Shocked and Awed

Pontypool travelled to Bargoed for the first league match of the season hoping for a strong start to the season. Bargoed is not the place to visit if you are not in the right frame of mind and on the top of your form. This was going to be a real test of the strength of the squad and the impact of the new coaching team.

Pontypool started well enough and managed to put together some impressive phase play although it seemed to lack a cutting edge. This all changed when the dark clouds above finally delivered the heavy rainfall that they had been threatening. Pooler’s early brightness faded like the sunlight and the Bargoed pack seized control and was dominant at the scrum and particularly at the breakdown. Pontypool seemed shocked to come up against a team who wanted to win more than them and knew exactly how to exploit their weaknesses. Pontypool started to give away penalties at the breakdown and ultimately lost their hooker Prosser for ten minutes when he was shown a yellow card. Bargoed kicked 3 penalties to open up a 9 point lead and the away team and their supporters seemed pretty subdued. In a rare incursion into the Bargoed half, Pooler were award a penalty and Hancock obliged to leave the score at half time 9-3. Pontypool were still in the match but certainly needed to up their game in the second half if they were to put up a realistic challenge.

What Pontypool most needed was a good start to the second half and they quickly established a position deep in the Bargoed 22. Then disaster, a long looped pass was intercepted by the Bargoed full back who ran the best part of 80 yards to score under the posts and increase the home side’s lead to 16-3. Worse was to follow when Pooler lock Ryan Thomas was shown a red card for punching. This type of ill discipline is totally unacceptable and basically killed off the game.

The Bargoed pack needed no second invitation and proceeded to dismantle a dispirited away pack. Pontypool had no answers as Bargoed piled on the points with their number 8, Coombes, helping himself to a hat trick of tries. In desperation, Pontypool tried to run their meagre scraps of possession but came up against a Bargoed defence that was a strong as the security around the Celtic Manor last week.

It was a blessed relief when the final whistle went with the score at 40-3. Pooler trooped off the field with their heads bowed - it had been a truly chastening afternoon.

Losing at Bargoed is no disgrace, they are a strong team and no doubt will be challenging for a top three position in the league. The manner of the defeat is pretty worrying however. Not many players performed to the potential and it was alarming to see their heads drop as the tide turned against them. Quick and Matthew Thomas did do themselves justice and it is a shame that Matthew’s namesake in the second row couldn’t keep his fists to himself. There were a few key players missing from the team which might have made a difference but, all in all, this was a pretty comprehensive defeat.

No doubt there will be a full post mortem in training and I’m sure that the team can bounce back. Llanharan at home next Saturday will be a great opportunity for the squad to demonstrate their resilience.

On Friday evening I started to watch the Ospreys v. Treviso but soon flicked over to Northampton v. Gloucester. The difference in pace and intensity between the two games was startling. I think that Richard Hibbard had the kind of rude awakening that Pontypool had when he found himself packing down against Dylan Hartley and a rampant Saints pack. It was good to see George North looking back at the top of his game and his second try was a gem. The crowds that English rugby draws are amazing and it creates the kind of atmosphere that Welsh club rugby used to have all those years ago. I mustn’t dwell on past glories again I hear you say!

So not the best of starts to the season for Pooler but things can only get better.