Fixture

Although the Old Firm won this game, there were few plus points in the manner it was achieved with the display being the most disappointing of the season. The game was littered with numerous errors which stopped the flow of the game, mediocre catching and passing, wrong options, a failure to release teammates in space, and no real game plan throughout. It was also the sixth time this season the Old Firm missed out on a bonus point by one try which, given all this, they should have secured anyway.

Cyw went in front after just 8 minutes from a 25 metre penalty from outside half Paul Short. Mount hit back straight from the restart, the pack securing the ball and driving up to the Cyw 22 where outside half Will Holley was involved in two breaks which took play to just 10 metres out. Scrum half Liam Jones moved the ball wide into midfield where prop James Cowdry showed a nice piece of skill to quickly transfer the ball to second row David Richards, who outpaced the covering defence to score in the corner from 15 metres out. Holley converted with a superb kick from the touchline to make it 7-3 and the scene seemed set for more of the same. It never happened as erratic passing, numerous knock-ons and a failure to play as a team saw chances missed from promising attacks. Midway through the half, a good turnover by the Mount forwards on halfway saw scrum half Jones chip over the Cyw defence which a defender got to just before centre Steve Brittain. Mount were having the better of the territory and from a 20 metre penalty, Holley converted to make it 10-3. A loop in midfield saw Mount create an overlap but a poor final pass saw the move evaporate.

With just 5 minutes to half time, Cyw won the ball back on their own 22 from a Mount attack, and started a counter attack. There looked little danger but a break on halfway saw centre Chris Howe get away and beat two Mount defenders to canter over under the posts, Short converting to make it 10-10. Right on half time, a Mount attack looked promising but a pass to a Cyw defender saw the move stopped.

A superbly placed 45 metre penalty out of hand by Holley gave Mount a 5 metre lineout, but once again a mistake gave the visitors a scrum. The Old Firm continued the pressure and from an attack, a Cyw forward was yellow carded for a ruck offence just 15 metres out. The penalty was kicked to touch where second row David Richards took the ball and was eventually driven over for his and the Old Firm’s second try of the afternoon. Holley once again converted with a high and mighty kick from the touchline to make it 17-10 after 45 minutes. Another attack from halfway saw centre Liam Jones almost break through and after a chip through by Holley, the ball was recovered and given to Holley near the touchline for him to score in the corner, his conversion once again being superbly struck straight between the posts. At 24-10 up after 56 minutes, a bonus point looked probable, even though Mount had been erratic all afternoon. Cyw had other ideas, though, and after recycling the ball on numerous occasions in the Old Firm’s 22 and taking play up to the Mount line, scrum half Cooper touched down and outside half Short converted with a well judged kick from the touchline to reduce Mount’s lead to 24-17 after an hour. Although the Old Firm had the better of the last quarter, they rarely threatened to get the bonus point try, but as had happened all afternoon, they were unable to take advantage of the couple of chances they had.