Season’s Greetings

I suppose you might say we are lucky in Pontypool as we get to have two rugby seasons every year these days. Through the wisdom of those who run Welsh rugby, in the Championship we now have a short Autumn season followed by a five week break and then a long Winter/Spring Season followed by the Summer break. I am no accountant but I am sure this makes managing cash flow quite difficult.

So we duly turned up at Pontypool to see the first game of the new season which happened to be against our old rivals from Newbridge, In the Autumn season Pontypool, in case you can’t remember, had done pretty well and won 6 of their 9 matches and had built up a good head of steam. Newbridge, however, had not won a match and were languishing at the bottom of the league. The break probably came at the wrong time for Pooler and the right time for Newbridge who had a chance to lick their wounds and regroup.

Pontypool started well enough and looked pretty dominant playing down the slope. After an exchange of penalties they scored two unconverted tries from Quick and Gullis and were good value for a 13-3 lead. The tries demonstrated that the home backs had lost none of their edge during the break and with decent possession they looked capable of running riot.

Newbridge had other ideas and their workmanlike pack started to get the upper hand and the possession and territory statistics swung quite dramatically their way. Pontypool were starved of the ball and had difficulty containing the visitors’ driving lineout. It was no more than Newbridge deserved when after a period of prolonged pressure during which Quick was yellow carded for Pontypool that they scored a converted try followed by a penalty to tie the score up at 13-13. Gullis kicked another penalty for Pooler t just before half time to give the home side a narrow 16-13 lead at the interval. This was certainly not going to be a comfortable second half for Pontypool.

Rather like in the first half Pontypool started well. Gullis kicked another penalty and then, following a turnover in their 22, the Pontypool backs engineered  an excellent long range try for Haile which opened up 13 point lead at 26-13. This should surely be enough to see them home - or so we thought.

Newbridge were far from done however and came storming back. Pooler began to wilt under concerted pressure from the Newbridge pack and started to give away far too many penalties. Two of these were converted into points to close the gap to 26-19 and Newbridge could smell blood. They laid siege on the Pontypool line but the home side just about managed to keep them out. In a rare foray into Newbridge territory, Gullis gave Pooler some breathing space with another penalty goal to increase the lead to 29-19. Back came Newbridge and they were soon camped in the home 22 again. A series of 5 metre scrums led to a yellow card for Pontypool prop Edwards and from the ensuing scrum and Gibbs drove over for a Newbridge try. The successful conversion made the score 29-26 and yet another tense nail-biting finish for the Pontypool faithful. Fortunately there was very little time left and Pontypool held on grimly for a narrow victory.

This was another really tough game for Pontypool and the pattern was quite similar to a number of matches in the Autumn season. The Pontypool backs look more than a match for most sides but somehow we don’t seem to be able to get enough decent possession to put sides away and then we often seem to be hanging on desperately at the end. It does nothing for our nerves that’s for certain.

Next week Pontypool visit Merthyr who are riding high in the league and we will certainly need to step up a level or two if they are to secure a victory. Meanwhile Bargoed are marching on at the top of the league and have opened up a significant gap rather like Ebbw Vale before them.

It’s good to be back.