Fixture

A rip roaring performance by the Mount pack in the last quarter of this game, which resulted in three tries and a total of 20 points being scored, secured victory for the Old Firm amid great excitement at Duffryn Pennar Park in a hard fought, entertaining game that was a credit to both Clubs. It finished off a great comeback from the Mount team that saw a 17-6 deficit after half hour of the game overhauled twice in the dying minutes which showed great fitness and desire. The win was gained the hard way, though, as three times Heol Y Cyw took full advantage of Mount’s generosity in defence to score tries, one of which was converted, to pick up 17 points. Playing with the wind in the first half, Mount outside half Sam Withers was quickly on the scoreboard, kicking two penalties in the first 5 minutes to open up a 6-0 lead. Mount were looking positive and turned down a third kickable penalty to go for a 5 metre lineout which they did not take advantage of. The game was fast and competitive with both packs competing for every ball. After 18 minutes, from the visitors’ first real attack, a scissors from a lineout 10 metres out saw Cyw centre Chris Howe take advantage of slack defence to cut back in and cross wide out for a try converted by outside half Rhys Thomas, which put his team 7-6 in front. The visitors continued to have the better of the game, looking handy with ball in hand and stretching the Mount defence across the whole width of the field. From a loose kick, Cyw’s full back showed a turn of speed to set another round of passing in motion which ended with wing Ryan Griffiths being put away down the touchline from 20 metres out for a well worked unconverted try to make it 12-6 after 23 minutes. The visitors were dominating possession and testing the Old Firm defence. From a lineout near half way, Cyw flanker O’Driscoll took the ball on the burst and after shrugging off some lame Mount tackling, outpaced the defence to score in the corner to take his side’s lead up to 17-6. The Old Firm were looking down the barrel of a gun at this point with the visitors well on top. From a first attack for at least 10 minutes, outside half Withers converted a 35 metre penalty after half hour and then stroked over a similar length penalty minutes later to get Mount back into the game at 17-12 down. With the Old Firm having got a foothold back in the game,

No. 8 Kriss Sanders broke from a scrum near the Mount 22 to start an attack which full back Jordan Rees took into the visitors half just before half time. Yet another penalty was conceded by the visitors, which also resulted in a yellow card for one of their forward, but although outside half Withers was just wide with a 45 metre attempt from near the touchline, the Old Firm were just one score behind at 17-12 down at the turn.

Mount upped the pace at the start of the second half and after the Heol Y Cyw pack was shoved back at a scrum on the visitors’ 22, outside half Withers judged the kick into the wind perfectly to bring Mount right back into the game at 17-15 down. The spirit in the Old Firm team was shown to good effect shortly after when they had to defend stoutly against some strong, direct running from the visitors in the Mount 22. All this good work was undone after 54 minutes when a kick up to half way was run back by Cyw wing Ryan Griffiths, who shrugged off three or four tackles, to score an unusually easy unconverted try to take his side’s lead up to 22-15. From this point on, the Mount forwards took a more direct approach to the visitors’ line, picking up and driving, and placing the visitors scrum under pressure. After 68 minutes, from a scrum just inside the Cyw 22, flanker Chris Edmunds picked up and drove on, aided by the Mount forwards, prop James Cowdry getting hold of the ball and powering through a gap in the Heol Y Cyw forward line to drive over near the corner for an unconverted try which put the Old Firm right back in the game at 22-20 down with 12 minutes to play. The Mount forwards were showing plenty of desire and fitness and finishing the stronger in this hard fought game, and despite forward substitutions being made, it made no difference to the home pack as, if anything, the intensity was upped. A 20 metre driving maul took play into the Cyw 22 where a penalty wide out near the touchline was awarded, outside half Withers again judging the wind to perfection to delight the Mount support with a superb kick to put the Old Firm in front, 23-22, after 72 minutes. The game was reaching a crescendo and from a scrum on half way, the visitors were given a penalty which outside half Thomas converted with a superb 50 metre kick to regain the lead, 25-23, for Cyw. A scrum against the head by the Mount forwards in the visitors 22 saw a succession of pick up and drives, and from close in, scrum half Ross Davies, in the forefront of the action as usual, showed great strength and an eye for the gap to get over for a try that ignited the Mount support in the grandstand and put the Old Firm 28-25 up with just 2 minutes left. The action still wasn’t over as replacement prop Jarrod Parfitt burst through a ruck from the restart to sprint up to the Heol Y Cyw 10 metre line where Mount got a penalty. Outside half Withers judged his kick to touch perfectly to give Mount a 5 metre lineout, which hard working No.8 Kriss Sanders took for prop Parfitt to drive over amid great cheers to delight the Mount support. Outside half Withers, who had been unlucky with his two previous corner conversions, judged the wind to perfection to slot the kick over to take his match haul to 20, put Mount 10 points clear, and bring a fitting end to a rousing last quarter by the Old Firm.

Porth II 13 Mountain Ash II 28

Mountain Ash Athletic won 28-13 at Porth in a Rhondda and East Glamorgan League and Keith Jones Cup game after being behind 8-7 at half time. Mount's greater fitness told in the second half with the team running in some good tries. Young Number 8 Luke Brittain led the way with two tries, full back Craig Roberts and fellow back Nick Griffiths getting a try each. Outside half Matthew Parfitt converted all 4 to complete the scoring.

Mountain Ash Youth 36 Dowlais Youth 7

The Young Firm continued their winning ways in this Blues League, Division BE game at the Rec with a win over a spirited Dowlais team.

Scorers for the Young Firm were prop Thomas Evans with 2 tries, scrum half Liam Jones with a try and 3 conversions, and a try apiece for wing William Holley, centre Steve Brittain and full back Jack Roberts.