Fixture

Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team 24 - 17 Porth Harlequins RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
14 April 2019 / Team News

Mount Pack Leads The Way

Determined defence by the whole Mount team when it was needed and a sterling performance from the Old Firm pack – which got stronger the longer the game went on – won this important Division 1 East Central game for Mount.

The Old Firm played with a strong wind in the first half and got off to a perfect start. Rather than kick for goal from a 25 metre penalty award, a kick to touch and a perfect catch and drive was finished off by prop James Cowdry, who touched down. Full back Declan Conway – who had his best game for Mount – converted with a well-judged kick from 5 metres in from the touchline to make it 7-0 after a couple of minutes play.

A well-placed kick by centre Kieron Davies made good ground for Mount. From a lineout on the Porth 10 metre line, the ball was moved into midfield where a Porth player burst through in midfield to take play up to near the Old Firm’s 22, but his pass wasn’t accurate enough and the ball went loose. Quick as a flash, Mount full back Declan Conway picked it up and sprinted away, drawing the last defender and passing to ever-alert centre David Richards, who run in from 40 metres out to score near the posts. Conway converted to make it 14-0 to Mount after only 9 minutes.

Minutes later, further pressure at the breakdown from the Old Firm gave them a 15 metre penalty which Conway stroked through the posts to make it 17-0.

The visitors replied with a bout of pressure in the Mount 22 which almost resulted in a try wide out but a foot on the touchline saved the day for Mount. From another attack, a Porth centre looked to be going over under the posts but another tremendous tackle stopped him and as he passed, full back Conway intercepted and cleared the ball. At the third time of asking, a couple of drives from 5 metre lineouts eventually resulted in a try for Porth midway out which reduced Mount’s lead to 17-5 after 24 minutes.

A good scrum by the Mount eight pushed the visitors off their own ball but a penalty award to Porth saw them clear to halfway. A break down the touchline by a Porth midfield player gave the visitors a chance of a score but the pass was dropped under pressure from the Mount defence.

The game had been mostly Porth’s since the first quarter and the pressure continued in the Mount 22. Two charged down kicks from clearances and excellent Mount forward defence from a couple of 5 metre catch and drives kept the visitors out despite being a man short because of a yellow card and that’s how it remained until half time.

Although it was the Old Firm’s turn to face the strong wind, it was Mount who had the better of the territory throughout the half. The Mount forwards were playing the elements expertly, patiently gaining yardage and putting Porth under pressure.

The Porth defence held out a couple of drives from 5 metre lineouts and cleared downfield where full back Conway run the ball back. From the ruck, scrum half Ross Davies – who had a fine game and was his usual self, in the thick of the action, took the ball on into the Porth 22 where he linked with centre David Richards who was almost through 10 metres out and passed to wing Rhys Davies, who was stopped a metre out. Porth were reduced to 14  when a  Porth forward was yellow carded for coming in from the side of a maul.

On the hour, a lineout take by second row Daniel Phillips was driven on, that man Cowdry finishing it off with his fourth try of the season. Conway had no problem converting which put Mount within sight of an important win and a bonus point.

For what seemed like just about the first time Porth had got into the Mount half with the wind behind them, they kicked a penalty to 5 metres out, and after a few drives, the ball was eventually moved into midfield where a neat exchange of passes led to a Porth centre touching down under the posts, with the conversion reducing the Old Firm’s lead to 24-12 after 64 minutes.

Mount responded, and after play was taken into the Porth half, hard-working Mount No.8 Kriss Sanders made a half break and passed to second row Daniel Phillips who got to 10 metres out and linked with prop Cowdry who was going for a hat-trick of tries but was hauled down a metre out. As the ball came back, scrum Davies was smothered by a defender who looked offside but play continued.

Porth cleared and were awarded a penalty on their own 10 metre line. A superbly placed 55 metre kick gave the visitors a lineout just 5 metres from the Mount line. Another catch and drive yielded a try this time but the conversion midway out went well wide to leave Mount 24-17 up after 72 minutes.

The Mount pack kept the squeeze on the visitors and when Porth did get the ball into midfield, scrum half Ross Davies did some good ripping to turn the ball over and start another attack.

A penalty up to Porth 22 continued the pressure and replacement centre Alex Hughes broke the defence 15 metres out and linked with replacement flanker Jordan Burke, who had the line at his mercy, but he could not take the pass. It was the last chance for both sides of an important game, with the 4 points gained taking Mount up to 8th place on 45 points with two games still to play.

The next Division 1 East Central game for the Old Firm is on Saturday 27 April away to Llantrisant, kick off 2:30pm.

Mountain Ash Youth will play Crymych Youth in the final of the Principality National Youth League play-off final. The game is scheduled for this Saturday, 20 April, but this is still to be confirmed and the venue is undecided. Further details will be available on this website when they are known.

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