Cup of Joy for Pontypool

A cup final in Cardiff is a rare treat for the Pooler Army. The Army certainly answered the clarion call and flocked to Cardiff to see if Pontypool could get some silverware by defeating Ystrad Rhondda in the Championship Cup final. Pooler have always found Ystrad Rhondda to be lively and difficult opponents and so it was to prove on a cool blustery afternoon.

Suitably fed and watered we squeezed into the middle tier surrounded by excited and raucous Pooler supporters. It is an awe-inspiring arena but it is a shame to see acres of unoccupied seats. Still the Pooler and Ystrad fans were able to create a good atmosphere.

We are getting used to Pooler getting off to a bad start these days and I am afraid this was no exception. Within five minutes, after a promising start, a Pooler pass went astray. Ystrad seized their opportunity brilliantly and a few seconds later Phillips was dotting down for a try under the posts. The conversion from Truelove was a formality and Pooler knew they were going to be tested to the full (0-7).

After around fifteen minutes Pooler thought they had scored a try when Matthews dived over. After a ridiculous length of time, the TMO together with the referee finally disallowed the try. The outcome was a penalty to Pontypool and a yellow card for Morgan of Ystrad. Pooler opted for a scrum but made rather a mess of it.

Seven minutes later, Pooler had a scrum near the Ystrad line and this time they struck. The ball was passed out to the right and Smith touched down for a try. The conversion from Jarvis squared things up at 7-7.

The game was very scrappy with both sides guilty of making too many errors.  Pooler were hampered by the loss of Lloyd for a deliberate knock on but seemed to have the more powerful pack of forwards. They were on top in the scrums but the lineouts for both sides were haphazard.

Towards the end of the first half, Pontypool spread the ball wide as they attacked inside the Ystrad twenty two. Right wing Powell showed his strength to burst through would-be tackles to score a try in the corner. The conversion missed narrowly but Pooler were in the lead (12-7). There was still time for Ystrad to narrow the gap through a penalty from Truelove. This left the half time score at 12-10 to Pontypool after a tense and disjointed first period. It was anyone’s game that was for sure.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half saw more of the same with neither side able to seize control. This period did see Ystrad take a narrow lead by converting two penalties through Truelove against one from Jarvis (15-16).

Both teams made copious substitutions to see if that would break the deadlock. The game needed to be lifted by a moment of brilliance. This came on the hour with a great kick from Jarvis from a penalty that took play to within a few metres of the Ystrad line. A perfect position for a lineout drive and Pooler did that to perfection with Lloyd touching down. Jarvis converted and Pooler were back in the lead at 22-16 although Ystrad with their dangerous backs were still within a score.

The Pooler fans’ nerves were not helped when Nove received a yellow card for a deliberate knock on with a quarter of the match remaining. By now, however, the Pooler pack was on top and their defence was not giving Ystrad much breathing space. Another penalty from Jarvis increased Pooler’s lead to 25-16 and the Pooler Army were going to sing their heroes home. Pooler bossed possession and ate up the remaining time through the work of their forwards. The last action of the match saw Jarvis land another penalty to give a final score of Pontypool 28 : Ystrad Rhondda 16.

To the impartial observer this match was probably far from a classic but to Pontypool that did not matter. Ystrad Rhondda, had as expected, proved to be a fiercely competitive side and it had taken everything Pooler had to defeat them. So well done to everyone. It was a real joy to see Scott Matthews hoist the cup at the end of a titanic struggle.

There is no time to rest for Pontypool as they now have a really busy league programme ahead. They have two matches in the next five days starting with Ystalyfera at home on Wednesday and then Narberth away on Saturday. Things are still tight at the top and it has been confirmed that only two teams will be promoted giving a rather strange thirteen team Premiership. Pooler cannot afford to slip up as they enter this critical period.

Anyway, well done Pooler it was great to see us back in Cardiff after all those years.

Come on Pooler!

As a post script, I have to say I am mighty glad that we don’t have to put up with referrals to the TMO in our league. It seems to suck the life out of a game.