Fixture

The Old Firm were straight on the attack from the kick off of this Division 1 East Central game at Duffryn Pennar Park, second row David Richards getting hold of the kick off to start an attack in motion. Although the visitors had a number of penalties in the first quarter, their respite was short lived on each occasion as Mount closed them down quickly and put their scrum under pressure. After 8 minutes, several forward drives by the Old Firm took play into the Porth 22 where a scoring opportunity presented itself out wide, but a forward pass was called just 10 metres out. A high kick by Porth was returned with interest by full back Liam Jones, and quick following up by the Old Firm saw them get to the loose ball first, prop James Cowdry passing to full back Jones who set off on an arcing 20 metre run, which saw him tackled just 10 metres out by a last defender. That man Jones was in the action again, and a pinpoint kick gave Mount a good position just 5 metres out from the Porth line. Although it was cleared, the Mount forwards made no mistake with a second opportunity from 15 metres out when a lineout take by second row David Richards was driven on for prop James Cowdry to get the touchdown midway out, left wing Will Holley converting to make it 7-0 after as many minutes. A long kick into the visitors’ 22 was run back by Porth but there was no way through flanker Matthew Dixon and another oncoming Mount player, and from the ruck, the Old Firm were awarded a penalty, which Holley converted with a lovely strike to make it 10-0. A turnover on the Mount 22 line was thrown wide by Holley to full back Jones who cut through the Porth defence and fed Holley to put the wing away down the touchline. A try looked a certainty with only a lone Porth defender up against two Mount attackers but a pass slightly behind the free player stalled the move, and although it was taken on up to a metre or so from the Porth line, the defence had chance to regroup and earn a penalty at the ruck after a superb try saving tackle by a Porth defender. The visitors hit back with a touchline burst from a scrum on halfway by their wing but the Mount defence was all encompassing and a penalty won to clear the danger. A well-judged kick by scrum half Ross Davies to 5 metres out from the Porth line, which forced the defence to concede the throw, gave Mount a good scoring opportunity right on half time but some sloppy lineout work for a second time during the half let the visitors off the hook once again. Although the ball was cleared, it only went as far as the 22, and from the lineout, a well-controlled driving maul by the Mount pack saw prop James Cowdry once again apply the finishing touch to touch down for his and the Old Firm’s second try of the match, to make it 15-0. A mistake from the restart saw Porth get a bit of their own back by pressurising the Old Firm in their own 22 but some resolute defence from a number of close-in drives brought no reward right on half time.

The first quarter of the second half saw the Old Firm have the better of the territory but not capitalise on it with little errors and misunderstandings costing some good positions. Just after the hour, a quick penalty take by scrum half Ross Davies on the Mount 10 metre line took play up to the Porth 22 where the ball was taken on by the forwards to just 15 metres out. The ball was moved to outside half Kieron Olden who made a half break and passed inside to ever present prop James Cowdry for him to dive over to great applause from the Mount support for a popular hat-trick of tries, which also happened to be the first time since National League rugby started in 1990/91 that a Mount prop forward had scored three tries in a match. Holley had no problem with the conversion to make it 22-0. Minutes later, Mount No.8 Kriss Sanders was onto the loose ball from a lineout tap by Porth and slipped a short pass to second row David Richards who capped a fine game by outpacing the home defence to score a bonus point fourth try, Holley converting to make it 29-0. The visitors were not finished though and after a yellow card was issued to a Mount player for a high tackle, they took play into the Old Firm’s 22 and moved the ball wide to free left wing Callum Rowe, who run in from 15 metres for unconverted try. A lovely side step by replacement outside half Declan Conway and some interpassing with wing Holley almost led to another try but a pass judged forward on the 22 saved the visitors. The game ended with a very harsh sending off by referee Jones, who had held a firm grip on the game throughout. A Porth prop forward, who was in an offside position at a maul and pawing at scrum half Ross Davies in front of the referee, was eventually penalised and the penalty taken quickly by a home forward who was impeded by the same prop. After he was penalised for a second time, the retreating Mount player threw the ball mildly at him, referee Jones surprisingly issuing a red card to the Mount forward and sending him off the field, also reversing the penalty given to Mount and taking no action against the Porth player who started the incident in the first place. The decision astonished the crowd and was a disappointing end to a game played without any incident, but the bonus point win left the Old Firm in 3^rd place in the table with a game in hand of the top two.

The next game for Mount is away to Cardiff Quins in Division 1 East Central on Saturday, 26 November. Kick off will be 1:30pm due to the Wales v South Africa International at 5:30pm.