Pooler Win Late, Wales Frustrate

Just as our heart rates were returning to normal after the tumultuous match between Wales and Fiji in the RWC, we were faced with that other thing that is sure to raise blood pressure – traffic jams. Various problems on the M4 on the journey down to Aberavon for Pooler’s latest match caused a lot of angst and led to a delayed kick off. It felt as if we were having a practice run for the twenty mile an hour speed limit on the motorway at times.

The pitch at the Talbot Athletic Ground was in perfect condition on a dank afternoon with little wind. Pooler sported a predominantly black jersey which seemed in keeping with the weather. Pooler had the edge in the first quarter and seemed to be a yard quicker but failed to make any impression on the scoreboard. Both sides were guilty of making errors and defences were on top in a close hard-fought game.

It was not until the 25^th minute that the first points were registered courtesy from a penalty kicked by Jarvis (0-3). Jarvis followed this up with another penalty a few minutes later to double Pooler’s lead to 0-6.

The scrums had been a source of much frustration with frequent collapses and resets that seemed to drain the oxygen from the match. Unfortunately for Pooler, the referee decided that Cochrane the Pooler loose-head was to blame and gave him a yellow card. Perhaps it would have been fairer if the Aberavon tight-head had had his marching orders too.

Pooler managed their period with fourteen men well with stern defence keeping out a concerted Aberavon attack. As the half drew to a close, Pooler’s numbers were further reduced when left wing Walker has also shown a yellow card for slowing down the ball in a ruck. Despite this Pooler held on to retain their six point lead at half time.

It was always going to be difficult for Pooler to keep Aberavon out with only thirteen men in the early minutes of the second half. Despite some excellent defence in the end they succumbed to a shrewd cross kick down Pooler’s right wing. Thomas comfortably won the chase for the touch down and with a conversion from Davies Aberavon had taken a narrow lead (7-6).

From then on, defences remained on top and, in truth, neither side really looked like scoring a try despite their respective benches being progressively emptied. The match was close and not lacking in effort and commitment from both sides but not of the highest quality it is fair to say.

Towards the end of the third quarter, Thomas from Aberavon was shown a yellow card for a high tackle and, to make matters worse for the Wizards, Jarvis slotted the penalty. Pooler were back in the lead at 7-9. It was difficult to pick a winner at this stage.

With around ten minutes left, the home side retook the lead with a penalty, this time from James, when Pooler were caught offside (10-9). Not to be outdone, Pooler retook the lead with little time remaining in this see-saw match with yet another Jarvis penalty (10-12).

There was yet another twist when Aberavon were presented with an opportunity to snatch the match with a last gasp penalty in an eminently kickable position. Fortunately for Pooler, the kick was adjudged to have narrowly missed. The spoils went to Pooler after a really close encounter. Final score Aberavon 10 : Pontypool 12.

Congratulations to Pontypool on grinding out a victory in a highly competitive match. As we know, any victories at the Talbot Athletic Ground are hard-earned. Next Saturday we do it all again as Pooler travel to Aberavon this time in the Cup. Let us hope that the traffic problems have been sorted out.

Wales took on Portugal a bit later in the Rugby World Cup. The really hard-earned victory against Fiji six days before meant that Wales had made wholesale changes. Portugal quickly showed that they play attractive, enterprising rugby and were going to prove a handful for Wales. In truth, Wales were far from their best with a disjointed error-strewn display that was immensely frustrating for those of a Welsh persuasion. Few, if any, Welsh players did much to warrant promotion to the squad for the match against Australia next week. Although Wales never really looked like losing after an early Rees Zammit try, it was Portugal who won the plaudits with their attacking flair. Wales defended well, however, and only conceded one rather soft try from a lineout close to their line. Wales scored a further three tries using their superior forward grunt close to the Portugal line. The fourth try from Faletau with the last play of the game was particularly important as it earned Wales a bonus point. The final score of Wales 28 : Portugal 8 was flattering for Wales to say the least. Wales need to improve greatly if they are to trouble Australia next week.

Well two victories to celebrate - both a stressful watch in their different ways. We’ll take that though!

Come on Pooler!

Come on Wales!

