Fixture

Although the Old Firm ended the first half of the season and 2016 with a home win against Llantwit Fardre in this Division 1 East Central match, they will not be happy that they missed out on a bonus point. After scoring three first half tries and leading 22-3 at the break, the extra point looked there for the taking, but with numerous stoppages due to injuries - most of them due to the visitors it must be said - an inordinate amount of time spent on lineouts and scrums, blurred offside lines and other offences, all which the referee was too lax with, and knock-ons frequent, the second half became a non-event, resulting in virtually no open play and a drab stalemate between the 22s. All in all, it resembled the weather itself - gloomy with little cheer.

Llantwit went in front after just 2 minutes with a 25 metre penalty. Mount responded quickly, No.8 Kriss Sanders picking up from a scrum in the Llantwit half to take play into the visitors’ 22 where the attack was taken on, a try scoring pass just eluding a Mount attacker 10 metres out. Another attack from a quick penalty take by scrum half Ross Davies saw the ball moved to both sides of the field by the Old Firm before flanker Sean Moore finished the move off with a run round under the posts, wing Will Holley converting to make it 7-3 after 5 minutes. The Old Firm defence had to respond quickly twice, the first from a catch and drive by the Llantwit forwards on the Mount 22, and then a break down the touchline by the visitors’ right wing. From an attack which took the ball through quite a number of phases, the Old Firm took play up to the Llantwit line where second row Luke Brennan secured the lineout for prop James Cowdry to touchdown for his 11^th try of the season after a drive on by the Mount forwards, Holley’s conversion hitting a post. Open play was few and far between with some of the catching and passing causing knock-ons which stopped play on a number of occasions. A superbly struck 42 metre penalty from Holley increased the Old Firm’s lead to 15-3 after 33 minutes and shortly after, a pick up from a scrum in the Llantwit half by Sanders saw the No.8 in acres of space. The ball was moved to wing Nathan Treharne who took play into the visitors’ 22 where a penalty to Mount was quickly taken and given to outside half Kieron Olden who run through a gap 10 metres out to score his 7^th try of the season. Holley converted to make it 22-3 and then with the last move of the half, after a Llantwit chip ahead was intercepted on halfway near the touchline, a well-executed inside pass from second row Brennan to an unmarked Mount attacker saw the ball dropped with a 45 metre unopposed run in front of him.

With the second half only 7 minutes old, a fine lineout take by the Old Firm was moved into midfield where an attempted chip over the top of the Llantwit midfield was charged down, centre Neil Sloane quickly through to pick up and sprint 65 metres for a try under the posts. Outside half Dione Holland converted to make the score 22-10. The last half hour of the game had no little continuity about it with offside lines at maul, ruck and in midfield becoming ever more blurred, driving mauls collapsed, and stoppages frequent. There were a few exceptions. A run up the touchline by Mount forward Jarrod Parfitt took play into the Llantwit 22 where a catch and drive from a lineout saw the Old Firm held up over the line. And then in the final 10 minutes, the visitors took play to 5 metres out from the Old Firm’s line courtesy of a couple of penalties, where a number of attempted drives over were repelled by the Mount defence, a knock-on eventually resulting in a penalty to the Old Firm. Although Llantwit had a player yellow carded near the end, it made no difference as the stalemate continued, the referee’s final whistle bringing a frustrating second half for players and spectators alike to a close.

A missed bonus point it might have been but a 9th win in 10 Division 1 East Central games it certainly was and that should not be forgotten after this frustrating match. The win was also a Silver Ball one which makes it 7 wins from 8 games. The Old Firm have everything to play for in the second half of the season - the League, the Silver Ball and a 1/4 final Mid District Cup game away to Brecon - and they should make the most of it.