Fixture

With three teams being relegated at the end of the season, both the Old Firm and Cambrian needed a win to take themselves up the Division 1 East Central table.

The first 15 minutes of this game were a stalemate as both sides tested each other’s defence. In the 15^th minute, Mount moved the ball wide to centre Steve Brittain who went through a gap in the Cambrian defence. However, his inside pass was intercepted and a breakaway by the visitors and some nice interpassing among a couple of attackers against a sparse Mount defence finished off a 60 metre move with an unconverted try wide out.

Almost immediately, the visitors set up another attack and were awarded a 20 metre penalty midway out which hit the post, Mount clearing the ball. On a couple of occasions, the Old Firm had the opportunity to move the ball wide against a Cambrian midfield defence which was not at its strongest but the opportunities were not taken.

After 25 minutes, a take and drive by the Mount forwards took play to metres out from the Cambrian line. After a couple of penalties were kicked to the corner and then moved wide, a Cambrian midfield player was yellow carded for offside. Wing Will Holley kicked the 15 metre penalty to make reduce Cambrian’s lead to 5-3.

A powerful scrum by the Mount pack pushed the visitors off their own ball and scrum half Ross Davies was quickly onto the loose ball and then an ankle tap by second row Jarrad Parfitt stopped one of the visitors’ forwards breaking clear from a quick tap penalty. From the ruck, a long pass into midfield was intercepted by Mount outside half Morgan James who had a clear run-in from 40 metres to score near the posts. Holley converted to put the Old Firm 10-5 up after 35 minutes and that’s how it stayed until half time.

The restart by the Old Firm was kicked straight into touch and from the resulting scrum, the visitors attacked and were awarded a penalty which was kicked from 35 metres to reduce Mount’s lead to 10-8.

Mount wing Will Holley won the restart. From the ruck, the Old Firm moved the ball to the narrow side but a pass which did not go to hand was picked up by a Cambrian back who nearly got clear but was tackled by outside half James on the Mount 22. The Old Firm had another player yellow carded for offside, which reduced them to 13.

Mount’s first attack of the second half took place in the 50^th minute but, frustratingly, a comment to the referee on the Cambrian 22 cost them a penalty.

Although winning the ball in and around their own 22, the Old Firm were not making any real ground. A Cambrian scrum saw the ball moved to the left wing who got away and got to within 5 metres of the Mount line where the ball was turned over but the clearance kick was charged down into touch.

A high kick by Mount scrum half Ross Davies up to the Cambrian 10 metre line saw outside half James and flanker Liam Attwell quickly up to get Mount a penalty which was kicked into the visitors’ 22. The lineout was taken by No.8 Kriss Sanders and driven on, flanker Jordan Coxley losing the ball as he was about to touch down over the Cambrian line. However, the visitors had transgressed and Holley kicked the penalty from under the posts to put the Old Firm 13-8 up after 59 minutes.

The game had been open right the way through and it continued to be so, with both sides attacking and turning the ball over.

After 64 minutes, a Cambrian scrum just outside their 22 saw the ball moved into midfield, but a loose pass, which went to ground was picked up by outside half James, who sprinted in for his and Mount’s second try near the posts. Holley converted to make it 20-8 and the Old Firm looked to be on their way to an important win.

Mount had their tails up and an attack involving scrum half Davies, prop James Cowdry and second row Matthew Dixon took play up to the Cambrian 22, but the visitors turned the ball over and cleared.

A long kick out of defence up to the Cambrian 10 metre line saw the visitors counter attack and from a harmless looking ruck 40 metres out near the touchline, a couple of passes to the narrow side saw the Cambrian wing run clear down the touchline for an easy looking try which was converted to reduce the Mount lead to 20-15 after 70 minutes and change the complexion of the game.

The visitors attacked again from the restart, and from a ruck on the Mount 10 metre line, slack close-in defence from the Old Firm saw a Cambrian player go through a gap and pass inside to a supporting player in the Mount 22 for another simple looking try which was converted and put the visitors 22-20 up after 73 minutes.

A long drop-out was kicked back up to the Mount 22 and a defensive mix-up saw the visitors awarded a penalty 20 metres out which they kicked to the corner.

A catch and drive at a 5 metre lineout saw a third converted try scored in 7 minutes, which took Cambrian into a 29-20 lead and leave the Old Firm with not even a bonus point to show for their efforts.

The Old Firm rallied and took play up to the Cambrian 22 where a 20 metre penalty award was kicked by Holley in the 82^nd minute to make it 29-23.

There followed another 8 minutes of injury time, with the visitors losing a man to a yellow card and the Old Firm finishing the game pounding the Cambrian line. But the visitors’ defence held, leaving them with a bonus point victory and Mount with a losing bonus point, which ties both on 40 points, with Cambrian one place above the Old Firm in 7^th place because they have won one more game.

Both sides meet again this Saturday, 6 April, at Cambrian Park, kick off 2:30pm.