Hot Stuff at Pontypool

A roasting hot day in September is not ideal for rugby but of course there are far worse alternatives which we will be seeing no doubt in the not too distant future. There were many mutterings of “I am glad I’m not playing,” amongst the fans around Pontypool Park as Pooler prepared to take on Swansea in their fist home league game in the Premiership. A large number of “Bankites”, myself included, thought it best to take the shade offered by the stand. It really was that kind of day.

Swansea took the field in blue jerseys when you thought that their traditional white would have been more appropriate in the baking sun. Pooler in their traditional red, white and black played down the slope in the first half and there was no breeze to speak of.

Pontypool dominated territory in the first half but found it difficult to put points on the board. In fact, it was Swansea who opened the scoring against the run of play with a long-range penalty from Jones (0-3). The home side struck back a few minutes later with a peach of a backs move which put Anderson in for a try in the right corner. Jarvis converted from the touch line and Pooler took the lead at 7-3.

Pooler remained on top and were attacking around the visitors’ twenty two when a pass went astray. The ball was scooped up by Swansea right wing James who outpaced the Pontypool chasers to score under the posts. Jones converted and Swansea had snatched back the lead with their only meaningful incursion into the home twenty two (7-10).

The game was more evenly contested in the second quarter but Pooler looked the more likely to score although Swansea did show at times how dangerous they could be if given time and space.  Frustratingly, the Pooler lineout was not functioning well and meant a loss of possession when Pooler got into promising positions.

As the first half drew to a close, Pooler were attacking fiercely in the Swansea twenty two. They spurned several kickable penalties as they went in search of a try. The penalty count against the away side mounted and Baker the Swansea flanker was given a yellow card. Pooler had the extra man and they made it tell as, after a series of forward drives, Matthews powered over for a try from short range in the last play of the half. Jarvis converted and Pooler marched off to the shade of the changing rooms with a deserved 14-10 lead.

The second half saw the players wilting in the heat and both benches were emptied. Neither side was about to give up that was for sure and it made for a closely fought half of rugby. The third quarter saw Pooler increase their lead with a long-range Jarvis penalty after Swansea had missed with their attempted penalty. Pooler were leading 17-10 but this was by means a comfortable lead.

Swansea kept probing as the Pooler penalty count rose. Their kicking game gave Pooler anxious moments and they had both territory and possession and tested the Pooler defence. Eventually, the Swansea attacks bore fruit with Jenkins squeezing in for a try in the left corner. Aubrey converted superbly and the match was tied at 17-17 well into the fourth quarter.

Pontypool responded well and went on the attack. Swansea strayed offside just inside their half and a booming penalty kick from Jarvis made them pay. Pooler had snatched the lead at 20-17 with minutes to go. To the relief of the home fans, Pooler spent those minutes deep in the Swansea half with ball in the hands of the forwards. Despite being reduced in strength by an injury to Sweet, the pack almost powered over for a try as the match ended. Final score Pontypool 20 : Swansea 17.

Pontypool deserved to win a tight match and the win will boost confidence after the defeat at Newport the previous Sunday.  In stifling conditions, they finished the stronger and can be justifiably proud of their efforts. The first Pooler try was a beauty and you cannot help feeling that, with a little more attacking intent, the backs could be a potent unit. Of course, there are things to work on and I imagine the lineout will be top of the list. Well done Pooler - you have a win under your belt. It is now on to two tough away matches in Aberavon with the second being a cup tie.

The Rugby World Cup is underway and France set things in motion with a win against New Zealand without playing their best rugby. I started watching England v Argentina but it rapidly turned into a kick fest with little interesting rugby played by either side. I can see how important the game was to England who despite being down to fourteen men (again) fought hard to win but it did little to promote rugby to the uncommitted viewer. I have to say I found the Last Night at the Proms decidedly more interesting and the flicks back to the match became less and less frequent. Talking of music, I have to say that the singing of the national anthems by the choirs at the RWC sounds absolutely dreadful to my, admittedly untrained, ear. Why can’t they be sung in the normal way?

This evening sees Wales play Fiji and the sofa has already been pulled away from the wall to allow space to hide behind if things get bad. This will be the acid test for Wales who I believe really do need to win if they are to progress. From what I saw of the Australian scrum against France and Georgia, it looks pretty damn powerful and will cause the Welsh unit a lot of problems if Wales are in the situation where they have to beat Australia to get out of the group.

