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!  

Ode To Pooler

Pooler were in a dark, dark place,

Relegation and losing a high court case.

Mounting debts and no help in sight,

How they needed a gallant white knight.

To the rescue rode the Jeffreys clan,

To restore former glory was their plan.

Building for the future had just begun,

But avoiding relegation was number one.

It was tough at first, matches going astray,

But soon emerged the Pooler way.

Relegation avoided but only just,

Strengthening the squad an absolute must.

 

No ring-fencing the following year,

But too early for Pooler that was clear.

Ebbw Vale were comfortably the best

And easily passed the promotion test.

Pooler finished fourth and looked much stronger,

Thanks to the Jeffreys they struggled no longer.

 

But yet again ring-fencing was here,

And Swansea were now a team to fear.

Fifth for Pooler a good stepping stone,

How the squad’s self-belief had grown.

 

’15-’16 and ring fencing is done,

Four teams go up, can Pooler be one?

Sadly, for Pooler it just wasn’t to be,

The bounce of the ball let in RGC.

 

That damned ring-fencing came back again,

Two years of frustration, oh what a pain!

Pooler were brilliant and lost just one match,

Premiership quality, please open that hatch!

 

’18-'19 and it’s a different story,

Four teams come down, then a play off for glory.

Pooler go undefeated, impossible to beat,

In the play-off it’s Llanelli that they meet.

Llanelli boosted by Scarlets proved too strong,

Most think Pooler had suffered a wrong.

 

 What next can thwart Pooler’s dream?

A pandemic knocks us all off beam.

No meaningful rugby for the best of reasons,

Pooler kept waiting for three long seasons.

 

It’s ‘22-’23 and we’re off again,

Two teams go up, we’ve a chance that’s plain,

A strong league, Pooler must be at their best,

If they’re to pip Bargoed, Neath, and all the rest.

As expected, this was really hard graft,

Pooler had to use every bit of their craft.

Some games were easy, some were tough,

But Pooler’s team spirit was more than enough.

They didn’t lose a match, oh what a team!

Promotion as champions, it’s more than a dream.

They won the cup too for jolly good measure,

The season had brought unbridled pleasure.

 

Despite obstacles and setbacks along the way,

Pontypool at last had their hard-earned day.

Back in the Premiership where they belong,

They really have been away too long.

So congratulations to all the Pooler crew.

Now let’s show the Premiership what we can do!

Pitch Perfect Pontypool

Pontypool travelled to Ystalyfera for their last match of this tumultuous season.  A victory would mean that, not only were Pooler league and cup double winners, but would also be invincible for the season. As you no doubt know by now, Pooler did the necessary to crown a fantastic nine months or so for the club and its loyal supporters.

The journey to Ystalyfera on a glorious May afternoon was delightful. “How green is my valley” suitably describes the countryside I think. The rugby club was teeming with Pooler supporters and there was a of a carnival atmosphere. The squad I am sure knew how important it was to take care of business against proud opposition and were not about to take their eye off the ball.

Pooler soon got down to work and skipper Matthews showed the way when he powered over for a try within the first couple of minutes. The try was converted by Jarvis and Pooler were up and running. (0-7). A few minutes later, Pooler were guilty of overplaying and the ball went loose and left wing Congreve sprinted clear to score for Ystalyfera . With the successful conversion from Evans the home side had drawn level at 7-7.

An injury to Stratton meant that Herbert joined the fray and he was soon causing problems for Ystalyfera in attack and defence. The rest of the first quarter seemed to be consumed by scrums as the powerful Pooler pack won a series of scrum penalties and opted for yet another scrum. This finally came to fruition as the quarter ended with a try for Matthews that was converted by Jarvis (7-14).

The home side were feeling the effects of the warm afternoon and the powerful ball carrying of the Pooler team.  In the second quarter, Pooler ran in no fewer than six tries to rack up a half century of points. It was real one-way traffic as Jarvis, Ieuan Jones, Hughes. Thomas, Lewis and Dai Jones all crossed the whitewash to score tries. Jarvis converted three of the tries and Pooler had scored thirty six unanswered points in twenty minutes in a devastating spell of power rugby. The game was won by half time with Pooler storming to a 7-50 lead.

Within seconds of the restart, Pooler were again on the scoreboard when Herbert won a turnover and Marcus Jones sped down the right wing to score from forty metres. Jarvis converted to give Ystalyfera more pain (7-57) and killed any forlorn hopes of a revival.

Marcus Jones was soon celebrating again as he benefited from a line break by Matthews to score his second try which was unconverted (7-62). There had been a series of injuries and substitutions and this resulted in uncontested scrummaging as Ystalyfera ran out of fit props.

The game went into a bit of a lull as the home side continued to defend defiantly and Pooler tried to get to grips with a much-changed line up. It was not until well into the last quarter that Pontypool found their scoring touch again with a try by Langdon that was converted by Jarvis (7-69). This was followed five minutes by a well-deserved try for Herbert who had given a typical all-action display. The conversion by Jarvis made it 7-76 and this was becoming torture for brave Ystalyfera.

The final score of the games saw Pat Lewis race forty metres to score after Herbert had won a turnover. Jarvis converted and the referee called a halt to proceedings perhaps a little early. Final score Ystalyfera 7 : Pontypool 83.

