Fixture

More of the same please was the verdict of the home support as the Old Firm provided great entertainment at Duffryn Pennar Park with their best display of running rugby for many a season, running in five tries from 75 metres out which brought the grandstand to its feet. The Mount forwards also contributed as well, supplying plenty of ball from the lineout and scrum and in the loose.

At half time though, with the score at 19-13 to Mount the game was far from over.

The Old Firm went in front after 9 minutes as the visitors were caught offside a couple of times from kicks. Outside half Callum Hall fired the ball into the Treorchy 22 where heavy pressure on the visitors’ line was eventually rewarded when flanker Jarrad Walters drove over from a 5 metre lineout to make it 5-0.

Treorchy responded with a 35 metre penalty from full back Callum Elward – who kicked well all afternoon when he had the opportunity. Shortly after, the ball was moved to the narrow side from a ruck on halfway by Treorchy to wing Beagen who got away but full back Jarrod Cushion made no mistake with the tackle on the Mount 22.

With 20 minutes gone, the Old Firm ignited the home support with a superb try started from their own 22 when the ball was moved quickly into midfield to centre Jamie Long. He beat a couple of men and took play up to halfway where he passed inside to Cole Nash who was on his shoulder and the flying wing raced away to great applause to score near the posts. Hall converted to make it 12-3.

A superbly placed penalty kick out of hand on halfway by Treorchy outside half Nathan Griffiths gave the visitors a lineout 5 metres from the Mount line. Although the Mount defence kept them out, flanker Walters was yellow-carded for a technical offence. Although Mount cleared the ball, the visitors hit straight back and this time second row Ethan Curtis Hulse found a gap and scored under the posts. Full back Elward converted to reduce the Mount lead to 12-10.

From the restart, the Old Firm had Treorchy scrambling in defence as they counter attacked from a kick upfield. Although it was cleared to touch, Mount won the lineout and set up another attack which saw wing Nash cut through the visitors’ defence and give a lovely inside pass to scrum half Liam Jones who run 10 metres to dive in under the posts for a well-taken try. Hall converted to make it 19-10.

With injury time being played in the first half, Treorchy were awarded a penalty from 38 metres which full back Elward converted nicely to make it 19-13 at half time.

The home crowd were given a treat as the second half wore on as the Old Firm opened up.

The Mount forwards pushed Treorchy off their own ball on halfway, flanker Liam Attwell quickly onto the ball to secure it. Scrum half Ross Davies, making his first appearance of the season, shot it out into midfield where centre Jamie Long run between a couple of defenders and got away, cutting back to beat the last defender to run in to great applause from 20 metres out. Outside half Hall made no mistake with the conversion to increase Mount’s lead to 26-13.

Within minutes, another great try was scored when a turnover in the Mount 22 saw the Old Firm quickly move the ball wide where that man Long cut through and passed to another Mount back who then handed on to flying full back Jarrod Cushion who drew the last defender and gave a perfect inside pass to outside half Hall for him to run 20 metres to great applause and score one of the tries of the season, which he also converted to extend the lead to 33-13.

It was all happening as the Old Firm were rampant. No.8 Cameron Davies got the ball away from a breakdown where it was moved wide to Cushion who sprinted away down the touchline and gave a nicely timed pass to wing Nash who run in for his second try. Hall completed a great 10 minutes for the Old Firm with a superb conversion from 5 metres in from the touchline to make it 40-13 after 61 minutes.

Treorchy kept going and Mount did well to keep the visiting forwards out from a 5 metre lineout. The visitors got their second try of the game after 69 minutes when pressure in the Mount 22 eventually saw wing Peter Hutchings score near the posts, full back Elward converting to make it 40-20.

From a scrum on halfway, Mount moved the ball wide where Cushion was put in space out wide on the touchline, racing away and passing inside to Nash for the wing to run in from 40 metres for his hat-trick to great applause and make it 45-20.

The Old Firm were far from finished and showing great fitness, speed and a desire to keep going. Another superb long range attack involving excellent handling, support play and slick passing saw outside half Hall eventually run in from 15 metres out to finish off a brilliant move, score the 8^th try for his team and then convert to make it 52-20, which took his own total up to 22 and put the seal on a fine display of running rugby by Mount.

The win was the Old Firm’s first in Championship East this season and takes them up to 8^th in the table.

This Saturday, 5 October, Mount travel to Ynysddu in the Sirhowy valley in the 1^st Round of the Championship Cup, kick off 2:30pm.