Fixture

Both sides will probably think they could and should have won this game which provided plenty of entertainment for the near 90 minutes it was played.

The Old Firm held a 20-12 lead with 8 minutes to go – although that was not the case as nearly 10 minutes of injury time was played. Brynmawr worked their way upfield and mounted a ferocious assault on the Old Firm’s line but were met by tremendous defence by Mount right across the field. A penalty 15 metres out under the posts was kicked to make it 20-15 in the 73^rd minute.

Astute play by outside half Hall pinned Brynmawr back in their 22 where pressure by the Old Firm saw Hall attempt a drop kick from 25 metres which was mishit. From the drop out from under the posts by Brynmawr, Hall lofted an up-and-under on halfway but a couple of Mount players, well away from play, were picked up as having encroached by the referee and penalised. The penalty was kicked into the Old Firm’s 22 where the home side once again tried to power their way through. Valiant defence kept them out but the home centre swivelled out of a tackle, dropped the ball – which was judged as back – and then picked up to touch it down and score, virtually under the posts, in the 80^th minute. It looked like a cruel defeat for the Old Firm was on the cards, but this Mount team competed from start to finish and sensationally charged down the conversion and the game continued. A penalty to the home side from a scrum on halfway saw a pinpoint kick to 5 metres out from the Mount line. Brynmawr tried to drive over but there was no way through. Once again, the Old Firm’s defence was valiant and gave everything, but a penalty award to Brynmawr just inside the 22 metre line, about 10 metres in, was awarded. With the game well into the late 80s in minutes, it was likely to be the last act of a full-on competitive game, played in good spirit, in which no quarter was asked or given. The kick swung wide and the referee called time, leaving everyone breathless.

This was the Old Firm’s first Championship East game and it started in dramatic fashion with a try after barely a minute had been played. Mount’s all-action flanker David Richards charged down a Brynmawr clearance from a maul on the home 22 and kicked on where fast following-up hooker Kieran Coomer also kicked on, but it was Mount captain, prop Bleddyn Lock, in his first season captaining the Old Firm, who got the touchdown near the posts. Outside half Callum Hall converted to make it 7-0. The lead was extended to 10-0 when Hall converted a 20 metre penalty shortly after.

A big part of Brynmawr’s game was based around their scrum and particularly their big burly prop. From a scrum on the Mount line, untidy ball was seized upon by the home forwards and ended up being a try. The conversion made it 10-7 after 10 minutes play.

A yellow card for the Mount hooker and a penalty to Brynmawr just 5 metres out saw the home team opt for a scrum which they got over from by using their forwards to go in front 12-10.

The Old Firm were well in the game. A turnover was moved into midfield where flanker Richards kicked into acres of space behind the Brynmawr defence. Wing Morgan James and centre Jamie Long were quickly up to drive the home full back over the line. Pressure by Mount from a 5 metre line resulted in a penalty which Hall slotted over from 20 metres to put the Old Firm 13-12 in front at half time.

Early pressure at the start of the second half by Brynmawr was met by a stern, determined Mount defence. A counter attack by the home team saw Mount have a second player yellow carded for a high tackle in the 46^th minute. More pressure from Brynmawr in the Mount 22 was once again repelled by great defence as the Old Firm dug in.

A penalty to Mount was kicked into the Brynmawr 22 where flanker Richards took a two handed catch and set off several phases of attack across the field which saw wing Morgan James stopped just metres out. A charge down from an attempted clearance by the home team by flanker Richards saw the home team drop out from under their posts. The ball was run back, full back Cushion dummying his way through to make ground before linking on the home 22 where another pass to Jamie Long saw the centre finish off with a 15 metre run-in near the corner to the delight of the Mount support. A superb conversion by Hall took the Old Firm’s lead up to 20-12 after an hour’s play. Although the game ended in a draw, it was a fair result for Mount considering they played 20 minutes one man short against last season’s Division 1 East champions who only lost one league game all season, and that was by one point at home.

This Saturday, 14 September, the Old Firm welcome Beddau to Duffryn Pennar Park for a Championship East game, kick off 2:30pm.