Anyway, I will be hoping for the best this afternoon. Please do not butcher the Welsh national anthem.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!

Back Where We Belong

Well, this is it, Pontypool are finally back in the Premiership and what a place to kick off their campaign. None other than at Rodney parade against their long-time foes Newport. The pitch looked like a green carpet on a warm late summer afternoon and the TV cameras were in attendance. A large, vociferous crowd had gathered to cheer their teams on and generated a tremendous atmosphere. The big question was could Pooler step up to Premiership quality. Their warm up games against Premiership opposition had demonstrated that it would not be easy.

The first task of the afternoon was a sad one. David Watkins one of Newport favourite sons had passed away and when the tribute was read out you realised just what a great player and ambassador for both codes of rugby he had been. I distinctly remember him dancing around everyone at the Snelling Sevens. My condolences to his family.

So, to the match. Pooler really could not have got off to a worse start - a loose pass after a period of possession found its way into the hands of Lloyd Lewis. His ex-team mates knew what was inevitably going to happen next as the former Pooler flier sped down the right wing to score. The conversion missed but it was first blood to Newport (5-0).

Undeterred, Pooler hit back with a penalty from Jarvis when the home side transgressed at a ruck (3-5). This was quickly followed by a try from Pooler right wing Rosser who won the race for a shrewd kick ahead from scrum half Lloyd. Jarvis converted from wideout and Pooler had snatched the lead at 5-10.

The lead was to be short lived as a well-conceived backs move for Newport put Lloyd Lewis in the clear and he galloped over for his second try. This time O’Brien converted and now Newport led 12-10.

As a frenetic first quarter came to an end, Pooler moved the scoreboard on again when a quick tap penalty from live-wire Pooler scrum half Lloyd near the Newport line led to Mahoney crashing over for a try. Jarvis converted and Pooler had regained the lead at 12-17. Wow, what a twenty minutes of rugby that was!

On the half hour, Jarvis increased Pooler’s lead with another penalty and opened up an eight point gap at 12-20. A feature of the first half an hour had been a lack of scrums which had suited Pooler well. In the last ten minutes of the half there were some scrums and Newport latched on to what was to prove an Achilles heel for the away side. A series of scrum penalties transformed the game as Newport won field position and possession. Their well-organised and powerful pack did the rest and led to Newport scoring three tries in the last few minutes of the half. Short range tries from Davies and Roach and a try in the corner for Westwood were all converted by O’Brien. Pooler’s lead dissolved and Newport were disappearing out of sight at 20-33.

Pooler needed to up their game in the second half and a new front row helped to bring some temporary solidity to the scrum. Pooler attacked from the outset but found the home defence difficult to breach. Newport, however, were forced to give away a series of penalties that led to a yellow card for Jenkins. This gave Pooler their chance and Cochrane finally barged over for a much-needed try that was converted by Jarvis. Pooler felt that they had a sniff of victory at 27-33 with twenty minutes or so remaining.

Newport managed to break the Pooler stranglehold and with the help of a penalty were back in Pooler territory. Westwood bagged his second try from close range after a driven lineout. The conversion failed but the score had effectively ended Pooler’s chances of a win (38-27).

Pooler tried hard to salvage a bonus point or two and spent the rest of the game on the attack. Even with a second yellow card for Jenkins they could not find a way through the Newport defence. Final score Newport 38 : Pontypool 27.

Wow, what a game that was. Well done to both sides with Newport deserving their victory by scoring six tries to three. It was thoroughly enjoyable if a little disappointing for Pooler who deserved to get something out of the game. Pontypool clearly showed that they can compete at Premiership level but will know that there is considerable room for improvement. They will need to work on the set pieces which proved an area of vulnerability. There is no shortage of effort and team spirit that is for sure with Pooler never giving up and still going strong at the end despite the warmth of the afternoon. We “won” the second half anyway! Well done Pooler!

Next up for Pontypool are Swansea at Pontypool next Saturday. This is great it is just going back in time to the great days of Welsh club rugby!

Next weekend also sees the start of the Rugby World Cup. Wales have what may be their toughest match first up when they take on Fiji. A loss will probably leave them having to beat Australia to get out of the group. This is going to need a special performance from Wales and they are quite capable of doing it I am sure.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!

