Pontypool Just Fall Short

Rugby at last. The monsoon has finally subsided in the Gwent Valleys and we can get back down to business. On the agenda for a cold grey Saturday afternoon at Pontypool Park was the little matter of a SWALEC Cup match between Pontypool and Bedwas. Bedwas are in the Premiership and so this would be a decent yardstick to use to measure how far Pontypool have developed.

Of course the Cup is not what it used to be and it has become a pretty low key affair with even finding out the results proving difficult these days. A far cry from those dramatic matches against Cardiff in a packed Pontypool Park all those years ago. I still have nightmares about Gerald Davies and his four lucky tries. Nevertheless with so little rugby since Xmas it was an important match for both sides.

Bedwas played down the slope in the first half and if they had spoken in the changing room about the importance getting a fast start then their wishes came true. They scored a try under the posts through fullback John within the first few minutes as Pontypool were trying to cope with the strong ball carriers that Bedwas possessed. It looked pretty ominous for Pooler as Bedwas played at a higher pace than they were used to in the Championship.

Pooler are made of stern stuff these days and gradually they got up to speed and began to compete strongly in all phases of the game. Indeed there was little to choose between the two sides as the first half progressed. Pooler got on the scoreboard with a Hancock penalty to make the score 3-7 and it was game on. At times things got a little fractious as both sets of forwards struggled to get ascendancy and this eventually led to the sinbinning of Nash and Lee who had been having a bit of a debate about something or other. Both sides had some decent attacking opportunities but the defences held firm. Bedwas did look the more dangerous and towards the end of the half they scored a try after some good approach play put John in for his second try in the corner. The conversion failed but the Premiership side had opened up a significant lead at 3-12. The home side were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when a long range Hancock penalty hit a post but the score remained at 3-12 at half time.

So to the second half and this time it was Pooler who got the fast start and gave Bedwas a dose of their own medicine with the forwards carrying strongly right from the first whistle. After a series of powerful drives close to the Bedwas line Tu’ipolotu squirmed over for a try. Unfortunately the conversion sailed wide but Pooler were back in the game at 8-12. Indeed it was the home side who looked the more lively as they sensed that an upset might be on the cards. Unlike in Championship matches the teams were allowed to have eight replacements on the bench and Bedwas began to bring on fresh legs as they sensed the danger.

The home side worked their way deep into the Bedwas twenty two and gained a penalty in front of the posts to close the gap to 11-12. Then came the moment that eventually decided the match. Just as Pontypool were gathering themselves for a further assault on the Bedwas line, the visitors showed their class and scored a try just when they really needed it. Their backs again showed real pace with Pooler old boy Budina scoring in the corner. The conversion from the touchline put Bedwas two scores clear at 11-19. Pooler had it all to do again.

For the rest of the half Pontypool tried their hardest to get back into the game. Frustratingly every time that they worked themselves into a decent field position Bedwas seemed to get a turnover. The choke tackle law can certainly be annoying for an attacking team. In addition, the referee’s interpretation of what is happening at the breakdown can be mystifying to those watching from the Bank. Bedwas were reduced to fourteen men by a sinbinning but Pooler still couldn’t get the score they needed to set up a tense finish to the match. Bedwas held out until the end to leave the final score 11-19.

Pontypool can be immensely proud of their performance and they pushed a good team from a higher league all the way. The whole team played with tremendous commitment with some really ferocious defence knocking the Bedwas attackers back time after time. The final score line is quite flattering to Bedwas who had to work really hard for this victory. In the final analysis the difference between the two sides was that Bedwas took their chances more effectively. Bedwas managed to score their tries at exactly the right time – right at the start, just before half time and when Pooler were really pressing. Pontypool can take a lot from this game and use it as a platform for a strong end to the season.

Congratulations to the Ospreys and the Dragons for two really good performances against tough French opposition. Some of the performances by the younger players were extremely encouraging. Let us hope that both can go on and qualify for the next phases of their respective European competitions.

