No Joy for Pooler at Aberavon

Pontypool travelled to the Talbot Athletic Ground to take on Aberavon still searching for their first away league win of the season. Indeed, you need to go back to October 2024 for the last away league win which was at Swansea. Not a good record to take to Aberavon where despite Aberavon’s lowly position in the league a tough game would be anticipated.

While the sun was shining, there was a keen wind blowing down the ground which was sure to affect the balance of play. Aberavon kicked off and had the wind behind them in the first half. Pooler got off to a bad start when they conceded a penalty in front of their posts virtually straight from the kick off (3-0).

Pooler managed to take play into the home twenty-two but could not make anything of it. A massive relieving kick gave Aberavon a 50:22 and, after gaining possession from the lineout, the home threequarters made ground and the first try of the afternoon was scored by scrum half Whitlock popping up in support. Cullen converted and it was 10-0 with less than ten minutes played.

The Pooler scrum was dominant and Aberavon were penalised on a number of occasions. Pooler finally managed to get back into Aberavon territory. They were awarded another penalty but the Pooler kick to the corner missed touch and the attack fizzled out. It had been a struggle in the first quarter for both sides, but scrum apart, the home side with the benefit of the wind were on top in terms of territory and possession.

The second quarter started with a succession of four penalties awarded against Pooler in the first ten minutes. The home team kicked the first to the corner but lost the lineout. The second they tried a quick tap penalty which led to nothing. The third and fourth they took shots at goal but both missed. Pooler were a little fortunate not to have conceded any more points as they were very much on the back foot.

Just after the half hour mark, Whitlock scored his second try after the Aberavon threequarters cut through the Pooler defence. Whitlock was again there in support to take the scoring pass. Cullen converted and the gap lead had increased to 17-0.

A few minutes later, another dominant Pooler scrum saw the Aberavon penalised near halfway line. When the forwards got their feet, Pooler prop Popple lay prostrate on the ground. The medics rushed to help him and after a long delay, where every precaution was taken, he was stretchered off the field. We wish him a speedy recovery.

The home side started the better after the long delay and immediately forced their way back into the Pooler twenty-two. Pooler conceded more penalties and the referee showed Pooler flanker Hill a yellow card. Immediately afterwards Whitlock scored his third try with a sniping run. A mass brawl followed and Aberavon’s Roderick was shown a red card. Cullen converted the try to give Aberavon a commanding 24-0 lead at half time.

Pooler had the strong wind at their backs in the second half so a comeback was certainly not out of the question but they would need a good start. Pooler immediately went on the attack and were rewarded with a brace of tries in the first twelve minutes of the half. The first was scored by Marcus Jones after a bit of a comedy or errors. A Pooler attack was foiled by an interception. Aberavon kicked ahead and Pooler fielded and kicked the ball back. The Aberavon defence made a meal of it and McDonough and Jones somehow managed between them to retrieve the ball and for Jones to score. Ford converted and Pooler had hit back (24-7).  Pooler’s second try was more clinical. The Pooler threequarters made ground to create an overlap for Rosser to touch down in the right corner. Meek converted and a comeback looked on the cards with Pooler having the wind behind them and the opposition down to fourteen men.

Hopes of a comeback were soon dented when Pooler conceded another two penalties in succession to give Aberavon field position. The home forwards battered away at the Pooler line and it was No 8 Evans who barged over to score. Cullen again converted and it was 31-14.

Pooler’s hopes were hit further with a yellow card for hooker Evan Wood as we entered the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter turned out to be a very scrappy affair with both sides guilty of handling errors which lead to a plethora of turnovers. The benches were emptied and the Aberavon scrum became dominant which certainly did not help the Pooler cause.  Pooler did come close to scoring their third try when Kelvin Williams got over the line from short range but the referee deemed that the ball was held up.

It was left to Aberavon to have the last say when in the dying minutes Delnevo scored their fifth converted try. Final score Aberavon 38 : Pontypool 14.

More disappointment for the Pooler fans to discuss on the journey home as the long run of league defeats continues. Too many penalties conceded were at the heart of this defeat I am afraid. Two more tough league games follow with Llandovery at home and Newport away which will further test the squad’s resolve. The cup run apart, where Pooler showed good form, this is a season to forget so far.  I am sure everyone is working hard to put things right and the support of the Pooler army is still very much behind them. 