Well, that’s it the curtain comes down on a long and fruitful campaign for Pontypool which must have broken all kinds of records. In the league they won twenty six out of twenty six matches and amassed twenty five try bonus points (two matches were walkovers which counted as bonus point wins). On top of that Pooler also won the Championship Cup with the final played at the Principality Stadium. This a brilliant achievement for all involved with the club. It has certainly not all been plain sailing with matches against the leading contenders in the Championship really tough. Pooler have shown tremendous team spirit and resolve to find a way to win when they were up against it. This is typified by the two last minute victories against Ystrad Rhondda in the league. The supporters have also played their part turning up in droves to support their team. Congratulations to everyone!

It is now onwards and upwards with Pontypool finally back in the Premiership. This will no doubt bring many challenges but this is exactly what we have all been longing for.

There will be a presentation in Pontypool Park on Thursday and I am sure there will be a great turnout to celebrate a fantastic season.

Well done Pooler!

Pooler Pinch It

Ystrad Rhondda have been playing great rugby lately so it was with some trepidation that we ventured up the Rhondda valley to see if Pontypool could keep their incredible unbeaten run going. If anyone was going to end it, it was Ystrad who had made Pooler dig deep to edge victories both at home and in the cup final. A good crowd had gathered on a pleasant Spring evening to watch what was sure to be an enthralling contest.

It was all Ystrad in the first quarter as an edgy looking Pooler were pressurised into making uncharacteristic mistakes by a high energy and well-drilled home side. Ystrad opened the scoring as early as the second minute with a Truelove penalty (3-0). They could have doubled their lead moments later but Truelove’s penalty attempt went wide.

The home side’s kicking game was superior to Pooler’s and they were able to challenge the Pooler defenders as the ball came down. Pooler’s failure to deal with such a kick after ten minutes led to Ystrad’s first try. They pounced on a loose ball and moments later Llewellyn touched down for a try that Truelove converted (10-0).

Things got even worse for Pooler when slick handling by the home backs saw Williams score in the left corner. The conversion failed but Ystrad were really good value for their 15-0 lead. Pooler had hardly struck a blow as a very one-sided first quarter came to an end.

Pooler needed to somehow to make a dent in the confidence of a highly-motivated Ystrad team and turned to their forwards who had seen them through some tough matches over the last few weeks. Their opportunity came from a rare penalty awarded against Ystrad. Pooler kicked for the corner and, after a lot of grunt from the pack, scrum half Morgan Lloyd darted through a gap to score a much-needed try. Jarvis converted and Pooler were back in the game at 15-7.

Ystrad continued to apply pressure on Pontypool and, on the half hour, a misplaced pass in the Pooler midfield gave them another opportunity which they grasped with both hands. Burgess touched down for Ystrad’s third try and this time it was converted by Truelove. It was looking bleak for Pontypool with Ystrad now leading 22-7 and looking like they were hungry for more.

It was imperative for Pooler’s chances that they hit back before half time. It is a mark of their never say die attitude that they did exactly that. Another penalty was kicked to the corner and from a driving lineout Peter Lloyd touched down in the left corner. A great conversion from Jarvis made the score 22-14. The half time whistle was blown shortly afterwards and left Pooler with some serious “thinking” to do if they were going to turn around this game which had looked a lost cause at times.

Pooler looked suitably motivated when they took to the field after half time and were soon on the attack. They pounded away at the Ystrad line but were repulsed time and time again as the home defence stood firm. Finally, after fifteen minutes of Pontypool pressure, the home defence cracked. Again, it was a lineout drive that did it with Peter Lloyd touching down for his second try after muscular work by the forwards. Another excellent conversion from Jarvis saw Pooler close to within a point at 22-21.

The momentum was now with Pontypool but Ystrad were far from done. They bounced back in style and worked their way up field as they turned the ball over. A well-executed backs move saw the Pontypool defence split wide open and the pacy Williams sliced through untouched for a try under the posts. Truelove converted and Ystrad were again more than one score clear at 29-21.

There were still twenty minutes to go and Pooler went back into attacking mode and were soon hammering away at the Ystrad line again as they sought to close the gap. In the sixty-fifth minute it was substitute lock Grey who forced his way over for a try near the left corner. Another brilliant conversion from Jarvis saw Pooler back within a point at 29-28. Both sides had now got their bonus point in a thrilling match that was going to go down to the wire. The benches had been emptied of substitutes but fatigue was setting in for both sides as the game had been played at a furious pace.

It was Pooler who did most of the attacking but in their anxiety made a few errors which allowed the home side the opportunity to attack themselves. It was breathless stuff and the minutes were ticking away far too quickly for those of us of a Pontypool persuasion.

With time running out, Pontypool drained the tanks to put together a mammoth series of attacks but could not make the vital breakthrough as Ystrad defended bravely. Deep into time added on, Langdon received the ball in the pocket and, in true Jonny Wilkinson style, dropped a left-footed goal that won the match. Pooler had taken the lead for the first time in the match and had pinched the game with the last play. The final score was Ystrad Rhondda 29 ; Pontypool 31.

The Ystrad Rhondda players sunk to their knees in disbelief. Pontypool would surely not have had too many complaints had they lost but, yet again, it demonstrates the huge character of the Pontypool squad that never knows when it is beaten. This was a brilliant game of rugby with fierce commitment from both teams but played in the right spirit. So well done to both teams. For Pooler fans it was an exhausting experience and strong drinks would be needed. Ystrad Rhondda are to be congratulated on an excellent season and they can look forward optimistically to next season. They have certainly proved to be Pooler’s toughest opponents this season.

Pontypool have one more game to play and that is away at Ystalyfera next Saturday. We just need one more big effort from the squad to complete an unbeaten season. What a fantastic achievement that would be.

Come on Pooler!