Fixture

Rhiwbina RFC | 1st Team 42 - 38 Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
15 April 2018 / Team News

Old Firm Fightback Nearly Secures Win

The Old Firm and Rhiwbina resembled two heavyweight boxers as they stood toe to toe for 15 rounds in this full-on Division 1 East Central game in Cardiff which saw 10 tries scored – 5 for each side - three of which were penalty tries given by referee Jonathan Evans, who was consistent all afternoon. Ultimately though, it was the second quarter of the match which decided the outcome, Rhiwbina scoring three converted tries to go into a 19 point lead which the Old Firm just failed to overturn.

A good take by second row Jarrod Parfitt from a high kick up to halfway in the first minute and a nice slip pass to full back Jack Roberts started an attack which yielded Mount a penalty from 20 metres out which Roberts kicked for a 3-0 lead. A failure by the Old Firm to secure the ball from the restart saw Rhiwbina awarded a penalty which was also kicked to make it 3-3. A well placed grubber kick by hooker Liam Attwell into the home 22 turned the Rhiwbina defence and with the Mount attackers quickly up, the home wing was forced into touch 15 metres out. The Old Firm drove a lineout take from flanker David Richards which ended with a 7 point penalty try when it was illegally collapsed a metre from the line which made it 10-3 to Mount after 14 minutes. A chip into space from a scrum on the Rhiwbina 10 metre line by scrum half Liam Jones found space but a kindly bounce saw the home wing show his elusiveness and pace with a telling break which took play into the Mount half. After the ball was moved wide, tackles by full back Jack Roberts and wing Declan Conway 5 metres out saved a certain try, but the attack continued and after several drives, the hosts went over wide out for an unconverted try to reduce their arrears to 10-8. A minute later, the home team scored again, this time from a midfield break from a lineout on the Mount 22, which made it two tries in two minutes and took Rhiwbina into a 15-10 lead after 20 minutes. A counter by the home team from just outside their 22 saw play taken into the Mount 22 where a penalty try was awarded to Rhiwbina after pressure at a 5 metre scrum which took the home lead up to 22-10 after 29 minutes. Just four minutes later, another attack ended with another converted try which gave Rhiwbina a bonus point and left Mount looking down the barrel of a gun at 29-10 down after just 33 minutes play. The Old Firm’s response was valiant as they regrouped and worked their way back into the game, starting with an attack which ended with a charge down of a clearance kick from metres out from the Rhiwbina line by industrious flanker David Richards, who was also the first to catch the loose ball and touch down. Jack Roberts converted to make it 29-17 right on half time and although the pendulum swung in favour of the Old Firm even further when a home forward was yellow carded, a minute or so later a Mount player was yellow carded, the hosts kicking the penalty awarded from 40 metres out to turn round 32-17 up.

An interception by second row Jarrod Parfitt just outside the Mount 22 saw him put his head back and take play into the Rhiwbina half where flanker David Richards was up in support. From the ruck, the ball was moved to centre Alex Hughes who made a half break and passed on to flanker Jordan Coxley in the home 22. With the home defence at sixes and sevens, scrum half Liam Jones was quickly through a gap to finish off the 70 metre attack with a try, which Roberts converted to cut Rhiwbina’s lead to 32-24 after 45 minutes. The Old Firm were moving the ball more in the second half with centres Alex Hughes and Kieron Davies starting to ask more questions of the Rhiwbina defence. Some good work at a ruck by No.8 Kriss Sanders got Mount penalty near the touchline on the home 22 which was kicked to the corner where a lineout and a 5 metre scrum followed, but pressure from the home team won them a crucial penalty for them to clear. Rhiwbina had hardly been in the Mount 22 during the second half, but with 10 minutes to go a couple of missed tackles after a lineout on the 22 saw the home scrum half score midway out with the conversion taking the home lead up to 39-24. Undeterred, the Old Firm hit back and from a pick-up at a retreating scrum on halfway by hard working No.8 Sanders, the ball was taken through a number of phases to 10 metres out where Rhiwbina conceded two penalties and after another illegal collapse from a drive, the Old Firm were awarded a penalty try which made it 39-31 after 75 minutes. With Mount believing they could still win the game and the home team feeling the pace, the hosts kicked a 20 metre penalty to make it 42-31 after 77 minutes. But even then the scoring had not ended, and with excellent ball retention and numerous drives from halfway, play was taken up to the Rhiwbina line where forward Matthew Dixon finished off a remarkable sequence of play to score Mount's fifth try of the day, which was converted by Roberts to make it 42-38 and give the Old Firm a chance of winning a remarkable game. Although time run out for Mountain Ash, it was the home team which was glad to hear the final whistle, leaving the Old Firm with two bonus points which takes them up to 45 points in the League table, just three points behind 5th placed Dinas Powys who are the opposition for the Old Firm at Duffryn Pennar Park on Saturday 28 April.

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