Neon Deon Lights Up Pandy Park

For once it was not pouring with rain when Pontypool visited Cross Keys for their second league match of the season. The sun was shining and Pandy Park was looking a picture nestled under the hillside. Before the game kicked off, there was two minutes silence to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth that was impeccably observed. The silence was also used to mark the passing of Messrs Gladwyn and Horler from Cross Keys and the Pooler stalwart Eddie Butler.

Cross Keys kicked off and got the better of the early exchanges but could not penetrate the Pooler defence. Pooler were penalised several times in kickable positions but the home side opted to kick for the corner. Finally, Pooler broke out and went close on a number of occasions but found the Cross Keys defence in determined mood.

As the first quarter was drawing to a close, Pontypool burst into life with left wing Deon Smith the catalyst. His strong running and intelligent support play played a major part in three tries in the space of five minutes. He bagged the first himself and Lewis was the beneficiary for the second and third. The third try was actually scored straight from a Cross keys kick off when a rampant Pooler threw caution to the wind and ran the ball back. All three tries were ably converted by Jarvis and Pooler had scorched to a 0-21 lead with some brilliant running rugby.

On the half hour, Pontypool added their fourth try when hooker Scarfe was rewarded for his industry when he touched down after some powerful combined play by the Pooler team that was now well in command. Jarvis converted and the score at half time was 0-28 with the bonus point already in the bag.

The second half had only just begun when there was a yellow card for Cross Keys lock Feeney. Shortly afterwards the depleted home scrum was shunted back in a scrum near their own line and conceded a penalty try (0-35).

The replacements started to come on to the field and the game seemed to lose its shape but it was Pooler who remained the dominant force. After a quarter of an hour of the second half Mahoney broke through to score Pooler’s sixth try which was converted by Jarvis (0-42).

Is this a portent of things to come? - we can dream!

The play became a bit scrappy and error strewn with both sides feeling frustrated until Pooler took advantage of the tiring home defence. With ten minutes to go, a try by skipper Herbert who supported a break from Mahoney was just desserts for his industry. The try was converted by substitute goal kicker Mahoney who suffered cramp in the act of kicking (0-49).

There were just a couple of minutes left when the powerful running Jones burst through the home defence and galloped over from thirty metres. Jarvis had returned to the field and converted and Pooler were past the half century (0-56).

In the dying moments, Pooler tried to run the ball from inside their twenty two and it all went horribly wrong. Smith the speedy home wing was on hand to pick up a consolation try for Keys that was converted by Berry. Final score Cross Keys 7 Pontypool 56.

This was another storming away win for Pontypool who at times are playing irresistible rugby. In the end they overwhelmed a Cross Keys side that never gave up trying. Next weekend they will face the challenge of Neath at Pontypool Park. Neath have also started the season in great style so this promises to be a real battle in the style of the matches played between these two powerhouses of Welsh rugby over the years.

It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing of Eddie Butler this week. Those of us of a certain age will remember him in his pomp as a key member of the Pontypool team that were serial winners of the Welsh league titles of the time. He was a fine player with his excellent reading of the game and exceptional handling skills. This brought him the recognition he deserved with Welsh caps and the cherished Welsh captaincy as well as appearing for the British and Irish Lions. More recently he won plaudits as an expert commentator on rugby and figured in many other TV productions. He will be greatly missed. Condolences to his family, rest in peace Eddie.

So next week Pooler go into battle against a resurgent Neath. I can’t wait!

Come on Pooler!   

Pooler Put a Marker Down

We’re off! The Welsh Championship kicked off at last for what may or may not be a season of opportunity for Pontypool. As is stands, there will be two clubs promoted into an expanded Premiership at the end of the season and Pooler have every intention of being one of them. The WRU, however, would like to make changes and reduce the Premiership to 10 clubs in a ring-fenced Premiership. Heigh ho, it always seems to be like this with last minute doubts hanging over the season. Hopefully everyone will see sense and we can proceed with the original plan and an exciting Championship season is in prospect.

Pontypool’s opening match was at Maesteg Quins. A match that was sure to test their mettle after impressive wins in their warm up matches.

There was rain in the air in the Llynfi Valley with a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch that looked like a green carpet as Pooler kicked off. The first ten minutes or so was evenly contested as the two sides took each other’s measure. The Quins looked well organised and as we would expect were highly motivated. Their scrum was powerful and a real test for the Pooler eight.

It was Pooler who broke the deadlock with a burst of scoring which saw them cross for three tries in less than ten minutes as the first quarter came to an end. The first try was scored by Pat Lewis after Pooler had applied huge pressure on the home defence with a series of powerful surges. A couple of minutes later Scarfe went over in the left corner after a planned move from a lineout near the Quins line. The third try was scored by Cochrane who bullocked his way over after more good attacking play from Pooler. The second of the three tries was converted by Jarvis and all of a sudden Pooler had a substantial lead of 0-17.

