Fixture

Seventeen points in total from wing Will Holley and thirteen unanswered points in the second half at Duffryn Pennar Park eventually saw the Old Firm to a third victory in four games. Playing against the wind in the first half, Mount took the play straight to the opposition from wing Will Holley’s well-judged kick off. Further pressure by flanker Matthew Dixon secured a lineout and then a penalty which Holley stroked between the posts from 15 metres for an early 3-0 lead. A penalty at a scrum shortly after gave the visitors a chance from 30 metres, outside half Rhydian Morris equalling the score at 3-3. Rhiwbina were having the better of the territory and a chip over the oncoming Mount backline into space on the narrow side created problems. With the ball not being secured by a turned Mount defence, Rhiwbina’s quickly-up wing Harry Lang dived on the loose ball to touch down for a try. Morris converted superbly from the corner to make it 10-3 after 14 minutes. The reverse seemed to spur Mount into action, flanker Matthew Dixon leaping high at a lineout and being driven fully 15 metres up to the Rhiwbina 22 line by the supporting Mount pack. A quickly taken penalty on the Old Firm’s 10 metre line by Ross Davies saw the scrum half cut right through the Rhiwbina defence and take play up to the visitors’ 22 metre line where the ball was handed on to flankers Dixon and then Kieron Davies who were in plenty of space. Although the last pass didn’t go to hand, it went back, and wing Sean Williams recovered the ball to eventually jink over midway out for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears to 10-8 after 24 minutes play. A well-judged diagonal kick to the corner by Rhiwbina outside half Morris again caused problems in the Mount defence and from the 5 metre scrum, the visitors thought they had scored a try but referee Powell gave a double movement and Mount cleared to touch. Quick ball in the home half was moved wide to full back Liam Jones who placed a delicate chip through which wing Will Holley did well to gather and take play up to the Rhiwbina 22. Another drive on by the Mount forwards resulted in a penalty 20 metres out, Holley converting to put his team back in front 11-10 after 33 minutes. It was short lived as almost immediately the visitors kicked a penalty to retake the lead 13-11. Although a Mount attack with some strong runs by scrum half Davies, prop James Cowdry and flanker Dixon caused problems, the visitors survived it and finished the half with another penalty to lead 16-11 at half time.

From the restart, prop Cowdry burst through the Rhiwbina forwards with a powerful run to take play up to the visitors’ 10 metre line. After the ball was taken on, the Old Firm were awarded a penalty 15 metres out under the posts but the opportunity for three points was surprisingly turned down for a kick to the corner, which Rhiwbina defended well and got a penalty to clear their line. As well as scoring a try in the first half, wing Sean Williams did some tremendous work in defence, relishing making tackles to stop Rhiwbina attacks in their tracks. The visitors had a chance of going further in front after 51 minutes when they were awarded a 25 metre angled penalty but it went wide. Intense pressure by the Old Firm forwards on the Rhiwbina line saw several drives repelled and when the ball was moved wide to take advantage of an overlap, a forward pass put pay to another good chance after 55 minutes. At last, after an hour’s play, a counter attack by wing Will Holley saw the winger slice through the Rhiwbina defence to start an attack which involved forwards and backs and ended with him scoring in the corner for the Old Firm’s second try of the afternoon. Full back Liam Jones edged Mount in front with a superbly judged conversion from the touchline to make it 18-16. From the restart, flanker Dixon - who put in some powerful runs throughout the game and made plenty of ground for Mount – got away, to take play up to the Rhiwbina 10 metre line where a penalty in midfield was kicked by Holley to take the lead up to 21-16. The visitors were far from finished and some nice interpassing down the touchline on a couple of occasions kept the Mount defence on their toes. Although being reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes because of a yellow card for handling in a ruck, the Old Firm defended with great determination and finished the game the stronger, Holley sealing a 24-16 win for Mount with a well judged 38 metre penalty from near the touchline deep into injury time, which took his personal tally up to 17 points., and the Old Firm up to 4^th place in the Division 1 East Central table.