Come on Pooler!

Shortage of Gas for Pontypool

Two rarities for the last few months at Pontypool on the same day – a beautiful sunny afternoon and a home league match for Pontypool RFC. The Pontypool faithful were hoping for another rarity a Pontypool win in the league after a long barren spell. Pooler’s opponents were a strong looking Cardiff team flying high in the league who would present a formidable obstacle.  While Pooler had beaten Cardiff in the SRC Cup they had been well beaten in the corresponding away league fixture.

Cardiff started strongly and showed clear intentions to play fast open rugby in nigh on perfect conditions. Pooler did well to survive the early salvos and even fired a few shots of their own. They nearly opened the scoring after ten minutes when Matthews charged down a kick but the final pass did not go to hand. Pooler did however open the scoring with a penalty from Ford to lead 3-0. This was the only score in the opening quarter.

The second quarter saw a Cardiff onslaught that settled the match. The Pooler lineout misfired and the Cardiff attackers began to find gaps in the Pooler defence. Cardiff played at a pace that Pooler could not live with. The first Cardiff try came from a failed Pooler lineout with the Cardiff backs combining at pace to put Young over. Wilde converted and it was 3-7.

Their second try came five minutes later when scrum half Lloyd supported a searing break to score and with the successful conversion by Wilde it was 3-14.

A couple of minutes later Pooler failed to deal with an awkwardly bouncing Cardiff kick ahead and Young got the touch down in the right corner. The conversion failed but Cardiff were rapidly disappearing over the horizon at 3-19.

Pooler were looking shell-shocked as the away side continued to pick holes in their defence. A fourth try looked inevitable and it came from Hudd with the Cardiff forwards getting in on the act. Wilde converted and Cardiff already had their try bonus point at 3-26. Even worse was to follow, when Cardiff scored their fifth try straight from the kick off. Despite some desperate last ditch defending from Pooler they eventually ran out of numbers for Darwin-Lewis to score Cardiff’s fifth try with a couple of minutes left in the first half. The conversion gave Cardiff a commanding 3-33 lead.

Just as the half was coming to a close, Cardiff looked odds on to score a sixth but a poor pass at the crucial moment meant the ball went loose. Pooler gathered and kicked ahead and it was Pooler outside half Ford who won the chase to score an unlikely try. The conversion failed but Pooler at least had something to give them a glimmer of hope.

The score at halftime was 8-33 and Pooler had been very much second best. It was a half very much in the vein of the second half at Bridgend a couple of weeks before. It was going to take some team discussion at halftime to turn around the fortunes of a dispirited home team.

Things didn’t start well for Pooler in the second half when they conceded an early try when Emanuel forced his way over from short range under the posts. The conversion made it 8-40 and it was just the start to the half that Pooler didn’t want.

Ten minutes into the half, a Pooler kick ahead eluded the Cardiff defence Cole took the final pass to score in the right corner. The conversion failed but at least Pooler were into double figures at 13-40 and a try bonus point might still be a possibility.

In the next ten minutes, Cardiff squashed any hope of an unlikely Pooler come back. Poor tackling saw Hudd score his second try and it was closely followed by a second short range try by Emanuel. The former was converted and Cardiff had racked up the half century at 13-52 with twenty minutes remaining.

The beginning of the fourth quarter saw McDonough score for Pooler after a mazey run leaving defenders in his wake. The try was converted by Meek, on as a replacement, to make the score 20-52 with Pooler in the hunt for a bonus point.

Both benches had now been emptied and it seemed to make the game a bit more evenly contested.  The teams toiled hard to add to their tallies but too many passes went astray in a frustrating final quarter. In the context of what had gone before, rather surprisingly there was no further scoring.

Final score Pontypool 20 : Cardiff 52

Yet another league defeat for Pooler and few if any redeeming features in a one-sided game. Cardiff played with pace and power that became too hot for Pooler to handle especially in the second quarter when the real damage was done. Pooler remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the league table which is highly disappointing for the squad and fans alike.

The next match is way at Aberavon and Pooler will need to improve in all areas if they are to win in what has been a challenging venue over the years.

Come on Pooler!