Quins needed to respond and respond they did. The second quarter was dominated by the home side who camped in the Pontypool twenty two. The Pontypool defence was solid but conceded penalty after penalty which ultimately led to a yellow card for Nove. Try as they may the Quins could not get the score that they deserved as the strong Pooler defence held out until half time.

Pontypool will have been glad to go into the break with their 0-17 lead intact. There was still much work to do.

Quins started the second half well and finally got some points on the scoreboard through a Howe penalty (3-17). Gradually the strength and fitness of the Pontypool players wore the home team down. Pooler managed to put more pace into the game and the gaps started to appear in the home defence. Pooler’s powerful bench was also going to make things difficult as the changes were rung.

After around ten minutes of the second half, Pooler got their bonus point try after crisp handling from the backs saw Nove put fellow wing Smith in in the left corner. The tricky wind was making place kicking difficult and the normally metronomic Jarvis missed his third conversion out of four attempts (3-22).

While the Quins never gave up trying, the final quarter belonged firmly to Pontypool. As the quarter began, powerful surges by Sweet and Jones saw the supporting replacement scrum half Babos grab a try. This was converted and the Pontypool lead was now stretched to 3-29.

Ten minutes later Price galloped thirty metres or so to score after a charged down kick. Jarvis had found his kicking boots and converted (3-36). Sadly, Price damaged his shoulder and was forced to leave the field.

With a few minutes left Mahoney burst through a tired defence for Pooler’s seventh try again converted by Jarvis (3-43). There was still time for Babos to score his second try from a tapped penalty and the Jarvis conversion brought up the half century as the final whistle blew. Final score Maesteg Quins 3: Pontypool 50.

Pontypool must be well satisfied with this opening salvo. An opening fixture at Maesteg Quins in the rain was never going to be easy and the final score is surely hard on the home side who for a substantial period of the game were on top. Pontypool did a lot of good things but will know there is room for improvement with even tougher assignments down the road. When Pooler manage to get their offloading game going they look formidable that’s for sure.

Well done to everyone for a great start to the season.

Come on Pooler!  

It Ain’t Half Hot Mun

I have to admit I didn’t make the trip to Llandovery for Pooler’s latest warm up game. By all accounts, it was a real gutsy performance from Pontypool to come from behind and snatch a 14-19 win against Premiership opposition in very hot weather. Preparations for the new season are clearly going well. I am really looking forward to some stern tests against Championship opposition in the months to come.

This hot weather has meant that I have not been sleeping too well. Last night was no exception and I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamt that the WRU had decided to reduce the Premiership to just ten clubs for the 2023-24 season and that it would be ringfenced until eternity.

If this was not bad enough, in the next part of the dream someone from the WRU was saying, “Congratulations Mr. Jones we have decided to give you the job of sorting out Welsh rugby. There is just one proviso Pontypool must never play in the Premiership.”

As you can imagine, I awoke in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the second part of the dream will never come true but as to the first part???

Well done Pooler. We shall prevail!

Pooler Warm Up in Style

 Pontypool’s first warm up game before the start of what should be a really competitive new season was at Bristol based Dings Crusaders. The Crusaders have a magnificent set up with large modern clubhouse and three rugby pitches on the outskirts of Bristol. It was a really warm summer afternoon and the match was played on an artificial pitch so all was set for an entertaining encounter. The game was played as three periods with copious substitutions which were quite difficult to keep track of.

The first twenty minutes were scrappy as both sides found their feet. Pontypool took time to acclimatize to the conditions and the foibles of the referee and gave away too many penalties. Dings were probably looking the more likely to score but the Pontypool defence was strong and rebuffed all their efforts.

All this changed when Pooler scored a brilliant try from their own twenty two when good passing gave the threequarters a chance to run. After some excellent support play, it was Garin Price who got the touch down for a try that was converted by Jarvis (0-7). A few minutes later the Pooler backs again found the left edge and this time it was Lewis who scored after a dummy following excellent running (0-12).

The forwards were also beginning to get the upper hand and the first period ended with two tries from the pack with Scarfe and Matthews touching down. Neither try was converted but Pooler were well on top at 0-22.

The second period saw much of the same from a now completely dominant Pontypool side. Both sides made substitutions but the outcome remained the same. Pooler continued to rack up the points as the home side struggled to contain their all-action style. It really was brilliant stuff at times from Pooler as they hit their straps after the long lay off. Forward power led to tries by Sweet and Price. Excellent offloading and linking between forwards and backs led to tries for Davies, Stratton and Thomas. Jarvis found his kicking boots and converted four of the five tries and the score had sped to 0-55.

Understandably in the third period on such a hot day Pooler’s performance fell away a bit and let the home side back into the game. Substitutes came and went and the game became much more of a contest. Dings scored two converted tries as their pack gained a foothold in the Pooler twenty two and closed the gap to 14-55.

