Fixture

Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team 50 - 14 Rhiwbina RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
14 May 2023 / Team News

Mount Score Eight But Leave Best Till Last

The opening minutes of this game saw a good try-scoring opportunity 15 metres out for the Old Firm missed when the final pass was dropped. Rhiwbina responded with a 20 metre driving maul to take play up to the Mount 22 when centre Alex Hughes was yellow carded for what looked like an ordinary tackle but the referee deemed illegal.

The Old Firm were running at Rhiwbina from everywhere. Full back Jarrod Cushion and second row Mitchell Barnard linked to take play up to the visitors’ 22. A dummy by Cushion and a pass to Iestyn Robins saw the wing touch down in the corner for Mount’s first try of the day. It was superbly converted by outside half Callum Hall from the touchline to make it 7-0 after 12 minutes.

Rhiwbina were playing with spirit and made a midfield break up to the Mount 22 but the Old Firm defence regrouped. From the Mount 22, outside half Callum Hall looped around centre Hughes to take play up to halfway where he gave to Cushion. A nicely timed pass from him to right wing Cole Nash on the Rhiwbina 22 saw him score in the corner. Another superb conversion from Hall, this time from the other side of the field, made it 14-0.

An attack by the visitors on halfway up the narrow side and a nice pass saw a threequarter get away and make it to 10 metres out where the Mount defence had him covered, No.8 Daniel Phillips covering back quickly to take his overhead inside pass.

Centre Hughes made a powerful run in the Rhiwbina 22 to take play to 10 metres out, hooker Kieran Coomer scoring from close-in to make it 19-0 after 26 minutes.

The visitors were playing with plenty of spirit. Pressure on the Mount line from 5 metres out and then the ball moved wide nearly resulted in their first try but a tackle at the flag gave Mount a lineout.

A penalty by Hall set up a Mount lineout 20 metres out. A catch and drive followed by another barnstorming run by centre Hughes saw the centre touch down near the posts, Hall converting to give Mount a 26-0 lead in the 40th minute.

In first half injury time, full back Cushion did well to take a high kick under pressure near halfway and set up a ruck. The ball was moved quickly to outside half Hall who broke through in midfield and passed inside to second row Jarrad Parfitt in the Rhiwbina 22 for him to run 15 metres for the fifth try of the half. Hall struck the ball beautifully all afternoon and added another good conversion to make it 33-0 by half time.

If anyone thought the second half would be plain sailing for the Old Firm, they were wrong. The visitors dominated the first quarter against a lacklustre Mount team with little energy or motivation.

In the opening minutes, the visitors created an overlap wide out where wing Ben Shariff jinked inside to score. Outside half Josh Chippendale added an excellent conversion from the touchline.

Rhiwbina added a second try in the 47th minute with a 75 metre attack which started in their own 22 when they broke out to show some nice passing skills for wing Shariff to score again in the corner, and for outside half Chippendale to again convert superbly from the touchline to make it 33-14.

At this stage of the game, the Old Firm were offering little, with no teamwork and no energy in their play. But, they slowly upped their tempo and finished the stronger with three more tries.

Scrum half Ross Davies, always a livewire, was the one who got things going again with a quick tapped penalty outside the Rhiwbina 22 to make ground to 5 metres out. Wing Morgan James run hard into the visitors’ 22 from a clearance kick. The pressure eventually led to a try by scrum half Davies from another penalty taken quickly from 5 metres out. Hall converted to make it 40-14 after 68 minutes.

No.8 Daniel Phillips – a regular workhorse in the Mount pack – was quickly into a ruck to turn the ball over. It was quickly moved to wing James who linked with outside Hall who almost broke through with no one in front of him on the Rhiwbina 10 metre line.

Good Mount handling along the backline from a scrum resulted in wing Cole Nash being put away down the touchline and he showed impressive speed to run 25 metres to touch down and make it 45-14 with 77 minutes played.

The 8th try of the afternoon for Mount was started from Rhiwbina’s restart and was the best team try of the season, covering 80 metres and involving half the team, with Rhiwbina defenders being beaten by passing and support play, and the attack being finished off by outside half Hall who touched down to make it 50-14 and take his personal tally up to 15.

The win took Mount’s Division 1 East Central points total up to 64 with two games left to play. They are guaranteed 5th spot and are vying for 4th with Rhydyfelin.

This Tuesday, 16 May, Barry are the visitors to Duffryn Pennar Park for a Division 1 East Central game. Kick off is 7:15pm.

On Saturday, 20 May, the Old Firm play their last League game of the season against Porth at Duffryn Pennar Park, kick off is 2:30pm.

To finish the season, the Athletic XV play Beddau 2nd XV in the Ivor Williams Cup final in Penygraig on Tuesday 23 May, kick off is 7:30pm.

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