It’s a Steep Learning Curve for Pooler

It felt like the rugby season had started with rain pouring down as I got out of the car in Pontypool. In fact, the season proper had not started but it was Pooler’s second warm-up match this time against Merthyr. Fortunately, I had an umbrella and managed to get to the ground without getting too wet. Against my normal inclination, I decided to sit in the stand and of course the rain stopped and I wished I was on the Bank but it would cause too much disruption if I tried to leave my seat in the middle of a row. Never mind, there was still some rugby to be watched.

Merthyr have established themselves as one of the stronger Premiership sides after coming up through the leagues. This would be a true test for Pooler despite the copious substitutions that would be expected in a friendly.

Merthyr played down the slope in the first half and set off in tremendous style. The aggression and pace with which they played rocked Pooler back on their heels. Within ten minutes Merthyr had scored two tries from Wiggins and Knoyle which were both converted by Thompson (0-14). The crowd were stunned into silence by the ruthless way that Merthyr took their chances and knocked Pooler back in the tackle.

Pooler found their feet and worked their way up to the Merthyr line and pounded away but found the Merthyr defence difficult to crack. A yellow card for Merthyr’s Lewis helped their cause and finally Pooler scrum half Lloyd dummied his way over for a try. Jarvis converted and Pooler were back in the game at 7-14 with fifteen minutes played.

This did not last long, however, as Merthyr hit back in style. The away side’s backs then showed what they could do. A perfectly executed move put Hoskins in for a try in the right corner with the Pooler defence split asunder (7-19). Then just before half time Merthyr broke out from their own half and this time Thomas scored in the left corner and with Thompson’s conversion the lead increased to 7-26.

This had been a difficult half for Pooler with Merthyr well on top with a well-deserved nineteen point lead. Never mind, Pooler were playing down the slope in the second half and would be bolstered by a raft of substitutions. There was still some hope of a comeback.

Pooler started the second half in positive fashion and were soon bashing away at the Merthyr line. It was again scrum half Lloyd who scored the try after plenty of grunt from the pack. Jarvis converted and the gap had closed to 14-26.

The home side were soon back on the attack again but struggled to breach the Merthyr defence close to the try line. Merthyr lost Gee to a yellow card as Pooler pressed and finally, early in the fourth quarter, they got their just reward when the referee awarded them a penalty try and sent Bradbury from Merthyr to the sin-bin (21-26).

The momentum was with Pontypool and you sensed that they could yet snatch the spoils. Sadly, Pooler made a hash of the kick-off reception and conceded territory and possession to Merthyr. Merthyr put together a series of powerful attacks and time after time they were stopped by tremendous Pooler defence. Pooler conceded a string of penalties and lost Stratton to a yellow card and then the inevitable happened - Wall scored a try for Merthyr in the right corner after a tapped penalty. The try went unconverted but Merthyr were two scores clear at 21-31 with just over five minutes remaining.

Pooler pressurised the Merthyr line in the last few minutes but could not add to their tally. Final score Pontypool 21 : Merthyr 31.

It is always difficult to read too much into pre-season friendlies but already Pontypool have been made aware of the much higher standard that Premiership rugby brings. On the positive side, Pooler did well to recover in the second half to turn around what was looking like a potential drubbing. Yes, there is plenty to work on with a misfiring lineout near the top of the list. 

The first league game will be at Rodney Parade when Pooler take on Newport on September 3^rd. There will surely not be any need to look for any further motivation than taking on the old enemy.

No sooner have Pontypool got into the Premiership but the much-rumoured changes to the structure of Welsh rugby seem to be a reality. The Elite League looks like starting next season with the ten members linked more closely to the professional regions. I really do wish there could be some stability instead of all this chopping and changing. Apparently, the selection criteria for the new league will be little to do with results on the field – now where have I heard that before? Whatever happens I am confident that the Pontypool management will guide us in the right direction.

I read that South Africa thumped New Zealand in a warm up game for the RWC. Perhaps this puts last week’s defeat for Wales in better perspective. It will be interesting to see how Fiji get on against England. This may give us a clue as to whether Wales can beat the South Sea Islanders in a couple of weeks. Let us hope that Wales can find a way of getting past the group stage – putting Eddie Jones’ nose out of joint would be brilliant.

Good luck to Pontypool in Newport.

Come on Pooler! 