Next week it is back to Championship action. Pontypool have a visit to struggling Llanharan but should take nothing for granted.

Come on Pooler!

Pooler Power On

No Xmas is complete without a rugby derby match on Boxing Day. The awful weather had relented enough to allow Pontypool to take on their long-time arch rivals from Newbridge at Pontypool Park. The pitch was in surprisingly good condition but yet again, although the rain had stopped, there was a strong breeze blowing mostly across the pitch but if anything helping the team playing down the slope. The bad weather had brought with it the inevitable list of postponements so it was vital that Pooler maintained the pressure at the top of the Championship with a win.

Pontypool played up the slope in the first half and the first quarter of the match turned out to be pretty forgettable. Both sides seemed to struggle to put any patterns of play together – indeed they played a bit like the way I felt after my hearty consumption the previous day. It was the home side who drew first blood when they finally managed to put together a concerted series of plays for Usher to cross for a try in the corner. Gullis converted expertly from near the touchline.

Newbridge responded with some good play of their own and it was only good defence from Pooler that prevented them from scoring a try. In the end they had to settle for a penalty goal to close the gap to 7-3. Pontypool looked the more likely to score in the last ten minutes of the first half and they eventually worked their way up to the Newbridge line. The pressure began to tell and Newbridge were reduced to fourteen men when No 8 Blacker was given a yellow card after a series of penalties. The home side’s scrum gained the ascendancy and on the stroke of halftime Pontypool were awarded a penalty try after Newbridge were judged to have illegally stopped a scrum that was destined to end in a pushover try. The half time score of 14-3 was slightly flattering for the home side but it provided a sound platform for what surely had to be a better second half.

Pontypool started the second half strongly and within a few minutes scored a really good try. In the best passage of play of the match up to that point, backs and forwards combined and finally created an overlap for Bishop to score in the corner. The conversion failed but the home side had opened up a useful lead at 19-3.

The switching on of the floodlights seemed to energise both sides and the standard of play improved. Newbridge enjoyed their best period when Pontypool lost lock Ferriman to a yellow card after he infringed at a lineout. After a strong assault on the Pooler line, they eventually came away with a well-deserved try to leave the score at 19-8.  

From then on it was all Pontypool as they went in search of the fourth try and the valuable bonus point. The introduction of a number of replacements increased the tempo of the Pooler game and it proved to be too much for a tiring Newbridge team. Highly promising centre Lewis scythed through the Newbridge defence to score the all important try and open up a surely unassailable 24-8 lead.

 Pooler were far from finished as the piled on the pressure in the remainder of the match. They were rewarded with two more tries - one from Parry after a series of forward drives and a second penalty try from a scrum close to the Newbridge line. The two successful conversions left the final score at 38-8 which sent at least the Pooler section of the large crowd home with smiles on their faces.

This was by no means an easy match and it was important for Pontypool to gain five points as none of their closest rivals were playing due to postponements. This lifts them to second place in the Championship and puts them twenty points ahead of Bargoed in fifth place. Bargoed, however, now have three games in hand so could close the gap significantly with three bonus point wins. RGC 1404 in fourth place are fourteen points behind Pooler but also have three games in hand. There is no doubt that the forthcoming matches between these three teams will go a long way to deciding who misses out on promotion.

Well next up for Pontypool is none other than Bargoed at Bargoed! It is clear that this is very important encounter for both sides. Pontypool were rather fortunate to get away with a draw in the home fixture earlier in the season and the reigning champions are certainly a tough and uncompromising outfit. Pooler will really have to be at the top of their game to stand up to what is sure to be a stern test of their resolve. It is hard to assess whether the fact that Pooler have had played two tough matches over the last couple of weeks while Bargoed have not played is an advantage. Let’s hope so!

Unfortunately I will miss this crunch match and also the cup match against Bedwas but I shall be using the power of the social media to keep in touch.

Come on Pooler!

