Fixture

Treorchy made the most of the chances on offer to come out on top in this hard fought 1^st v 2^nd Division 1 East Central game at Duffryn Pennar Park last Saturday. Fifteen points by the visitors either side of half time when Mount were a man down due to a yellow card, and a fine try in the dying minutes by speedy full back Jacob Lloyd - who proved to be Treorchy’s man of the match - edged the visitors home, as the Old Firm missed out on eight kickable points in the second half.

The game was played in front of the best crowd seen at Duffryn Pennar Park for several seasons and had no real clear cut scoring chances throughout, both defences having the better of each attack. Treorchy dominated territory and possession for the first 10 minutes and had the first scoring opportunity, but outside half Jordan Lloyd sent a 30 metre penalty wide. After an excellent counter ruck by the Mount forwards in midfield yielded a penalty, wing Will Holley made no mistake, kicking a good goal from 40 metres to put Mount 3-0 in front after 13 minutes. Treorchy had the edge in the scrum all afternoon and were awarded a penalty from one near halfway. It was quickly taken by a Treorchy forward who got away to take play up to Mount 22, but doggedness in defence by the Old Firm saw the visitors pushed back in midfield and the danger cleared. After winning a lineout on halfway after 28 minutes, Treorchy moved the ball wide and from a long pass in midfield, wing Holley intercepted and sprinted 40 metres to touch down to great applause, his conversion taking Mount’s lead up to 10-0. A loose kick into midfield saw the visitors set up a counter attack which took play up to the Mount line where the referee looked to have signalled a try, but instead awarded Treorchy a penalty. The Mount scrum held firm and dogged defence from close-in again drove the visitors back where another attack took play to 15 metres out, this time the visitors being  awarded a penalty which was taken quickly and resulted in a Mount forward being yellow carded for stopping the move. Treorchy once again opted for a scrum and were awarded a penalty try after just one attempt at the drive over, the conversion by outside half Jordan Lloyd from in front of the posts making the score 10-7 just a couple of minutes before half time.

From the second half restart, Mount scrum half Liam Jones had to react quickly to clear after the bouncing ball confused the Mount forwards. A long kick downfield went straight to Treorchy full back Jacob Lloyd who counter attacked and raced through a gap in midfield and chipped over the last line of Mount defence. Although an Old Firm defender skilfully gathered the ball on the retreat, the Treorchy forwards were quickly in to win the ball, and a short pass to hooker Josh Clark saw him drive over from a couple of metres out to put the visitors 12-10 up after 42 minutes. A minute later, a loose pass which went to ground near halfway led to more pressure on the Mount defence which resulted in a 40 metre penalty for Treorchy, outside half Lloyd converting it to increase his side’s lead to 15-10 after 43 minutes. With prop James Cowdry and hooker Jack James in the forefront, a succession of forward drives saw the Old Firm awarded a penalty but it was hit narrowly wide from 35 metres. On the hour, a superb 50 metre penalty to touch by Holley gave the Old Firm a lineout 15 metres out from the Treorchy line. From a take by second row Brennan, a concerted drive by the Mount pack, helped by Holley as the try line approached resulted in the Mount wing getting the all-important try, which went unconverted, to make it 15-15. From a couple of Treorchy lineouts 15 metres out, the Mount forwards did a superb job to hold two forward drives and hold the ball up to be awarded the scrum. With just 9 minutes left, a take by Mount second row David Richards was moved into midfield where the visitors gave away a penalty, the 42 metre attempt going wide. With the game entering the final minutes, Mount centre Alex Hughes made ground up to the home 22 line where a high kick into midfield was caught on halfway by a Treorchy defender who passed into midfield. The ball was moved on to full back Lloyd, in space, who sped away down the touchline, and after beating one Mount defender, sprinted away from the cover defence to clinch the game for the visitors with a well taken try, outside half Lloyd converting to make it 22-15. With a couple of minutes left, a last attack by the Old Firm saw centre Hughes blatantly high tackled 40 metres out, but it went unpunished, and when the ball failed to emerge from the resulting ruck, time was called to end another full-on game between these two age-old rivals, played in good spirit.