Fixture

This game between Mount and old rivals Ynysybwl at Duffryn Pennar Park was scheduled to be a Division 1 Cup game, but as the ‘bwl decided to forfeit the Cup game, it was turned into a Division 1 East Central fixture.

The Old Firm run in five tries in each half, some of them moves which delighted the home support. For their part, Ynysybwl played with plenty of spirit and determination to the final whistle, which augurs well for their future, and also turned down kicks at goal to try to score tries. They were met, though, by a determined Mount defence which also played to the final whistle.

The Old Firm’s first try came after just 8 minutes when a superbly placed 50 metre diagonal kick by full back Jarrod Cushion into space behind the defence close to the ‘bwl line was fumbled and right wing Iestyn Robins, who was doing what all good wings do - following up quickly and pressurising the opposition – picked up and scored in the corner from two metres out. Outside half Callum Hall’s well-struck conversion hit an upright and rebounded out, leaving the score at 5-0.

A nicely executed back move by Mount from a scrum in their own half created an extra man, and Cushion was put into space. He took the ball up to the ‘bwl 22 where he chipped high over the full back, outside half Hall sprinting onto the ball to catch it and score under the posts to great applause. He also converted to make it 12-0 after 12 minutes.

A pass to ground by the ‘bwl midfield near halfway was quickly seized upon by Hall, who kicked on three times in all and eventually got hold of the ball a metre out and dived in under the posts for Mount’s third try. He added the conversion to make it 19-0.

Mount were full of running and also showed an appetite to defend when the ‘bwl made ground up to their 22.

The chance of another try was missed when Hall cut through in midfield but gave Cushion a pass just behind him which stopped him running in unopposed. A lineout near halfway taken by flanker David Richards – who had an excellent game overall – saw flanker Daniel Phillips come away from a maul and put in a powerful run to the ‘bwl 22 where ruck ball was fired out by scrum half Ross Davies. With the ‘bwl defence stretched, centre Alex Hughes run through to score a try and Hall converted to make it 26-0.

Flanker Phillips took a ‘bwl throw-in to a lineout near the Mount line, shrugged off a tackler and got away down the touchline where he slipped a lovely pass to prop James Cowdry on the Mount 10 metre line. He made ground and passed on to flanker Richards who was tackled on the ‘bwl 22. The ball was moved and with men spare, the fifth try really should have been run in, but sloppy passing and resolute defence by the ‘bwl stopped it.

With five minutes to half time, a number of close-in drives by the Mount forwards was rewarded when prop Cowdry got the touchdown, Hall converting to end the half with the Old Firm 33-0 up.

Mount kept attacking in the second half, and so did the ‘bwl to their credit. In the 48^th minute, outside half Hall fired a penalty to 5 metres out. From the lineout, Mount moved the ball and from a ruck in midfield, some lovely passing by the Mount backs, which included a lovely pass all in one action by centre Cole Nash, saw wing Robins put in for his second try of the game and 38-0 lead.

The ‘bwl were a dogged team, and there followed 10 minutes of pressure in the Mount half and deep in the Old Firm 22 where the Mount defence was tested, but it was resilient all afternoon right across the park.

When the pressure was lifted, a driving lineout by the Mount forwards from 15 metres out was finished off by second row Jarrad Parfitt who emerged from under the bodies to make it 43-0 nil after 58 minutes. More pressure by Mount saw full back Cushion worked over in the corner to make it 48-0 on the hour.

A high kick in attack by the ‘bwl was caught by flanker Richards in the Mount half, and he  showed he could also run and jink like a back, breaking through and passing to outside half Hall for him to run in for his hat-trick try from 40 metres and take the Old Firm up to 53 points.

The last try was another one well taken and delighted the Mount support. A counter ruck spearheaded by centre Alex Hughes saw him drive the ‘bwl off the ball, pick it up and feed second row Steffan Calderbank. He threw out a perfectly placed long pass to wing Curtis Williams who pinned his ears back from 60 metres out, burned down the touchline with the covering ‘bwl defence unable to get to him, and finished off by diving in for Mount’s 10^th try of the afternoon, which wing Declan Conway converted to bring up 60 points.

The win takes Mount up to 5^th in the Division 1 East Central table, level on points with Treorchy who are in 4^th place, 3 points behind 3^rd placed Barry, 5 points behind 2^nd placed Rumney, and 9 points behind top of the table St Peter’s. Hats off as well to Ynysybwl for turning up and playing the game – unlike some other clubs who took the easy option to opt out. Their spirit will stand them to good stead this season. Outside half Callum Hall ended the game with a hat-trick and 23 points in total. Wing Iestyn Robins got another two tries to add to his tally and he, centre Cole Nash and second row Steffan Calderbank are now establishing themselves in the Mount team, No.8 Ewan Rees did a lot of work throughout the game, flanker Daniel Phillips and flanker Dai Richards made some good runs, and scrum half Ross Davies was his usual competitive self.

The Old Firm forwards need a hard-nosed 80 minute performance against unbeaten table-toppers St Peter’s and the same goes for the Mount defence which will need to be committed and well-organised across the park against a team that runs the ball when they meet at Duffryn Pennar Park on Saturday 12 November in an “8 pointer” game for both clubs. Don’t miss it, be there!