Wales Get That Victory at Last with a Stirring Performance

Well, what a day of rugby! I didn’t manage to get to Pontypool’s rearranged fixture against Swansea as I was in Cardiff to watch Wales play Italy and the logistics didn’t work to enable me to see both. From all accounts, Pooler put up a good show and were leading until just before the end. They lost the lead to a late Swansea penalty to lose 20-18.  I understand they had a last gasp chance to save the match but sadly it wasn’t to be.

The Triple Crown decider between Ireland and Scotland in Dublin resulted in a win for Ireland in a rip-roaring match. I did not see all of it but saw the closing stages on the screens in the Principality Stadium. Scotland gave it their all but came up just short with Ireland winning 43-21 which it seems was a little flattering for the hosts.

Back in Cardiff the Principality Stadium filled up nicely with a crowd of just short of 70,000 in good voice. The home fans hoping fervently that they could see a Welsh victory in the Six Nations after a long run of defeats. The fans of the now formidable Italian team hoping for their best ever season in the Championship after their victories over Scotland and England.

Wales played with a remarkable intensity that seemed to stun the Italians. The Welsh tackled fiercely and carried the ball with tremendous power with Wainwright again to the fore. Against all expectations Wales blew the Italians away in the first half and scored three converted tries all from powerful forward surges. Wainwright scored twice and captain Lake added the third to leave Wales 21-0 up at half time. Wales had built a decent lead against Scotland only to lose so there was still work for them to do if they were going to get that all important victory.

Wales kept it going in the early stages of the second half and added a converted try by Edwards and a snap drop goal also from Edwards. The lead was now 31-0 surely Wales could not blow this!

Italy made substitutions as did Wales and the Italians started to gain a degree of ascendancy and the Welsh defence had to work overtime to keep them out. Nevertheless, the Italians hit back with tries from DiBartolemeo and Allan one of which was converted to make it 31-12 with about ten minutes remaining. They went close on another couple of occasions only for the tries to be ruled out by the TMO. Italy were chasing bonus points rather than the win which was probably beyond them by that stage. It was left to Garbisi to bring the game to a finish with an unconverted try in the last minute to make the final score Wales 31 : Italy 17.

Wales continue on their improving trajectory and achieving a win will do wonders for their confidence. Yes, they tired towards the end and yes, more work needs to be done on sharpening their attacks but the defence is outstanding and the heart and attitude of the team has improved immeasurably. Long may it continue! Let us now hope all the other issues clouding Welsh rugby can somehow be resolved no matter how unlikely it seems at the moment.

The finale of the Six Nations was in Paris where England were the visitors. This was another humdinger of a match with a resurgent England pushing the champions elect all the way. England scored seven tries to Frances’s six but lost out 48-46 to a last gasp penalty from a seemingly nerveless Ramos. I wonder what Sean Edwards is thinking after France have shipped the best part of a hundred points in their last two matches.

The final table shows that France are indeed champions but only due to more bonus points. The big surprise is to see England in fifth place after being considered by many (in England) as potential champions.

Wales of course receive the wooden spoon again but can draw some solace from the way they have improved after the early drubbings from England and France. They really should have beaten Scotland and ran Ireland close.

 

 

So now it is back to domestic rugby and for Pontypool that means a home match against Cardiff next week. Hopefully Pooler’s victory in Cardiff in the Cup will give them the confidence to get the league win and give them the impetus to move away from the foot of the league table.

Come on Pooler!

A Bridge Too Fast as Pooler Blitzed in the Second Half

Pontypool visited Bridgend Ravens hoping to translate their much improved form in the SRC Cup into points in the league. This was a real basement battle with the two sides occupying the bottom rungs of the ladder.

Conditions were good for rugby with a dry dull day and little breeze and the pitch looking in excellent condition. Pooler kicked off and were quickly into their stride and went close before they spread the ball wide after winning a lineout just inside the Bridgend half. Crisp passing saw Marcus Jones put clear and he touched down for a try in the left corner (0-5). The conversion failed but Pooler were off to a good start with ten minutes played – something quite unusual when they take on Bridgend.

Pooler continued to dominate the game but were guilty of missing out on a number of good scoring opportunities. The Pooler scrum was well on top and they spent a lot of time in the home twenty-two. At the end of the quarter, Pooler settled for three points from the boot of Meek (0-8).

Shortly after this Bridgend made their first meaningful incursion into the Pooler half but their enterprising attack from inside their own half fizzled out. It was a warning of what the home side could do given space. Pooler responded immediately when Morgan Allen charged down an attempted box kick from a Bridgend lineout and won the race to get to the ball to score Pooler’s second try which again went unconverted (0-13).