Wales have Their Ears Well and Truly Boxed

There is really not much I want to say about Wales being trounced by South Africa. Suffice it to say they were out-thought, out-muscled, out-scrummaged, out-run and out just about everything else. Yes, they were thoroughly out-played in conceding fifty odd points on their own patch.

True this was by no means a full-strength Welsh team but it was defeat that called into question the Welsh strength in depth that Gatland has been taking about. The Springboks scored eight tries with the Welsh proved the most generous of hosts presenting their opposition with four of them – two interceptions, a rather dubious penalty try and a wild pass in their own in-goal area. Nevertheless, the gulf in class was there for all to see. Enough said I think.

Enough has been said about “Farrellgate” too. Let us hope that he gets the ban his actions deserved and the matter is closed It is to be hoped that we do not have the same controversy following Billy Vunipola’s dismissal in England’s defeat against Ireland yesterday.

The next time we see Wales will be when they come up against Fiji in the RWC. Fiji certainly gave France a run for their money yesterday so Wales will have it all to do. The final Welsh squad for the RWC will be announced and there is plenty for the management to think about, not least, what is their best centre partnership.

Thank goodness we have some club rugby to watch before the RWC. Pontypool have their final pre-season match on Friday evening when they take on fellow Premiership team Merthyr. It’s then on to the season proper when Pooler visit Rodney Parade to take on long time foes Newport. This is really something to look forward to although the 17.15 kick off on a Sunday is rather unusual to say the least.

Come on Pooler!

A Strange Day

In the words of Star Trek, “It’s rugby Jim but not as we know it.” That is what the pre-season friendlies are like and so it was at Sardis Road as Pontypool visited Pontypridd for their first outing since the Spring. Pooler wore blue jerseys and Pontypridd sported a bizarre psychedelic yellow and red concoction. The match consisted of three periods and was played on the artificial pitch which was a godsend as there were heavy showers on a strangely dark August afternoon. There was plenty of chopping and changing as both teams gave their large squads the chance to impress. Yes it was difficult to keep up with what was going on.

Nevertheless, it was rugby and it turned out to be an enjoyable encounter as the players tried to get rid of the rustiness following their long layoff. Pooler were making the step up to take on Premiership opposition and it showed in the first period when the powerful Ponty forwards held sway as Pooler found their feet. After pressure on the Pooler line, Ponty got their just reward with a penalty try to lead 7-0. Pooler gradually came back but despite some pressure could not get off the mark. Ponty could not add to their tally so this was the score as the period ended.

The second period saw mass personnel changes and Pontypool seemed to benefit most from it and were dominant. Pooler scored two tries through Mahoney and Griffiths both converted by Jarvis to take a 7-14 lead. The lead did not last long as Ponty fought back with a try from Jones that was converted by Scrivens. So, when the period ended the game was tied at 14-14.

More changes after the teams had taken a well-earned break. This time it was Pontypridd who looked the stronger and pressed hard on the Pooler line with a series of scrums. The referee lost patience with the instability of the scrums and Cochrane for Pooler had a yellow card. Ponty took the lead shortly afterwards with a try by Rowley converted by Scrivens (21-14).

Pontypridd continued to dominate and a yellow card for Nove didn’t help Pooler’s cause. A fourth try for Ponty by Nash settled matters with Ponty 28-14 ahead with little time remaining. Pooler did fight back and were rewarded with their third try when Moa touched down under the posts after a powerful scrum on the stroke of time. The successful conversion closed the gap and the final score was Pontypridd 28 : Pontypool 21.

This was a good runout for both teams and both coaching teams will know they have plenty to work to do before the season proper starts. Pooler certainly did not look out of place against the kind of Premiership opposition that they can expect in league games to come. The Pooler squad looks to have strengthened with plenty of talent on view and they will have another chance to show what they can do in the friendly against Merthyr in Pontypool Park in a couple of weeks. Let us hope they “Live long and prosper.”  

I returned home in time for the England v Wales game from Twickenham. This was another strange affair. Rather like the previous week a England were on top in the first half but could not cross the whitewash for a try. Their reward was a couple of penalties in a turgid low quality half of rugby.

After an exchange of penalties as the second half started (9-3), the game took a bizarre twist as England’s discipline dissolved and they were at one stage reduced to twelve men Steward, Genge and Farrell all received yellow cards for various offences with Farrell’s subsequently upgraded to red for his dangerous tackle. Wales took advantage of this with a penalty try and a try from Tomas Williams both converted by Biggar to lead 9-17.

