Fixture

Llantwit Fardre RFC | 1st Team 22 - 54 Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
16 April 2017 / Team News

Cowdry Scores in Cap Game To Help Old Firm To Convincing Win

The Old Firm scored 8 tries in this away win at Llantwit Fardre to make it a game to remember for prop forward James Cowdry, who, as well as scoring a try to take his tally to 12 for the season, was awarded his Old Firm cap before the game by his Coach over many seasons, former Wales “A” International and Mount stalwart, prop Neil Eynon. The win also secured 4th place in Division 1 East Central for the Old Firm, with a chance of moving up to 3rd place if they can win their last two games.

Although playing with a strong wind, it was Llantwit who scored the first points of the afternoon with an attack which took play into the Mount 22 where a 15 metre penalty was converted to make it 3-0 after 5 minutes play. From the restart, second row Luke Brennan was the first to react to the ball bouncing over the 10 metre line and took it on, giving to prop Cowdry, who passed on to fellow prop forward Tom Harper. Although Llantwit recovered the ball in midfield, a turnover saw Mount centre Steve Brittain get away down the touchline to score the first try of the afternoon in the corner, wing Will Holley converting superbly from the corner to make it 7-3. Llantwit’s problems increased with the yellow carding of a player, and shortly after, centre Alex Hughes, who once again made some strong runs which made plenty of ground, shrugged off a tackler to run in under the posts, Holley converting to make it 14-3 after 16 minutes. A dropped ball by Llantwit on the Mount 22 was hacked on by wing Holley who outpaced the defence but was beaten by an irregular bounce of the ball in the home 22. Llantwit conceded a penalty though, which resulted in prop Cowdry crowning his 200th 1st XV game with a typical strong, driving run through the defence to dive over  under the posts, Holley converting. Mount were looking to move the ball whenever possible and from further pressure in the home 22, the bonus point 4th try was scored on the half hour, Holley also converting to make it 28-3. After a Llantwit player was dismissed for a comment to the referee just before half time, a scrum near halfway saw the ball moved to the narrow side to wing Will Holley, who showed a turn of pace and strength to beat two men and race into the corner for a fine try - the Old Firm’s 5th of the half - which he capped with a superb conversion from the corner to make it 35-3 at half time.

Llantwit had use of the strong wind in the second half and reduced the arrears with an unconverted try in the corner from a number of forward drives. The Old Firm were guilty of wasting a number of overlaps early on which Llantwit took full advantage of to score a second try, which was well converted from the touchline to make it 35-15 after 55 minutes. Outside half Declan Conway and prop Cowdry combined to put Mount’s first real attack of the half together, but the last pass to flanker David Richards was just too high for him to take. On the hour, a scrum on the Llantwit 22 saw scrum half Liam Jones show the home backrow a clean pair of heels to race through to score Mount’s 6th try to make it 40-15. There was no respite for the home team, and a kick out of defence up to halfway saw wing Holley score another excellent try, rounding a first player, and then beat two others before racing away down the touchline and showing good strength to score in the corner, which he capped once again with a superb conversion into the wind from the corner to make it 47-15 after 65 minutes. Another attack involving flankers David Richards and Chris Edmunds, and prop Cowdry, saw Richards tackled on the line in the corner. A scuffle saw another home forward dismissed and a Mount player yellow carded. With five minutes left, another Mount attack involving Holley saw prop Bleddyn Lock show a turn of pace to burst through a gap in the Llantwit defence and score near the posts, Holley kicking his 7th conversion of the afternoon to take his match total up to 24, which made it 54-15. Undeterred, Llantwit kept going and showed some nice handling to put their best attack of the match together from their own 22 to finish off a 75 metre move with a try which was converted to make it 54-22. It brought to an end a free flowing game in which too many players were disciplined by the referee in accordance with the new guidelines issued by World Rugby, when a more sympathetic approach and better man management would have helped both teams. It was unfortunate because it wasn’t that sort of game and tame compared to years gone by.

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