Pooler nearly scored ten minutes later after tremendous pressure on the Bridgend line but were denied by the touchline. From the ensuing lineout just a few yards from their line, Bridgend stormed up the field. Some incisive running and a well-placed cross kick saw Jones score in the left corner. The try was converted by Burnell and completely against the run of play the home side had reduced Pooler’s lead to 7-13.

With time running out in the first half, Pooler stormed back into the Bridgend twenty-two. Gatt the home wing was shown a yellow card and Pooler kicked to the corner. A powerful surge by the forwards after a lineout saw Scarfe touch down for their third try. This time Meek converted which gave Pooler a useful 7-20 lead at half time.

This had been a half that Pooler had dominated and they really should have built a bigger lead. Bridgend had only shown a couple of glimpses of what they could do with more possession.

Bridgend would start the second half with fourteen men and they also brought on three replacements. It was if Bridgend were a team of Popeye’s who had been given tins of spinach at half time. They looked a team transformed and emerged full of energy and intent. Within a couple of minutes of the restart, a quick tap penalty saw them racing clear with Jevons scoring with Pooler looking half awake. The conversion from Burnell put the home side within a score at 14-20.

Pooler hit back straight from the kick off which Bridgend failed to secure. Marcus Jones went over for his second try and secured the bonus point for Pooler. The conversion from Meek restored Pooler’s lead (14-27).

Nothing could have prepared the players and spectators from both sides for what happened next. Bridgend took complete charge of the game and left Pooler floundering and looking completely off the pace. Bridgend played with a verve that had looked most unlikely in the first forty minutes. Suddenly everything went right for the home side and everything that could go wrong for the visitors went wrong. The Pooler scrum was still dominant but the referee even penalised that.

Bridgend scored their third try after seven minutes of the half through the just returned Gatt which Burnell converted (21-27). A few minutes later Bridgend took the lead after Meek’s kick ahead was charged down and Florence scored after good passing by the Bridgend backs. Burnell again converted and Bridgend had taken the lead (28-27). Pooler looked shell-shocked and the match had been turned on its head in less than fifteen minutes.

There was absolutely no doubt that the momentum was with the home side and they piled on the pressure. Pooler seemed to have no answer to the pace and passion of the home side. Bridgend were happy to run the ball from everywhere as they saw Pooler wilt.

Bridgend piled on the points with three tries in quick succession through Gatt, Williams and Ryan Wilkins only one of which was converted by Burnell. This put the home side well clear and from 7-20 at half time it was now 45-27.

Pooler rallied for ten minutes or so and even put together a series of attacks but nothing really went right as the home side coasted to victory.

It was left to Bridgend to put the finishing touches to the rout when Lloyd Wilkins scored in the dying minutes. The try was not converted but Bridgend had brought up the half century in the final ignominy for Pontypool.

Final score Bridgend Ravens 50 : Pontypool 27.

People often talk about a game of two halves with tongues in cheeks but if there ever was one this was it. All Pooler in the first half and all Bridgend in the second and how! For Pooler, there will need to be some soul-searching and tough conversations as to how a game that was seemingly under control became a rout. You can only congratulate Bridgend on the quality of their play in that scintillating second half that left Pooler gasping. An away fixture against Swansea is just around the corner and Pooler will have little time to lick their wounds.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the Six Nations Championship. As expected, Wales lost in Dublin but can take heart from another step forward as the team continues to improve. The superb defensive effort was particularly stirring and Wales were unlucky not to come away with at least a losing bonus point (27-17). The Welsh attack needs to be sharpened up if they are to start winning but hats off to Carre for his try – a prop showing the backs what to do. Then there were home wins for Scotland who beat tournament favourites France and Italy who piled more pressure on the English management team by beating England for the first time. Amazing to see how the mighty England who considered themselves World Cup winners elect have fallen apart. Yes, the chariot seems to have lost a wheel or two.

Wales play Italy at home next week while England travel to France. It is still mathematically possible for England to get the wooden spoon but highly unlikely when points difference is considered. Wales will have it all to do to beat a confident Italian side that have few weaknesses.

Pooler play Swansea away next Saturday. It is one that I will miss as I will be in Cardiff for the Wales match.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!