This stung Pooler into action and they responded with tries from Babos and a second for Davies both converted by Jarvis to stretch the lead to 14-69. It was left to the home side to bring the curtain down on proceedings with a try from a driving maul. Final score Dings Crusaders 21 Pontypool 69.

This really was a fantastic opening salvo from Pontypool with new and existing squad members joining together to play rugby that was breathtaking at times. Yes, there are far tougher encounters coming up down the line when conditions will be far more difficult but this was a great start.

The next test will be a friendly at Llandovery next Saturday who will surely prove to be much stiffer opposition.

It’s great to be back!

Come on Pooler!

 

Decision Day Down South

 Super Saturday cum Decision Day has come and gone and another marathon on the couch. Rugby overload combined with golf and cycling – Duw it’s hard!

At the end of it all, Ireland and England grabbed series wins against New Zealand and Australia respectively so well done to them. Sadly Wales and Scotland came off second best In South Africa and Argentina respectively.

Even though I have a new slimline plaster on my broken wrist, it is still hard work to type so I will revert to my doggerel.

Decision Day

The Irish started in irresistible form

Then they weathered the All Blacks’ storm

Irish power has been much too much

The All Blacks sadly out of touch

 

Eddie’s men hung in there in tough

Aussie flair was just not enough

There’s now no point in turning up

England already won the next World Cup

 

Well done Wales, you did your best

But it’s Springbok power that won the test

Too many penalties, not enough ball

The Boks on top in scrum and maul

Any win for Wales seemed pie in the sky

So they come back home with heads held high

 

Scotland built a substantial lead

But the Pumas are a feisty breed

Their attitude is, “never say die”

And they took the spoils with a last ditch try

 

Wales made South Africa work really hard with the 30-14 win perhaps a little flattering to the Boks. The late withdrawal of Faletau and Anscombe were big blows it’s true but the forward power of the Boks was the deciding factor. The Welsh backs looked threatening when they had the ball but possession and territory were in short supply. Wales looked tired after three tests in a row while most of the South Africa team had been rested the previous week.

No one gave Wales a ghost of a chance in South Africa so to win one test is a positive outcome. The team selection seems to be settling down and Tommy Reffell looks to have cemented his place.

Well done Wales you are not as bad as the doubters thought you were.

Northern Delights

I am still afflicted by that pesky broken wrist so another shortish blog. The broken wrist is a decent excuse for spending quality time on the couch however. This means I watched all four rugby matches from the Southern Hemisphere. In stark contrast to last Saturday, our boys done good. It was a clean sweep of victories for North over South. Most notable were first ever victories for Ireland in New Zealand and, yes, Wales in South Africa.

As last week, to cut the blog short I am turning to doggerel with some indulgence for Wales. So here we go:

Northern Delights

All Black discipline is not the best,

A rampant Ireland storm the test.

 

England start well, like a runaway train,

Back come Oz but there’s penalty pain.

 

The Boks and Wales are firing blanks,

The viewers are thinking “Rugby no thanks”

With kicks the Boks gain a slender lead.

Minutes left, “Go Wales” the faithful plead.

At last Wales awakens, it’s not all done,

A try and conversion, by jingo they’ve won.

 

A scrappy first half under Argentine skies,

Then Scotland pull clear with some excellent tries.

 

Well Wales pulled off a last ditch 12-13 victory with a try by Adams converted from the touchline by Anscombe. It was a low quality, scrappy test match but who cares Wales have at last won in South Africa. A great defensive performance against what was a bit of a makeshift Springboks outfit with the back row outstanding.

That has levelled up the series but Wales can expect a really tough match next weekend when the World Champions will surely be at full strength. We’ve done it once so why not repeat it.

Come on Wales

A Bard Day for the North

I have rather unfortunately broken my left wrist so typing is very laborious. I sat through four games of international rugby yesterday as the pride of the Northern Hemisphere took on the strength of the Southern Hemisphere. As you will all know by now, it was four defeats out of four for the home nations.

As it is difficult to type I will make this short using (bad) rhyme.

 

Summer Internationals Week 1

 

Ireland start well and think they’re in clover,

But all too soon the All Blacks take over.

 

It should be England’s as the Aussies see red,

But it’s still the home side that leaves them for dead.

 

Yellow card fever and a kick that fails,

The Boks sneak home but well played Wales.

 

Argentinian beef is exceedingly tough,

Scotland try hard but it isn’t enough.

 

For the record Wales, lost 32-29 to South Africa with a last-minute penalty from the Springboks costing a draw. Wales exceeded all expectations and confounded the critics but in the end it was their discipline that tipped the scales against them. A whole lot of positives though after the Italian disaster. I hope Thomas Francis recovers quickly as he took a nasty looking bump.

Hard luck Wales but well done. Let’s go one better next weekend.