Fixture

Fifty points were scored in the first half of this game as both sides contributed to an entertaining game in which the lead changed hands five times. Heol Y Cyw played with a strong wind in the first half and went 3-0 up after a minute through a penalty by outside half Mike Huckridge. A superb catch by David Richards from the restart saw the Mount second row take play into the Cyw 22 to set up an attack but the pass to an oncoming forward was dropped and hacked downfield by the visitors who kicked on again for wing Lewis Gibson to get a try, which Huckridge converted to make it 10-0. The Old Firm responded with a 25 metre penalty by wing Will Holley and then further pressure in which scrum half Liam Jones, wing Holley and forwards Matthew Dixon and David Richards were prominent, saw second row Dixon drive over for an unconverted try to make it 10-8 to the visitors after 11 minutes. Second row Richards disrupted a Cyw throw-in for wing Holley to break through several tackles to take play up to the visitors’ 22 where a penalty was kicked to the corner. From the lineout, centre Alex Hughes made a break to 5 metres out and after the ball was recycled, hooker Liam Attwell spun out of a tackle to touchdown for Mount’s second try, Holley converting with a superb kick from the touchline into the wind to make it 15-10 after 18 minutes. Backchat to the referee cost Mount 10 metres which outside Huckridge took full advantage of to kick a magnificent 52 metre penalty from near the touchline to reduce his side’s arrears to 15-13. A chip over oncoming tacklers in the Mount half by a defender saw Cyw secure the ball and put together some neat interpassing for flanker Kurtis Williams to run in unopposed from 25 metres, Huckridge converting to put Cyw into a 20-15 lead after 24 minutes. The game was full of action, and after half hour a quick penalty take by Mount Number 8 and Captain Kriss Sanders, which was taken on by centre Kieron Davies, saw a well-placed high kick to the corner by scrum half Liam Jones result in wing Will Holley outjumping a Cyw defender, making a few metres, and giving an inside pass to ever present second row David Richards who finished off an excellent move to score the try of the match, which went unconverted and briefly tied the score at 20-20 before Huckridge put Cyw back in front 23-20 with a 30 metre penalty. After disrupting a Cyw lineout near halfway, a Mount move in midfield which involved No.8 Sanders, outside half Matthew Parfitt and centre Alex Hughes opened up the visitors’ defence but frustratingly, a poor pass saw a knock-on and a good scoring chance wasted. Another Mount attack saw full back Declan Conway come into the line to make the extra man to take play up to the Cyw 22 where centre Hughes and wing Holley took the attack on to just 5 metres out. Interference at a ruck under the posts saw a Cyw player yellow carded and Mount opt for a scrum from the penalty. After several drives by the forwards, hard-working flanker Jordan Coxley got the touchdown which secured a bonus point and Holley converted to put the Old Firm 27-23 in front at half time.

Another good chance came Mount’s way in the opening minutes of the second half when an overthrow at a Cyw lineout on halfway was quickly seized upon by scrum half Jones and moved into midfield where a hole in the visitors’ midfield opened up but a lack of concentration once again saw the ball knocked on. After a Mount forward was yellow carded for a ruck offence, Cyw retook the lead 28-27 after 50 minutes when strong running Number 8 Rhys Pope shrugged off a couple of tacklers to score an unconverted try midway out. A forward from each side was yellow carded for technical offences at different times and both sides also missed kickable penalties. In the 70^th minute, a Mount counter attack from the 22 saw scrum half Liam Jones free wing Steve Brittain who took play up to the Cyw 10 metre line. Prop Thomas Harper took the ball on with a powerful run into the visitors’ 22, and after it was quickly recycled and moved to the blindside, flanker Jordan Coxley run in from 10 metres for his second try and the game’s eighth to make it 32-28 after 70 minutes. Although the visitors tried to break through in the final ten minutes, the Mount defence held firm to secure the first win of the season and five League points to move up to 8^th in the Division 1 East Central table.