Pontypool Pay the Penalty

There was really positive news this week with Pontypool gaining the coveted A Licence which means that they can be promoted to the Premiership. There are now seventeen clubs with the A Licence – the twelve already in the Premiership plus Merthyr, Swansea, RGC 1404, Bargoed and Pontypool in the Championship. With the Premiership’s expansion to sixteen next season, the position is now clear. Pontypool need to finish above one of the “famous five” to gain promotion. Currently the five clubs just happen to occupy the top five places in the league so it is very much game on.

In that context, Saturday’s match for Pontypool at Swansea was pretty important as it was potentially a “ten pointer”. Before the match, Swansea were second in the league with Pooler one point behind in third place.

The weather was pretty unpleasant with squally showers which following on from the heavy rain of the last few days meant that this, thanks to the excellent St Helens pitch, was the only Championship game still taking place. The wind was blowing towards the Town End of the ground and Swansea elected to play against the elements in the first half. It was pretty evident early on that Pooler were going to have their hands full if they were going to compete with the all-around strength of the home side. Even with the wind in their favour, Pontypool struggled to get out of their own half for most of the first quarter. Getting on the wrong side of a rather fussy referee and giving away a string of penalties certainly did not help their cause.

The Swansea backs looked dangerous and it was them that broke the deadlock with a sweeping three-quarter move that allowed slippery wing Claypole to score in the corner. It was an excellent try but the final pass did look a little forward to the Pontypool faithful. There followed an exchange of penalty goals with Pontypool converting two to Swansea’s one to leave the score at 8-6 after half an hour. Swansea then took complete charge of the game and camped on the Pontypool line for the remainder of the half. The referee awarded penalty after penalty and two yellow cards against the away side and it seemed inevitable that Swansea would increase their lead. Remarkably Pooler managed to hold out against all the odds with some heroic defending.

So it was 8-6 at half time and Pontypool must have been mighty relieved to be only two points down after being outplayed in the first period. They would have it all to do playing against the wind in the second half and would certainly need to improve their discipline if they were to compete effectively.

What Pontypool really needed was a strong start to the second half even though their ranks were still depleted. It couldn’t have really started worse – they failed to claim the Swansea restart and within moments Swansea crossed for a converted try and the score was 15-6. This seemed to fire Pooler up and they started to get a real foothold in the game with their set-piece play gaining some good possession. Even the referee seemed to approve and began to penalise Swansea at ruck and maul. Gullis kicked a penalty to close the gap to 15-9 and Pooler sensed that a comeback was on the cards. Talking of cards, the referee lost patience with the home side’s persistent offending and sent two Swansea forwards to the sin bin. This was Pooler’s chance and they seized it gleefully. They battered the Swansea line and after a tremendous forward drive the hardworking Nash scored a try. The successful conversion gave Pontypool a narrow lead at 15-16.

With Swansea back to full strength, the last ten minutes or so was a real battle but the wind and Pooler’s indiscipline finally decided the outcome with the away side conceding two kickable penalties that were duly converted. This left the final score at 21-16 with Pontypool having to be content with a losing bonus point.

On the balance of play, you would probably have to say that Swansea just deserved to win. Unfortunately the game seemed to be dominated by the penalty count and this was heavily in Swansea’s favour and this is certainly something that Pontypool will need to think about. Nevertheless it was a massive effort from Pooler and coming away with a bonus point against one of the strongest sides in the league is far from being a disaster. That point might well prove valuable in the final analysis.

Congratulations to the Dragons on their excellent win at Pau. They were the only Welsh region to win with all the others suffering narrow defeats. It is interesting to note that if at the end of the season both Pontypool and Bargoed are promoted there would be six Premiership clubs in the Dragons’ region. I wonder what the WRU would make of that? Could there be a sting in the tail?

The next match for Pontypool is a local derby against Newbridge at Pontypool Park. Let us hope that we can shrug off the reverse against Swansea and get back to winning ways.

I wish all a Merry Xmas and a successful New Year. Come on Pooler! 

