Fixture

Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team 19 - 13 Treorchy RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
20 February 2023 / Team News

Mount Score Three Tries To Beat Old Rivals

As usual, this game between these age-old rivals was a full-on affair and went down to the wire, with the crowd treated to an entertaining game in extremely mild conditions.

The game got off to a cracking start in the first minute when a penalty on halfway, taken quickly by flanker Daniel Phillips, saw him break through the Treorchy defence with a strong run which took play into the visitors’ 22, but the Treorchy defence regrouped and secured a penalty at a ruck to clear the ball. Mount let the visitors off the hook far too easily in the first quarter by giving away cheap penalties which gave them easy ground.

A drive by a Treorchy forward was well and truly halted by centre Cole Nash who drove him back in the tackle. The Mount midfield defence was slow on times to reorganise, giving the visitors too much time on the ball, but good covering by the rest of the Mount team snuffed out any potentially dangerous attacks.

Treorchy took the lead after 16 minutes when they moved the ball from one side to the other and with a combination of good support play and slipped passes in the tackle, prop Dafydd Davies run in from 10 metres out for a try. Outside half Jordan Lloyd converted from midway out to make it 7-0 to the visitors.

The lead lasted a minute as the Old Firm hit back. A kick by Treorchy up the middle of the field was caught by full back Jarrod Cushion who run strongly, breaking tackles and shrugging off Treorchy players. He slipped a pass to flanker Matthew Rees who was on his shoulder on the Treorchy 10 metre line and he got away to take play into the Treorchy 22 where he was high tackled. A penalty to Mount was quickly taken by scrum half Ross Davies, who was making a welcome return after a short-term injury. Quick ball from a couple of rucks was moved into midfield where second row Mitchell Barnard stormed through the Treorchy defence from 5 metres out to score Mount’s first try of the afternoon. Outside half Callum Hall converted to level the scores at 7-7.

The Old Firm went in front 5 minutes later. Pressure in the Treorchy 22 saw Hall make a break and pass inside to flanker Matthew Rees who scored under the posts. Hall converted to make it 14-7.

Mount flanker Daniel Phillips was unlucky to be yellow carded as a Treorchy player fell into a tackle. From the penalty award, Treorchy outside half Lloyd’s attempt at goal from 35 metres rebounded from a post, but just before half time he hit the target to reduce Mount’s lead to 14-10.

A very good strike from 46 metres by outside half Lloyd made it 14-13 in the first five minutes of the second half.

Mount flanker Dai Richards was making his presence felt, harassing Treorchy. Pressure in the visitors’ 22 took play to 10 metres out where the Old Firm opted for a scrum rather than a kick at goal from a penalty award near the posts. A try looked on after a quick pick-up and run to the blindside of the scrum but the pass to scrum half Davies was too low.

From a succession of avoidable penalties, Treorchy worked their way upfield and outside half Lloyd hit the post for a second time with a penalty attempt.

Mount’s best bout of passing across the backline all afternoon was finished off with a kick on by wing Declan Conway which took play to just 5 metres out from the Treorchy line.

With 65 minutes gone, a Treorchy lineout on halfway was disrupted by flanker Dai Richards, second row Jarrad Parfitt coming through the lineout to try to get hold of the loose ball. A Treorchy forward ripped the ball back off him but it went loose and quick-as-a-flash the ever-alert Dai Richards was on hand to pick it up and run away into the Treorchy 22. Although he was tackled, wing Morgan James was on his inside and took his pass to run hard from 20 metres and score a try to great excitement. Hall’s conversion from wide out failed, but it put the Old Firm 19-13 up.

The last 15 minutes saw the game continue to be hard-fought. Treorchy pressure in the Mount 22 from moving the ball, scrums or drives were met by a steely, determined defence which kept them out. Jarrod Cushion for Mount nearly cut through in the Treorchy half in the final few minutes. With time almost up, untidy ball from a Mount scrum on the 10 metre line saw the visitors launch another attack, taking play up to 10 metres out from the Mount line. Drive after drive was repelled by resolute defence by the Mount forwards and pressure at a couple of scrums by tighthead Geraint Lock earned the Old Firm penalties. It was a nerve-tingling end for both sets of supporters, but it was the Old Firm’s day and they claimed the spoils.

The win saw Mount replace Treorchy in 3rd place in the Division 1 East Central table, although they and Treorchy are level on 33 points. There is a long way to go – 12 games – and there is all to play for. The Old Firm need to take one game at a time and take it from there.

This Saturday, Mount have another tough game, away to Rhydyfelin, who have also beaten Treorchy this season and lost away to St Peter’s by a point. Kick off is 12:30pm due to the Wales v England Six Nations game later in the afternoon.

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