Fixture

Two tries out of the blue took the West Walians to victory at Duffryn Pennar Park.

The Old Firm gave away cheap penalties in the opening minutes which allowed Llangennech to gain easy ground, and they went in front after 5 minutes with a straight forward 20 metre penalty to lead 3-0. Outside half Callum Hall’s 48 metre penalty attempt minutes later for Mount was just short and wide.

The Mount backs showed a willingness to run at the opposition from deep, centre Cole Nash making a half break and full back Iestyn Robins linking with wing Declan Conway whose kick ahead was blocked.

Llangennech had some nippy players. A blindside break by their scrum half took play into the Mount 22 but good cover by the Old Firm defence and a counter ruck drove the West Wales side off the ball.

Outside half Hall levelled the score with a 35 metre penalty after 20 minutes. Some of Mount’s play was hesitant and too loose which gave the West Walians easy ball to attack from. Another 20 metre penalty to Llangennech put them 6-3 in front after 24 minutes.

A minute later, a crossfield kick was gathered by wing Morgan James but he was tackled and the ball quickly picked up for a break down the touchline by a Llangennech threequarter. With the Mount defence sparse, a couple of passes later and they were over in the corner for a try which full back Tom Davies converted with a very good kick from near the touchline. The score made it 13-3.

The Old Firm attacked from the restart looking for a score to get back in the game. After a first bout of pressure, the second from a 5 metre lineout saw centre Alex Hughes take the ball to power over from close-in out wide. The conversion missed which made it 13-8.

A counter attack by Mount from deep saw centre Hughes make a half break and link with flanker Daniel Phillips nearby. He ran powerfully from 25 metres out and although brought down by a would-be tackler, he got up and powered on from a metre out scoring what looked like Mount’s second try. But the referee, who was some way away from the “score” decided on a goal-line drop out to the visitors, much to the frustration of the Mount support.

In the opening minutes of the second half, from a harmless looking position near the touchline, a visiting back broke through near to a breakdown and run 25 metres down the touchline to score an unconverted try in the corner, which made the score 18-8.

Most of the second half other than the last few minutes were dominated by the Old Firm. Pressure in the Llangennech 22 brought a 20 metre penalty which Hall converted to make it 18-11 after 50 minutes.

Mount were upping the ante on the visitors and they struggled with the pace of the game especially in the last 10 minutes. On the other hand, some promising attacks by the Old Firm were stopped due to poor catching and passing – which might have been because of the lack of match practice, only 3 games being played since the start of November.

A set-to among the forwards after 55 minutes saw two yellow cards issued to Mount and one to Llangennech, but although the visitors had a man advantage, the Old Firm coped comfortably enough.

A long kick out of the Mount half by Hall saw one Llangennech player being pursued by four home players. The result was a penalty to the Old Firm for holding the ball on the ground. A kick to 5 metres out gave Mount a lineout but a rushed move in cramped conditions gave the ball back to the visitors far too easily. Pressure on the visitors close-in gave Mount a scrum but the referee penalised the Mount front row for a technical offence before the scrum had even been formed, which was very frustrating.

A well struck 40 metre penalty by Hall in the 70^th minute made it 18-14 and all to play for. Prop James Cowdry slipped a lovely pass out of a tackle in an attack in the Llangennech half but with clear ground in front, the ball was dropped and a good chance missed.

The visitors stopped play on a couple of occasions as they visibly wilted, but from a crooked throw into their own lineout on halfway which was left to go, they took play up to the Mount 22 where they were awarded a penalty. It was kicked to touch and from a couple of lineouts and scrums they run down the clock to clinch a place in the quarter finals.

The Old Firm have it all to play for in the League. This Friday night, 3 February, 2^nd placed Rumney face 3^rd placed Mountain Ash at Duffryn Pennar Park, kick off 7:30pm.