Mission Accomplished

Conditions at Pontypool Park were absolutely foul and if we had been on a ship we would have sought refuge in the nearest harbour. As it was, the strong wind and sheets of rain made me seek the sanctuary of the stand for the first time in a couple of years. It was one of those days when you wondered why you had left the comfort of your home but then of course when the teams run out on to the field you know exactly why. Pontypool were looking to extend their run of victories against the doughty Narberth. We rather hoped that Narberth’s nickname “the Otters” was not based on their aquatic abilities.

Pontypool won the toss and elected to play up the slope and against the wind in the first half. They started brightly enough and, before all the players were completely soaked through, scored an excellent try when Brooks outflanked the Narberth defence after some skilful passing which made light of the atrocious conditions. Gullis converted miraculously from near the touchline for an early 7-0 lead.

The weather and Narberth then took charge and the home side were confined to their half for the rest of the first quarter. All the away side’s pressure eventually told and they scored a good try when their fullback Morgan scored after some slick passing. The successful conversion tied the game up at 7-7.

Pooler immediately hit back when Nash charged down Narberth’s attempted clearance kick straight from the kick off. Nash fed Popple and the prop trundled over for an invaluable try (12-7). After this brief interlude, play was confined to the Pooler half for the rest of the first half. The slippery ball and the sodden pitch made attacking play difficult and the away side had to be content with a penalty to leave the score at half time 12-10. The home side must have been delighted to have a narrow lead and to be able to look forward to the assistance of slope and wind in the second period.

The second half was a mirror image of the first half with Pooler camped in their opponents half. Narberth were well organised and their forwards were powerful in the loose and in the scrum and they managed to frustrate all Pooler’s efforts in the third quarter. After the usual raft of substitutions, the home side started to get the upper hand in the forward exchanges and play was almost exclusively inside the Narberth twenty two. The pressure was bound to tell and eventually Nash was driven over from a lineout close to the try line. The conversion failed but Pooler had opened up a useful, but still not decisive, 17-10 lead.

The attrition continued as the home side went in search of their fourth try and the bonus point that would keep them well-placed in the titanic battle at the top of the championship. After a number of close calls, Jeune eventually managed to drive over the line with a couple of minutes to spare. The conversion again failed but there was no way back for Narberth at 22-10. You got the feeling that everyone - players, referee and spectators alike - couldn’t wait for the final whistle.

This was very much “mission accomplished” in absolutely awful conditions. Pontypool eked out a bonus point win against strong opposition which says much for the spirit and belief that is growing in the team. This was not a day for back play and the forwards had to battle hard against the tough Narberth pack. Well done everyone!

Next week brings the prospect of an even tougher fixture when Pontypool visit St Helens and a match against second placed Swansea. Swansea are the only team to have beaten Pooler this season so this is bound to require an enormous effort if we are to turn over our long-time rivals in the West.

In a different world, I see that Faletau is to join Bath at the end of the season. This affair seems to have been managed incredibly badly with the Dragons being the losers. I don’t blame the player as he wants to play a higher standard of rugby and be rewarded financially for it. Then there is George North signing up for an extended period at Northampton and the curious affair of Scott Williams signing for the Scarlets but not on a WRU contract. With Jamie Roberts joining Harlequins and Charteris joining Bath it appears that, even with the WRU contract, the money on offer in the regions is not going to be able to keep all the best players in Wales. It will be interesting to see what Halfpenny does.

Meanwhile in the European cups there were home wins for the Ospreys, Blues and Dragons against French opposition and a disastrous loss for the Scarlets in Glasgow. I watched Ulster dismantle Toulouse on Friday evening and once again you wonder at the French fragility away from home. Even the mighty Clermont were humbled at Exeter.

Still we at Pontypool don’t need to worry about the French. We are looking forward to our own Agincourt at Swansea.

Once more unto the breach dear friends! Come on Pooler!

Pacey Pooler have the wind in their sails

Grey skies and a strong wind greeted Pontypool for their first home match for more than a month. Mercifully the rain had stopped and the pitch looked in pretty good condition but as always the wind would be bound to have a significant effect on the game. Pontypool’s opponents were Tata Steel who were sitting in mid-table while Pooler were in third place so a home victory was hopefully on the cards.

