A full day of rugby action started with Pontypool finally locking horns with Aberavon for the first time this season. Conditions were perfect for rugby at Pontypool Park with hazy sunshine and a gentle breeze blowing up the valley.
Pooler played down the slope in the first half and
right from the start Aberavon dominated the game in terms of territory and
possession. Pooler looked rusty and couldn’t really make any impression on a
workmanlike Wizards side. Rather surprisingly, it was Pooler who opened the
scoring with a typical powerful surge from Morgan Allen finishing off a rare
incursion into the Aberavon twenty-two. Meek converted and it was fist blood to
the home side against the run of play with twelve minutes played.
The rest of the first half hour of the match was eminently
forgettable with Aberavon continuing to dominate but the Pooler defence keeping
them out. There were a lot of scrums with a lot of scrums collapsing and the players
and spectators alike were getting frustrated . Pooler’s prop Cochrane was
yellow carded after a period of concerted pressure from the away side was
countered illegally.
Suddenly, the game sprung into life and Aberavon got
the reward for their efforts with a try by James and the conversion brought the
scores level at 7-7. A minute or so later Pooler retook the lead when a break by
Morgan Lloyd was supported by Marcus jones who touched down for a try which was
converted by Meek (14-7). Almost before we could draw breath, Aberavon scrum
half Horgan scooted over for an unconverted try (14-12). This was a remarkable
turnaround in game that seemed to have gone to sleep.
The final few minutes of the first half saw yet more excitement.
Morgan Allen forced his way over to add his second try which went unconverted (19-12). Even then there was still time for
Aberavon to hit back with a try by Jones in the right corner which also went
unconverted (19-17). There had been five tries in the last ten minutes of the
first half and it was difficult to predict an eventual winner.
The second half carried on where the first half had
finished as both sides attacked at every opportunity. It was Aberavon who
struck first with another try by winger Jones which was converted by Thomas.
Aberavon had taken the lead for the first time at 19-24. Pooler bounced back
and worked their way up the field and applied pressure through their forwards
and finally prop Kelvin Williams barged over for a try that went unconverted
but Pooler had levelled the scores at 24-24. This was breathless stuff and still
anyone’s game.
After fifteen minutes of the second half, it was
Aberavon who snatched the lead with some excellent running that saw fullback
Gage score which with successful conversion made the score 24-31. A couple of
minutes later, it was Pooler who did the running with Walker Price getting the
touch down and Meek converting to bring the scores back level (31-31).
By this time, the benches had been deployed and there
was a short lull as things settled down. With fifteen minutes remaining
Aberavon took the pragmatic approach and kicked a penalty to re-establish their
lead (31-34).
Five minutes later Pooler were back on the attack in
the Aberavon twenty-two and it was scrum half Morgan Lloyd with a sniping run
that gave Pooler the lead. Meek’s conversion gave Pooler a four point margin at
38-34 with ten minutes remaining.
It was no great surprise in the context of this rollercoaster
of a match that Aberavon scored next. A kick ahead seemed to have gone into
touch in goal in the left corner but the officials ruled that Aberavon wing Jenkins had just managed to touch
the ball down in time to score. The conversion from the touchline failed but,
you guessed it, Aberavon were back in the lead by the narrowest of margins at
38-39.
The one thing you know about this Pooler squad is that
they never give up. They marched back up the field to establish a position deep
in the Wizards’ twenty-two. The clock was showing seventy eight minutes as the Pooler
forwards hammered away. As so many times before, it was Matthews who applied
the finishing touch as he forced his way over the line. A fine conversion from
wide out on the right from Meek gave Pooler a six point cushion at 45-39.
In the context of this match, even with the time
running out, you would not have put it past Aberavon to snatch a win with a
last gasp try. Pooler, however, had other ideas and were able to keep
possession from the kick off and wind the clock down to hold on to a remarkable
victory. Final score Pontypool 45 : Aberavon 39.
What a tremendous game that ignited after a rather
tame first half an hour. It is a shame that there had to be a loser with both
sides contributing so much to an exhilarating second half. So well done to both
sides.
I got back home in time to see the second half of
Ireland v France and was treated to even more exhilarating rugby as the French
cut loose to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes. Even without the injured Dupont, France
were at their imperious best. Ireland’s two late tries when the game was
effectively over gave a final score line of 27-42 which perhaps does not
reflect the French dominance. France have a grip on the Six Nations’ Championship
now knowing that a bonus point win against Scotland in Paris will secure the
title.
Then there was Scotland v Wales at Murrayfield. Wales
were effectively blown away in the first half by a rampant Scottish display
which left them 28-8 in arrears. The Scottish backs proved too hot to handle
and a further try early in the second half saw Scotland build a twenty seven
point lead at 35-8. Scotland took off Finn Russell and seemed to lose direction
while Wales, with nothing to lose, played some stirring attacking rugby coupled
with resolute defence. Converted tries from Thomas and Teddy Williams saw
Scotland’s lead shrink to thirteen points at 35-22. Time was running out when Faletau seemed to have
scored a try only for it to be disallowed as Murray was deemed to have jumped
over a would-be tackler. A last gasp
converted try from Llewellyn did however at least give Wales two losing bonus
points with final score 35-29. There is still a chance of Wales avoiding the dreaded
wooden spoon.
Scotland would never have forgiven themselves if they
had let this game slip through their fingers. For the first fifty minutes they
were in complete control with Wales a distant second best. Wales are still very
much off the pace in international rugby terms and there is much work for the
incoming management team to do. The good news is that there is some promising
material to work with as Wales demonstrated in the second half. It does sound a
bit like the way people used to talk about Italy and even Argentina who have
both shown what can be done.
Next up for Wales is the visit of England to Cardiff.
If ever there was a time to break that pesky losing streak this is it! I can’t
imagine there will be many changes to the Welsh team apart from those forced by
injury. I think I would like to see Wainwright and Evans starting to freshen
things up.
I don’t think I have ever seen so many tries scored in
one day – it was quite exhausting!
Next up for Pontypool is a visit to Newport in the
Super Rugby Wales cup. Pooler’s loss against Ebbw vale has put paid to their
chances of progressing but a game against the arch rivals in black and amber is
always one to relish.
Come on Wales!
