22 when Gullis made a break and fed Norton who sped down the touch line to score in the corner was surely Pooler’s try of the season. This left the score 24-30 with Pooler looking set for a victory. Then disaster struck, Pontypool failed to secure the ball from the kick off and from the ensuing scrum the home side number 8 ran in a try from 30 yards virtually unopposed. With the successful conversion, Athletic held a narrow 31-30 lead with time running out. Pooler tried hard but it was the home side that had the last say with another try. The conversion was unsuccessful giving a final score of 36-30. At least Pontypool had secured 2 bonus points which was the least they deserved in a see-saw match. 

(At least I think that was what happened as the lack of a scoreboard and announcer had certainly taxed our maths and sort-term memories.)

Although the winning streak came to an end, there was still much that was good in this match for Pontypool. The attacking potential of the backs was clear to see and the spirit remains strong.  Pooler could, however, learn a few lessons from the driving maul and support play of Bridgend Athletic which was as good as I have seen in the Championship this season. 

On a nostalgic note, whenever I watch a match under lights on a Wednesday I realise how much I miss it.   

Southern hustle, northern muscle

I found myself watching Super 15 Rugby from the Southern Hemisphere on the TV over the weekend. It is high octane stuff with teams playing at pace with attacking intent to the fore. The contrast between that and the Heineken Cup quarter finals the previous Sunday (zero tries) could not be more marked. You will say, "look at the conditions in the south - nice weather, dry firm pitches". I think there is more to it than that. The biggest difference is in the attacking rather than the defensive attitude that has been instilled in the players. Yes the defences are tough, but the first thought after a turnover or a deep kick is, "let's run it". The fact that they are playing in a league with no promotion or relegation to worry about may also be a large factor. It's still pretty serious stuff though with national pride at stake. Did you ever meet a New Zealander or South African that did not want to win? The Heineken Cup is characterised by a "win ugly" philosophy where teams with huge packs grind out wins through penalties. We are also blighted with a collection of rather pedantic referees who appear to be on a bonus related to the number of penalties that they award.There does not seem to be any thought of entertaining the punters as if the "good day out" in the next round will be sufficient reward. 

So do we need to change things? Would a European league be a goer?The attendances at matches seem to point to the Heineken Cup being a success story but are we converting fans from other sports? - the jury is out I guess. It is irrelevant anyway, as to change even the slightest anything in European Rugby is virtually impossible or at best a lifetime's work.

Cue Welsh Rugby - sounds like they have finally decided to have a meeting between the WRU and the regions. The bad news is that it is a meeting to decide whether they can have a meeting to discuss the key issues. Don't hold your breath!

But what of Pontypool? Yet another win - that's 4 in a row including 3 consecutive away wins! The late season surge has been a feature of the last few seasons. If only we could start the season like that....

The hard-fought win at Whitland at the weekend in awful conditions (8-10) shows the burgeoning confidence and spirit in the team. Shame there are only a few games left this season.

Pontypool magic, Welsh rugby tragic

Just about everyone who was at the Memorial Ground on Saturday must be wondering how Pontypool managed to conjure up a victory against Glamorgan Wanderers. The Wanderers looked superior in every aspect of the game in the first half on a beautiful Spring day in Ely. They enjoyed the lion's share of possession and their half backs directed the game skilfully to ensure the game was played in the Pontypool half most of the time. It was only due to a combination of poor finishing and Pooler's scrambling defence that they only had one unconverted try and two penalties to show for their clear superiority. Wanderers blew clear try scoring opportunities on at least three occasions and if they had scored thirty points it would have been a fairer reflection on the half. To make matters worse for the home side, Pontypool grabbed a converted try on a rare incursion into their 22. This gave a rather unlikely score-line of 11-7 at half-time and we were still in with a shout.

Wanderers started the second half purposefully and quickly extended their lead to 14-7 with another penalty. Pontypool gradually dragged themselves back into the game and the turning point came when Sam Mills scored a try following a charged down kick. The successful conversion brought the score to 14-14. The home side lost their composure as Pooler’s confidence grew and the match was far more evenly contested from then on. The Wanderers were reduced to 14 men by a yellow card and Pooler pressed hard. Their reward came in the form of a penalty and a slender 14-17 lead. From then on the game became even more frenetic and error strewn as both sides strove for what would surely be the winning try. Pooler were also reduced to 14 men by a yellow card and when the home side were back to full strength it seemed inevitable that they would score. Neither side, however, seemed to be able to hang on to the ball and there was a glut of turnovers. The minutes ticked away and we felt that an unlikely win was surely possible. Then the last play of the match resulted in a penalty to the Wanderers in an eminently kickable position. We were consoling ourselves with the thought that a draw wasn’t a bad outcome when the kick sailed wide of the uprights and yes Pooler had won.

This makes three wins in a row for Pooler and I’m sure they wouldn't have won this match if they hadn’t won the previous two. There is more belief and confidence and they are playing as a team at last. I don’t think anyone should get carried away as there is still a long way to go before they are competitive against the better sides in what is, after all, a quite low quality league. Nevertheless it is something to celebrate so well done boys.

