The Case for the Defence

I had returned from my holidays to find Pontypool sitting proudly at the top of the Championship having won all of their first four games of the season. In my absence, they had recorded a narrow victory at Trebanos (24-27) and followed it up with convincing wins against Glynneath (47-19) and Bedlinog (24-55). The match on offer was expected to be a stern test with the visitors, Narberth, one of the stronger outfits in the league. I was interested to see how the team had evolved in my absence.

It was a grey day with rain never far away in Pontypool and the pitch looked green and lush as we took up our positions on the Bank with our umbrellas at the ready. Pontypool played up the slope in the first half and it was Narberth who seized the early initiative with a bright start. The home defence, however, looked solid as a rock and despite an early substitution due to an injury to Willliams rebuffed all attempts by Narberth to make meaningful inroads.

Pooler started to turn the screw in attack but found the spirited Narberth defence equally tough to penetrate. As the end of the first quarter approached, Pontypool broke the deadlock with a well-taken penalty by Jones (3-0). This seemed to be a turning point as the second quarter was very much dominated by the home side. Their defence suffocated Narberth and the attack began to find chinks in the Narberth armour. After half an hour, Meek crossed for a try after strong work by the Pooler pack which, with the conversion, opened up a 10-0 lead. The closing minutes of the half saw two more tries as Pontypool took control of the match. The first wide out by Prothero following the charge-down of an attempted clearance kick and the second by Parry from a driving lineout close to the Narberth line. The latter try was converted which gave Pontypool a substantial lead at the interval (22-0).

The second half opened with Narberth attacking strongly but there did not seem to be any way past the impressive and aggressive home defence. Pontypool looked a more potent attacking force but despite creating a number of chances it took a quarter of an hour before they scored their fourth try and secured a bonus point. The try came from another driving lineout near the Narberth line with this time the substitute hooker Jeune being the beneficiary. The conversion sailed over and Pooler were home and dry at 29-0.

The rest of the game was dominated by the defences with neither side able to make any impact on the scoreboard. Pontypool created the better chances but their handling let them down at critical moments. Pooler seemed intent on preventing Narberth from scoring any points and their defence was as committed at the end of the match as it was at the beginning. The final score was a resounding 29-0 victory for the home side.

This was a strong performance by Pontypool against a team that will surely be in the top three or four in the league at the end of the season. Indeed, Pooler must feel that they could have scored a further three or more tries if they had been more accurate. The well-organised defence was the bedrock of the victory and amply demonstrates the collective desire of the team to succeed. They have now opened up a significant gap at the top of the Championship with every other team having lost at least twice in the first five matches. Next week sees Beddau visiting Pontypool Park. They have proved tough opposition in the past so Pooler will have to be on their mettle if they are to keep the winning streak going.

I did watch a bit of rugby on the TV and enjoyed the frenetic Scarlets v Connaught match with Steff Evans surely pushing himself forward for a berth on the wing for Wales. The Ospreys had problems with big cats in South Africa in more ways than one while the Dragons managed a solid win in poor conditions against the hapless Southern Kings. At least the pitch at Rodney Parade seems to have improved compared with last season!

When I say a bit of rugby I realise I also watched the second half of the pulsating draw between South Africa v Australia – that is actually quite a lot of rugby.  Well I had been away for three weekends! Wales have lined up South Africa, Australia and the All Blacks for the Autumn series. From what I have seen this weekend, a win against any of these teams is going to be against the odds.

Still we have Beddau to think about. Come on Pooler!

Champion Start

Well here we are again –another season opens for Pontypool RFC. Let us hope that we can replicate the deeds of the previous season which proved to be thoroughly enjoyable. It is a milestone for me as it will be my fiftieth year as a Pooler supporter – there have been plenty of highs and lows that is for sure but never a dull moment.

The first league match of the season is always eagerly anticipated as it often sets the tone for the season. On Saturday the visitors were Rhydyfelin who were promoted to the Championship as winners of Division 1 East and rather like Pooler swept all before them last season. They were clearly keen to test their mettle against the reigning champions.

Pontypool Park was looking at its best on perfect afternoon for rugby. The pitch looked in absolutely peak condition so we had reason to expect a great game of rugby. As the teams ran out, it was immediately clear that there was a marked similarity in the kit that they were wearing and this did make it difficult at times for the aging spectator but the referee and players seemed happy enough.

For the first twenty minutes of the match you could have been forgiven for thinking that Rhydyfelin were the reigning Championship winners as, playing down the slope, they completely dominated possession and territory in impressive style. They were certainly well drilled and lively with backs and forwards combining as they attacked incessantly. The Pooler defence however was resolute and put in some really big hits and won turnovers at critical moments which enabled them to repel the onslaught.

Gradually the home pack started to make its presence felt with a dominant scrum and some typically powerful forward drives applying pressure. Indeed it was Pontypool who opened the scoring against the run of play with a well-taken penalty by Jones as the game entered the second quarter. This was followed a few minutes later by another penalty that opened up a 6-0 lead for the home side.

The game was now much more even with both sets of backs finding it difficult to crack the opposition’s defence. As the half drew to a close, it was Pooler who landed a telling blow when Parry scored from a lineout drive near the Rhydyfelin try line. The conversion was good and this opened up a very flattering 13-0 lead for the home side at half time.

It was Pontypool who started the stronger in the second half and, five minutes in, right wing Thomas scurried over for a try in Goff’s corner. The try was converted admirably by Jones and Pooler were 20-0 up.

The rest of the second half was rather a stalemate with defences on top and a high error count from both sides. Frustratingly Pooler created a number of gaps only to be undone by a forward pass or a knock-on. Rhydyfelin continued to be extremely competitive and Pooler’s lead was always under threat. For their part, Pontypool certainly looked a long way off earning the four try bonus point and this quest was not helped by the loss of the industrious Williams with a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.

Finally in injury time Pooler managed to breach the Rhydyfelin defence again when, after a bit of juggling amongst the backs, Meek scored in the corner. The successful conversion by Jones marked the end of the match with the final score 27-0.

This was a decent win for Pontypool against Rhydyfelin who look more than capable of being a force within the Championship. The final scoreline is pretty flattering and doesn’t reflect the visitors’ contribution to a hard-fought game. It was the first competitive match of the season and I am sure that there is much more to come from the Pontypool squad as the season progresses and the combinations begin to work more smoothly.

Next week there is a visit to the other Championship debutants, Trebanos. I am sure we can anticipate a warm welcome! Sadly I will miss the next few matches as I am away on holiday so I wish everyone the best of luck but rest assured I will be glued to my twitter feed with a light beverage in my hand.

Come on Pooler!