Pontypool elected to play up the slope in the first half which meant that the powerful swirling wind was if anything against them. For some strange reason they had decided to wear dark blue jerseys while Tata were wearing light blue. The referee decided that it was not the varsity match and Pooler quickly changed into their tradition red, white and black.

Tata had the better of the early stages and it was soon clear that they had a strong pack who were very competitive at scrums and the breakdown. After being pinned in their 22 for a considerable period, Pooler finally broke out and completely against the run of play scored the opening try when Jordan Williams finished off some good passing between backs and forwards. The Pontypool scrum was still struggling and shortly afterwards the referee awarded a penalty try to Tata when the home side were guilty of kicking the ball out of a rapidly retreating scrum close to their line. The successful conversion gave Tata a 5-7 lead.

Pontypool gradually overcame their problems in the scrum and as they gained more quality possession the backs showed that they had the pace to cause the away defence serious problems. Tata were reduced to fourteen men by a yellow card for off side and Pooler swiftly capitalised when Tom Bell scored a try from a lineout just inside the Tata 22. A tremendous conversion from Gullis gave Pooler the lead at 12-7. The home side had one glorious chance to score before the end of the first half but the final pass didn’t go to hand after some great running by the backs. Momentum was clearly with the home side and with the help of the elements in the second half even the most pessimistic Pooler fans felt that a home victory was the most likely outcome.

Pontypool started the second half in the best possible way when Hurley ran a clearance kick back at Tata and after a clean break by Brooks, Lewis crossed near the posts. The successful conversion put the home side 19-7 up within a minute or so of the restart.  Pooler were clearly well on top but it took almost fifteen minutes to score the bonus point try due to stubborn Tata defence and on a few occasions the scoring pass going astray. When the fourth try came it was worth waiting for. A brilliant break by Gullis spilt the defence and Jordan Williams scored wide out. Pooler were leading 24-7 and the game was in the bag.

In the final quarter Pontypool ran riot as the backs cut the bemused Tata defence to ribbons. Four more tries followed with excellent scores by Nash, Quick, Brooks and Hurley. Three of the tries were converted to bring up the half century at 50-7. Tata never gave up trying and were rewarded with the last try of the match which left the final score at 50-14.

This was a really strong performance from Pontypool in pretty difficult conditions. The backs looked sharp and pacey and with a bit more luck could have score several more tries. The forwards were lively in the loose and, once the scrums had settled down, presented the backs with the kind of ball required for them to strut their stuff. Overall a very encouraging performance and you get the feeling that there is still more to come.

This well-deserved victory keeps Pontypool in third place in the Championship but the defeats suffered by RGC 1404 and Bargoed at least puts a bit of daylight between third and fourth place. Pontypool have now played half their matches and are breathing down second placed Swansea’s neck. The game at St Helens just before Xmas promises to be a cracker. Before that, however, Pooler will need to take on Narberth at home next weekend and it will take another big effort to overcome tough opponents.

Come on Pooler!

Away the Lads!

I have been away for a while – no not in prison – and have missed the last three Pooler matches. From that perspective it has been something like punishment although I have to admit the weather was a lot better where I was. In my absence Pontypool has racked up three consecutive away victories to keep them in third place in the Championship. The teams around them in the table all seem to be winning through and it promises to continue to be a fiercely competitive league for the crucial top four places that will guarantee promotion.

Yesterday’s 15-19 comeback victory at Glynneath demonstrates the resilience and confidence of the burgeoning Pooler team. Over the last few seasons overcoming a 15-0 deficit in poor conditions would have probably been beyond them. It was a shame I could not visit Glynneath as their ground is Abernant Park and Abernant is the name I give the fictional Welsh town in my books. It might have given me a few ideas.