Talking of wanderers you have to wonder what path Welsh rugby is going to follow. This week has been, quite frankly, embarrassing for Welsh rugby with the rather childish posturing of the “big 8” from the regions and disappearance from sight of the Welsh Rugby Union representatives. You feel like locking them all in a room and telling them that they can’t come out until they have put a plan together. What are they waiting for?

I can’t pretend I know what the answer is but then I’m not paid an enormous salary to run Welsh rugby. The Welsh Rugby Union seemed to be progrssively alienating everyone in Wales. They started by treating the fans with disdain as television money was clearly more important than their preferences. Weird and wonderful kick-off times and rising ticket prices became the norm. Next to receive the treatment were the clubs who were starved of cash, subjected to totally unnecessary ground requirements and asked to play in a constantly changing league structure with fewer matches and large gaps in the fixture list in the autumn. Now it is the regions that are being ignored. You wonder who is next - I guess it has to be the international team players.

We are indeed fortunate that the Welsh team is playing well in the 6 Nations Championship. It seems that having a small group of elite players that are given everything they need and can pick and choose when the play regional rugby works at international level. Do you know I think I’m describing a central contract system. The problem is that this won’t win a Heineken Cup for a region as there are probably only 30 or so Welsh players of the required quality. I am not even sure if the full Wales team could win the Heineken Cup!  So unless you can bolster your team with top class rugby mercenaries from around the world which costs a lot of money, I can’t see a Welsh region succeeding in the current format.

What would I do?  I think I’d have just two “regional” teams and populate them with centrally contracted Welsh players. In the perfect world, these teams would play in the English Premiership like Swansea City and hopefully Cardiff City in football. I guess they would be roughly divided into East and West Wales. They could play their home matches in more than one location to try and stir up interest. This would allow the league beneath to be significantly strengthened and re-engage the Welsh valleys. This would in turn strengthen the other layers of the pyramid.

I don’t suppose I am an average fan, but here are my thoughts on what I want from my rugby:

Likes

·        Matches that kick off at 14.30 on a Saturday afternoon.

·        To be able to travel to away games in a reasonable amount of time

·        A meaningful competition/league that doesn’t change every season

·        A competitive team to support through thick and thin

·        Watching Wales home and away

Dislikes

·        Loud discordant music and bawling announcers at matches

·        Egotistical committee men with their own agendas

·        Soulless stadia with paltry crowds

·        Excessive ticket prices

·        The people who watch rugby internationals are not the people who watch rugby week in week out

Yes I guess I’m a dinosaur!

Judgement Day 2

Far more important than the goings-on at the Millennium Stadium was what was taking place at Pontypool Park. After last week's surprise victory at Llanharan, we wanted to judge whether Pooler had actually turned the corner and could make it two in a row. Bonymaen were the visitors and they were only a couple of places above Pontypool in the Championship although the gap in terms of points was huge. Still with home advantage this was a good test to judge Pooler's progress.
The early signs were not encouraging as the Bonymaen scrum looked dominant and scrummage pressure led to an early unconverted try for the visitors. Pooler managed to shore up their scrum and the contest became more even with both sides keen to throw the ball about with gay abandon. The trouble was that this led to high error count for both sides with knock-ons and forward passes abounding. The home side scored a good try when Goodman galloped over from 20 yards after some good combined play and the conversion took Pooler into the lead. Bonymaen quickly hit back with another unconverted try to retake the lead. A Pontypool penalty left the score at 10-10 at halftime and it was truly anybody's game.
The second half was frenetic and error strewn with neither side managing to sustain any kind of dominance and the result was in doubt until the final whistle. Bonymaen scored a try when right wing Joseph scurried up the touch line. Cunliffe converted expertly from the touchline. Pooler replied with a penalty and an unconverted try by Cook to take a narrow lead at 18-17. This was quickly reversed when Bonymaen were awarded a peanlty virtually from the restart to make the score 18-20. Time was running out and the Pooler faithful feared the worst. The home side presses and missed a kick at goal that would have retken the lead. Undeterred they continued to exert pressure and they were rerwarded with another penalty that Gullis duly converted to make the score 21-20 in injury time. Pooler managed to ride some late Bonymaen pressure and clung on to take the spoils.
Make no mistake this was a poor quality game that at times looked like the Keystone Cops versus the Trumpton Fire Brigade. The  decision making and passing from both sides was pretty poor. Fortunately the referee applied the advantage law liberally and stopped it becoming a scum fest. Still it was another much-needed victory for Pontypool and we can make the visit to Glamorgan Wanderers with a degree of confidence.
I didn't manage to see much of the other Judgement Day but what I did see looked pretty good and the games were a lot more evenly contested than many people expected. I am not sure whether the half full stadium will be judged a success and whether the matches acually judged anything. I am sure the Dragons' fans were amazed at actually being able to watch their team play rugby at 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon.