Winning Ways

For the second time in a two weeks I walked out of the Principality Stadium feeling slightly deflated. Yes Wales had beaten France but there was no warm feeling of excitement. If ever there was a game that was won by strong defence this was it. Horatius Cocles would have been proud of our boys as they kept wave after wave of French attacks out. On the other hand the Welsh attack did little to warm the cockles of heart. Yes of course we won the game, but I can’t help feeling that we deserve a bit of attacking flair for our £80 ticket. Wales’ full complement of attacking ploys seems to be: chase a variety of kicks, send the big boys up the middle and if that fails hope the scrum half can sniff out a gap. At least it must be easy for the players to remember!

The toothless Welsh attack has been a feature for too long now. The current approach may win more games than it loses in the Six Nations but it really isn’t exciting to watch and won’t do against the big beasts of the Southern Hemisphere. We used to have players on the bench who could change the game. Why not give Matthew Morgan a go? Why did we not bring on Tipuric? I could mention James Hook but I won’t. We seem to have a surfeit of good pacey scrum halves can we not persuade one of them to do a Shane and play on the wing- Gareth Davies looked the most dangerous runner on the field and look what Lloyd Williams did at Twickenham.

As the pragmatist would say it is better to win 3-0 than lose 44-45 so let’s rejoice in our victory.

So to Saturday and the most important fixture of the weekend – Pontypool were back in action after a long lay-off and entertained Beddau at the Park. There was a chill wind but thankfully it was dry so there was every chance of a decent game. Pooler had only just edged out Beddau in the away fixture so this would be a tough reintroduction to rugby. Pontypool played down the slope in the first half but with the wind against if anything.

The home side started like an express train and looked in great form. The attacking intent was clear to see as they spurned potential kicks at goal in search of tries. They amassed 12 points in as many minutes and Beddau had barely touched the ball. Tries by Williams and Thomas one of which was converted by Gullis left the visitors looking slightly bemused. Beddau are made of sterner stuff, however, and are not in sixth place in the Championship for nothing. Their forwards got them back into the game with some muscular work. From a lineout near the Pooler line, they drove over for a deserved try and followed that up with a penalty goal to close the gap to 12-8. It was getting a little close for comfort.

Pooler regrouped and finished the first half strongly running in another two tries. Mills supported a good break by Gullis to score and then Thorley crossed to register the bonus point try. Gullis converted the Mills try so at half time Pooler led 24-8. This was a highly satisfactory first half with Pontypool playing some good rugby and building up a substantial lead. We hoped for more of the same in the second period.

I am afraid the second half did not live up to expectations and it turned out to be a very scrappy affair. There were far too many handling errors by both sides for there to be much flow in the game. A rather pernickety referee didn’t help matters and the game seemed to drift along without much to cheer the crowd. The introduction of Hurley added a bit of sparkle to Pooler and his break and feed to Parry led to a good try in the corner which put the game safe at 29-8 but other than that the home side struggled to find any inspiration.

As the game entered its closing minutes, Beddau, who were finishing the stronger, did find some hwyl and scored two tries in quick succession as Pooler’s concentration lapsed. This left the final score at 29-20 with Pooler getting the 5 points they needed.

Pontypool can be delighted to have come out of a tough match with a good win. At times they played some really good rugby but at times the lack of match practice showed. Next week they face an extremely taxing challenge with the long trip up to North Wales to face arch rivals RGC 1404 who are one place below them in the Championship. Let’s hope that the Beddau match has blown away all the cobwebs.

I got home just in time to see the England v Ireland game. There is no doubt that Wales will have it all to do at Twickenham in a fortnight’s time as England power on. Billy Vunipola has stood out as the player of the Six Nations Championship so far and Wales’ chances will surely revolve around stopping him. Those years in Pontypool are obviously coming to fruition as he goes from strength to strength.

Come on Wales and come on Pooler!

Rain, Rain Go Away

Hands up those who made a fruitless journey to Bridgend? I was one of them. Yes we should have known better and checked whether the game was on but there we are. I can confirm that the Brewery Field was indeed waterlogged just in case you have not guessed why the match was off.

So another week passes without Pooler playing a game and the longer the gap grows the more difficult it will be to hit the ground running. Deadly rivals Bargoed managed to make hay while the sun didn’t shine by winning against Newbridge although not bagging a bonus point. This leaves Pooler in third place in the Championship 19 points ahead with Bargoed in fifth still having two games in hand. At the top of the league, Merthyr defeated Swansea 3-0 in what sounds like a war of attrition. No damage done to Pooler’s hopes of promotion I guess, but the fixture list at the end of the season will become more and more congested and will really test the squad strength of the contenders.

Because of the weather, I was restricted to watching rugby on the TV. The Ospreys won narrowly against Edinburgh while the Blues lost narrowly to Leinster and the matches were a good illustration as to why Ospreys will probably finish in the top six and the Blues will not. It comes down to a combination of nous and belief and for the Blues it seems to be lacking. Man for man there is probably little to choose between the teams but the Blues are perennial underachievers. With the setup they have the Blues should be the top region in Wales but somehow it never happens. The Dragons went down to a narrow defeat at Treviso and must also be regarded as underachievers despite the unflagging optimism of the coaching team.

Next weekend we are back to the Six Nations with Wales taking on France in the middle of Friday night. Quite a few of the Welsh squad have been involved in matches this weekend so there will be a bit of anxiety about possible injuries. This is particularly true of the Welsh players playing in England and France who have to earn their corn while the local internationals rest. I think I would be inclined to start with Dan Lydiate at six for what promises to be a tough encounter with the French if the French performance in Paris against Ireland is anything to go by. Injuries apart, there is no real reason to make any other changes.

The Friday night international means that Pontypool are scheduled to play Beddau on the Saturday afternoon. Pooler managed a narrow victory at Beddau earlier in the season so this will be a stern test after so little rugby in the last month or so. A good performance is vital to put them in good heart for the following weekend which is likely to be pivotal in deciding the promotion places with Pooler visiting RGC 1404 and Bargoed visiting Merthyr.

Come on Pooler and come on Wales! Go away rain!

Survival of the Fittest

My busy social programme meant that I was restricted to three just rugby matches this weekend - unfortunately none of them involved Pontypool but never mind.

First up was Wales v Scotland in Cardiff. The 16.50 kick-off meant that there was more time for lunch which could have adversely affected my memory of the game – so apologies for any inaccuracies. I have to say I really enjoyed the match and I am sure that having the roof of the stadium closed helped both sides to play some good rugby. Whenever I watch Scotland I wonder how they lose so many matches. I know that, like Wales, they have restricted playing resources but they certainly do not seem to lack in size or ability on an individual basis.

While Wales were probably the stronger side on the day, Scotland certainly proved pretty difficult to subdue. In the end it came down to belief as Wales, who have become used to winning in the Six Nations, had the poise and confidence to create the winning scores. It was not only the team that believed that they would win but also the supporters and I am sure that the sentiment gets transmitted to the players. Scotland for their part are on a long losing streak and their long-suffering supporters feared the worst as the match progressed and their early promise was eroded. If Wales had been in a similar position when playing against one of the Southern Hemisphere giants, we would probably have lost as the roles would be reversed.

Overall Wales played better than the previous week and there were impressive individual performances from Roberts and North which tipped the balance. It was a real shame that we let Scotland score right at the end to make the final score so close and I am sure Sean Edwards will have a word or two to say about that. 

There is still a lot of room for improvement at the breakdown and in the guile of our attack and the squad will have a tough fortnight in prospect before taking on the French. I didn’t see the France v Ireland game but it sounded pretty brutal. The French will certainly present a different sort of challenge when they come to Cardiff. The kick off on the Friday at 20.05 means that there is time for a really long lunch! You need to get the nourishment in for the long trip home although I have heard that there will be soup kitchens provided in the queues outside Cardiff Central Station.

The Italy v England match went very much to script and the press could almost have written the match report before the kick-off. Italy are competitive for around an hour against the better teams and look a force to be reckoned with. After this, the difference in physical conditioning and the comparative strength of the replacements’ benches really take effect. So in the end England ran riot and won handsomely enough. There is no doubt that England are firm favourites to win the Championship and the workers in the MBE factory must already be licking their lips at the prospect of all that overtime if England win the Grand Slam. Let’s hope the Irish can stop the chariot in a couple of weeks as Wales did in the RWC.

My last match of the weekend was Munster v Ospreys from the Pro 12. It was a lively and entertaining game with the Ospreys just sneaking it. Of course both sides were shorn of their international contingent, but it was good to see some of the less experienced squad members have a chance. It was also good to see Rhys Webb make his comeback after his leg injury. He looked really sharp but finished the game with blood streaming form his head after a wild challenge on a Munster centre - let’s hope he is OK. Sam Davies continues to impress as does Underhill for the Ospreys who at times played some really good rugby.

There was just time for Scrum V before rugby fatigue set in. A couple of hours of Vera was just the antidote for all the blood and guts of the weekend. (I mean Vera the TV programme by the way)

So next weekend we should be back to normal service with Pontypool visiting Bridgend Athletic. This is never an easy place to play and Pooler cannot afford a slip-up in their bid for promotion.

Come on Pooler!

Close Encounters

There was no Pontypool match this weekend as the Six Nations Championship sparked into life. The Sunday kick off in Dublin had put me off a visit so I was confined to the couch.

The weekend’s TV viewing started with the Wales Under 20’s against their Irish counterparts in Donnybrook on Friday evening. After a slow start, Wales won quite comfortably and it was good to see that there was some considerable talent on view. With our ever-diminishing pool of players, we are going to need to look after these lads who may needed sooner rather than later for the senior team.

Saturday afternoon’s double bill was France v Italy followed by Scotland v England. The first match was very close with the Italians giving as good as they got and they might have run out winners with a little more composure in the closing stages. The French very much played in fits and starts and surely must improve as the championship proceeds – of course with the French being the French there might be ten changes for the next match and they will have to start again.

So to Murrayfield and our hopes that the “new modest army” from England could come unstuck against the doughty Scots. It was a scrappy sort of match with lots of mistakes but in the end the English defence was too strong with the Scots being restricted to only a few chances to score. The chances they had they blew while England took theirs to run out winners 9-15. The game’s outstanding player was our old friend Billy Vunipola. I don’t think the English press will let England’s modesty continue as they must now surely be on course for a strong tilt at the championship.

Finally we got to the main event of the weekend and the Ireland v Wales match.  The match started badly for Wales who seemed shocked by the ferocity of the Irish. The Irish quickly established a useful 13-0 lead and it immediately brought that dismal afternoon I spent in the back row of the stand in the Aviva Stadium two years ago to mind. Wales had lost Biggar and Priestland had started nervously - there were few crumbs of comfort. Then the Welsh scrum gained a margin of ascendancy and Wales started to play expansively. Some half chances were created although spirited Irish defence quickly closed the door. Wales were awarded a penalty for a dangerous tackle that Priestland converted confidently enough to register some points on the board. A series of powerful Welsh scrums near the Irish line ended with Faletau powering over for a try which was converted by Priestland. Wales were back in the game and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

The second half was a frenetic affair with Wales having the upper hand for long periods. They certainly ran hard at the Irish at every opportunity but could not penetrate a committed defence. The Irish too ran the ball when they could but found the Welsh defence equally stingy. Wales were awarded two penalties to give them a lead of 13-16 but conceded the lead with a penalty almost immediately afterwards to leave the score tied at 16-16. In a feverish last few minutes, both sides were clearly not happy to settle for a draw and ran at each other as if it was the start of the match but to no avail. The match ended in deadlock which didn’t really suit either side as all talk of Triple crowns and Grand Slams went out of the window.

It was a really tough physical encounter with the standard up a notch or two from the other two matches. Wales did well to recover from their poor start but then having got into a winning position could not close it out. On the positive side, the set pieces went well and there was certainly a desire to play expansive rugby. For all our concerns, Priestland had a really good second half and kicked his goal flawlessly. I suppose the worries about our inability to score tries that follow on from the RWC continue as we patently failed to breach the Irish defence despite our best efforts. At times we were also a bit slow to clear out the rucks meaning that the attacking ball was a bit laboured.

Injuries apart, I can’t imagine that there will be too many changes for the next match against a bruised Scotland. England are now in the box seat, I fear, as they play both Wales and Ireland at Twickenham. Worse still my sweep entry has been confined to the bin with two out of the first three predictions wrong. Are the Southern Hemisphere worried by what they saw? I doubt it!

From a parochial perspective, it is pleasing to note that two of the outstanding players of the weekend have strong Pontypool connections – Vunipola and Faletau. Mind you they also have Southern Hemisphere connections!

Come on Wales!