Fixture

Well done to captain Jarrad Parfitt and the Mount team as they gave their best display of the season to claim a bonus point win and inflict a first defeat in cup or league on visitors St Peter’s. Outside half Callum Hall had a game to remember, having a good day with the boot and scoring two tries – one a lovely bit of skill – to claim 22 points.

The game from start to finish was fast and open with both sides testing each other out. The Old Firm defence for the whole 80 minutes was determined and well-organised against a St Peter’s side that looked to run from everywhere. Mount also gave as good as they got in attack as well.

The game started with the ball in play for over two minutes, and that set the pattern for the afternoon. Early on, Mount prop James Cowdry was onto a spilled ball quickly in the Mount half and broke away on halfway, passing to flanker Daniel Phillips, who took play up to the St Peter’s 22. Quick ball saw Mount move it wide and although the visitors’ line stayed intact, the Old Firm were awarded two scrums just 5 metres out in quick succession, which resulted in outside half Hall running to the blindside and putting wing Declan Conway into the corner for the opening try after just 9 minutes, which put the Old Firm 5-0 up.

The visitors hit back shortly after when they took play up to the Mount line from a lineout drive and eventually worked wing Coughlin Coughin over in the corner to make it 5-5.

Pressure from the Mount forwards at a scrum near halfway resulted in a penalty to the Old Firm, outside half Hall striking the ball beautifully from 52 metres for it to sail between the posts with plenty to spare to put Mount 8-5 up with nearly half hour gone.

Further pressure from the Old Firm in the St Peter’s 22 saw full back Iestyn Robins almost break through 10 metres out. The Mount forwards were quickly in and after a couple of drives for the line, hooker Kieran Coomer was awarded the touchdown, Hall converting with another fine kick to take Mount’s lead up to 15-5 after 32 minutes play.

Indecision by Mount in midfield near halfway led to a high kick which the visitors counter-attack from. Stern defence by the Old Firm across the field held the visitors out but a couple of penalty awards to St Peter’s saw them kick to touch and from a 5 metre lineout they drove over to score a try with pushing and shoving between the two packs going on after the score had been given.

The try went unconverted to make it 15-10, but the referee signalled a Mount penalty on halfway to restart the game. From the same spot as he had banged over his first penalty, Hall did the same again with another superb strike from 52 metres to put Mount 18-10 up and finish the half off.

St Peter’s, with a slight breeze in the second half, had the better of the territory in the first quarter of the second half but they were met by a Mount defence which, to a man, stepped up and revelled in the challenge the League leaders were presenting.

It wasn’t all St Peter’s though. Centre Alex Hughes broke through in midfield on halfway but his pass didn’t go to hand, and wing Declan Conway nearly got away when the Old Firm attacked just inside the St Peter’s half.

A penalty kick by Hall gave Mount a lineout for the first time in 15 minutes on the St Peter’s 22, which was won and moved into midfield. Outside half Hall, showing vision and skil, chipped over the oncoming St Peter’s defence and showed a turn of pace to run through, pick up the bouncing ball, and dive in under the posts for a brilliant try which delighted the Mount support. He added the conversion to make it 25-10 after 68 minutes play.

The Old Firm finished the game strongly, keeping the visitors under pressure. A dropped pass in the St Peter’s 22 was seized upon and some nice inter-passing between centre Cole Nash and wing Morgan James saw outside half Hall given the ball and loop outside the last defender to dive into the corner for the bonus point try to great excitement.

To complete a memorable afternoon for himself and the Old Firm, he fired over the conversion from the touchline to take his total up to 22, make it 32-10 and bring to an end Mount’s best display so far this season.

The win takes the Old Firm up to 3^rd in the Division 1 East Central table on 20 points with 2^nd placed Rumney and 4 points behind leader’s St Peter’s. The next League game for Mount is away to Dinas Powys on Saturday 3 December. With the division even for the most-part, the Old Firm cannot take anything for granted. They were good in attack and defence against St Peter’s, but they have never won in Dinas Powys and will need to be on top of their game to get anything out of it.