Wales then lost the plot as their concentration wavered and they let England back into the game. England were inspired in adversity and the crowd really got behind them. Wales gave away a needless penalty and this led to a huge England forward drive and a try from Itoje (16-17). England’s miscreants rejoined the fray and Beard was shown a yellow for Wales so it was fourteen a side. All the momentum was with England and it was no great surprise when a penalty from Ford took the spoils. Wales really threw this away and I guess a few people threw away their chances of going to the RWC in France. I would not like to be in that team’s shoes when they analyse what went wrong on Monday! It was very disappointing to see Lake injured early on in the game and I really hope that it is not too serious. Wales will take on South Africa next week and really cannot afford more injuries.

I did watch France v Scotland on the TV later on. The Scots gave another good account of themselves only going down to a late penalty goal (30-27) after playing some great rugby. France only fired now and then and need to find their mojo quickly if they are to excel in the RWC.

So that’s another day of rugby done. A disappointing one for sure but the real stuff starts in September for both Pooler and Wales.

Come on Wales!

Come on Pooler!  

Warming Up

After what seemed like an eternity, I was hoping to watch Pontypool play rugby again. Unfortunately, this was scuppered as the planned warm-up match against Dings Crusaders was first transferred to Bristol and then cancelled. Never mind Pooler are due to play at Pontypridd next Saturday in another warm-up match – it’s only seven days away!

The first signs of Pooler’s promotion to the Premiership have arrived with a big increase in the price of a season ticket and the fact that the first league game at Newport will now be at Rodney Parade and be played on a Sunday evening so that it can be screened live on TV. Neither of these are particularly welcome but if you want to play with the big boys I guess they are a necessity. I am more than willing to put up with this to watch Pooler operate in the next tier after the years of frustration in the Championship. It will be a formidable challenge that is for sure.

The afternoon therefore saw me back on the couch in front of the TV. There was plenty of rugby anyway. I started with Scotland v France Seconds in one of the myriad of pre-Rugby World Cup matches. Team selection during this period seems to be a bit of a lottery with coaches trying to whittle their squads down to the final thirty-three and give players much needed game time. What we got was a classic “game of two halves”. France were really dominant in the first half and built a substantial lead but then stopped playing with any kind of passion in the second half while Scotland did the complete opposite and, despite losing Fagerson to a red card, overhauled the French to snatch victory. That must have been some team talk in the Scottish dressing room at half time!

That match was followed by the main event which was Wales against England in Cardiff. Both teams were not at full strength with Wales fielding an almost entirely different team to the one that finished the Six Nations. England were well on top in the first half having the lion’s share of possession and territory and giving the new Welsh props a torrid time in the scrums. Luckily for Wales, England had a severe case of butterfingers and couldn’t cross the whitewash to score a try. In fact, but for a stumble close to the line, Rees Zammit could have scored a try for Wales. England did lead 6-9 at half time but it could and should have been much worse for Wales.

In the second half, the Welsh confidence grew as England seemed to fade. An excellent try from Gareth Davies saw Wales take the lead and this was backed up by a try from George North to give Wales a 20-9 lead which they never really looked like losing. Wales went close to two more tries first through Grady and then a brilliant kick and chase by Rees Zammit which the TMO chalked off. This was way better than anything Wales had produced in the Six Nations with the players looking fit as fiddles.

There were plenty of positives for Gatland and Co not least the work of Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright who were both outstanding. It also revealed an encouraging development of strength in depth in most positions. The worrying thing about warm-up games is the risk of injury and Wales were reduced to seven forwards towards the end of the game. Wales lost Elias in the first few minutes to what looked like a hamstring injury. Let us hope that there is nothing too serious.

Next week Wales travel to Twickenham and can expect a warm reception from a wounded England squad. We can expect two different teams to take the field so it is difficult to predict the outcome.

I did watch some of the Argentina v South Africa game but have to confess that my eyes closed a few times. From what I saw, South Africa were dominant and will surely give Wales a tough examination in a couple of weeks.

Well that’s it. Rugby is back!  All we need now is a bit of Pooler Power.

Come on Pooler!

Come on Wales!