Fixture

The Old Firm scored seven tries in this 1^st round SWALEC Plate win away to Cardiff Quins. It was a welcome win for Mount and another display where plenty of points and tries were scored but also too many points conceded. Defence is what the Old Firm need to improve and then they would be a far more difficult side to beat.

After early Quins pressure, Mount hooker Liam Attwell got hold of a loose ball and passed to centre Kieron Davies who put fellow centre Declan Conway in space. He drew the last line of defence and put wing Will Holley away down the touchline for the first try of the afternoon and a 5-0 lead after just 5 minutes play. Shortly after, from a lineout on halfway, the ball was moved back to the short side where a dangerous attack saw Mount wing Gareth Williams tackled early in the home 22 but no action was taken. A long kick out of defence after 20 minutes by the Quins was taken by full back Jack Roberts who beat one man and passed to wing Will Holley who sprinted away down the touchline and passed inside to wing Williams for him to finish off a fine attack by running in from 20 metres out. Holley converted to make it 12-0. A knock on from the restart gave the Quins a scrum and with plenty of decoy runners in midfield, the home left wing broke through in midfield to score a try near the posts, the conversion making it 12-7. The Mount front row of James Cowdry, Liam Attwell and Tom Harper was causing problems for the Quins at scrum time with the rest of the Mount forwards competing for everything at the breakdown. Another Mount attack saw a well-placed chip to the corner which was kicked into touch by the home side but wing Holley threw the ball in quickly to wing Gareth Williams who run in from 10 metres out, unopposed, to score his second try which Holley converted to take the Mount lead up to 19-7 after 32 minutes. Right on half time, a first Quins attack for some time was stopped 5 metres out, but a quickly taken penalty was finished off with a try and a conversion to make it 19-14.

An excellent tackle by wing Gareth Williams on halfway stopped the Quins full back who hit the line at pace from an attack. Patient play by Mount, which involved taking the ball through numerous phases after a scrum in their own half saw scrum half Alex Hughes break through from 15 metres out to score midway out, Holley converting with a superb kick from wide out to increase the lead to 26-14 after 48 minutes. Quins hit back on the hour with some good ball retention to take play from halfway and score a converted try under the posts which reduced the Mount lead to 26-21. The score gave the home side a spring in their step and with Mount unable to get hold of the ball, an attack from 35 metres out was finished with a try in the corner to bring the scores level at 26-26 after 64 minutes. The Old Firm hit back straight away and from a scrum on halfway, a long pass to wing Holley from a loose ball saw the wing scorch away down the touchline to leave the home defence for dead over fully 50 metres to score a fine try in the corner to put Mount back in front 31-26. The Old Firm took play once again into the Quins 22 but a turnover after 71 minutes led to a breakout by the home side where a kick ahead from 25 metres out, when a pass to players on either side would have been a better option, saw full back Roberts touchdown for a drop out, which Holley placed superbly to gain a lineout just 10 metres from the home line. Although it was cleared to the 22 metre line, a take by Mount second row David Richards was driven over the home line and looked to be a certain try, but a 5 metre scrum was awarded where prop James Cowdry broke through but lost the ball in the act of touching down. There was no respite for the Quins and from a scrum taken after a penalty award, No.8 and captain Kriss Sanders touched down after the Mount pack had driven the home eight over their own line to make it 36-26 after 76 minutes. After taking the restart, another attack by Mount saw play taken up to the home line where flanker Jordan Coxley finished off a fine display with a try under the posts, which Holley converted to take his personal tally up to 18 and give Mount a lead of 43-26 with just a minute left. The last word was left to the Quins who worked their wing over in the corner for their fifth try and the game’s twelfth to bring an entertaining match to an end.