The narrow 9-10 win at Beddau also sounds like it was a test of character in poor conditions but by all accounts Pooler played some superb rugby at Cardiff Met to blow traditionally tricky opponents away 10-45. So Pooler remain unbeaten away from home this season having won all seven matches so far including a standout win at league leaders Merthyr. This is a great record and long may it continue.

The next two matches are at home with Tata Steel and Narberth the visitors. This will then mark the half way stage of the league in terms of games played although we have yet to play one of our key rivals RCS 1404. If Pontypool can record two victories, it will surely leave them handily placed but nothing can be taken for granted in this league. It is sad to see Llanharan, seemingly following Blackwood’s demise last season, and being cast adrift at the bottom of the table.

I did watch the Ospreys v the Blues on the TV yesterday afternoon and it was a pretty low quality affair with neither side managing to put together much in the way of attack admittedly in torrential rain. Defence certainly ruled the roost with plenty of commitment on view. It was a bit worrying to see Biggar and Warburton leaving the field with injuries with the Six Nations rapidly approaching.

 

I also watched a recording of the BBC Wales programme about drugs in rugby. It was a pretty poorly made programme but it did give an airing to what appears to be an area of some concern. Worryingly it did seem to indicate just how unlikely you were to be caught if you were cheating and that things were not really going to be tightened up by way of testing any time soon. The side effects of putting all sorts of chemicals into your body are surely not desirable and if you do get caught it brings a lengthy ban so it certainly does not seem a sensible course to follow. The desire to get bigger is a little difficult for me to understand as I spend my life trying various diets to try and get smaller.

It’s good to be  back in Wales and I’m looking forward to Pooler’s match against Tata Steel next Saturday.

Come on Pooler!

All Blacks Worthy Winners

So the Rugby World Cup has drawn to a close but not before we were treated to a tremendous final. New Zealand and Australia served a game worthy of the occasion with New Zealand just having too much power and class in the end.

With the All Blacks leading 21-3 early on in the second half, you could have been forgiven for thinking that the result was a foregone conclusion. The Australians, as always, saw things in a different light and, with the opposition reduced to fourteen men by a yellow card, came storming back. Two converted tries saw them close the gap to 21-17 and an unlikely victory seemed eminently possible. Then up stepped the redoubtable Dan Carter with a coolly taken dropped goal and a long range penalty. This left the Aussies with a mountain to climb and in their desperation to score a try they lost the ball. The New Zealanders needed no second invitation and Barrett scored under the posts after an exciting kick and chase.

The final score line of 34-17 was a little harsh on the Australians but the All Blacks were deserved winners. The rest of the world had better take note or they may well be world champions three times running when the RWC takes place in Japan in 2019.

So what makes the All Blacks so good? They are not possessed of super powers although now and then you sometimes wonder. Their players are no bigger and probably no fitter as measured in the gym. They are certainly obsessive about winning and they leave nothing to chance. Rather like the British cycling team they seem to look to improve even the smallest things all the time. Add to that an inherent belief that they cannot lose and a tremendous team ethic and you have a powerful formula. You also get the feeling that all the most talented athletes in New Zealand (and the nearby islands) try rugby first rather than the range of other sports that have primacy in other countries. They have also found a club structure that supports the aims of the national team with everyone working together for a common aim. The haka that is performed before they play seems to sum up their philosophy of unity coupled with aggression perfectly.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the RWC and it has produced some great matches and some moments to treasure. Although I said that the ticket prices were pitched far too high, the grounds have been full and I have even gone to three matches myself (hypocrite). The atmosphere in the stadia was brilliant and the sets of fans mingled amiably. On the downside it was difficult to exit the grounds with transport links not always coping. Just imagine what it would have been like if there had been more chariots on the road!

The best thing about the RWC still remains the Welsh try against England closely followed by the final Japanese try against South Africa. The worst thing has to be that horrible grating version of World in Union by Paloma Faith at the start and end of every commercial break.

So back to normality. Next up for Wales is the Six Nations and for Pooler it’s Beddau away.

Come on Pooler!