Fixture

It took the Old Firm the first quarter of this match to get 5 weeks of inactivity out of their system. As early as the 5^th minute, from a couple of penalties and untidy ball spilling out of a Mount ruck, Rumney took play to 5 metres out which ended with their centre driving over near the posts for a try which was also converted to make it 7-0 to the Cardiff side.

In the 10^th minute, a penalty by Mount outside half Callum Hall some 35 metres out looked to be over but dipped under the crossbar. The Old Firm’s first real attack saw the ball moved across the backline and Jarrod Cushion join the line. The full back got away up to the home 10 metre line and although wing Curtis Williams was free on the outside he was not used.

Pressure continued in the Rumney half which led to a home forward being yellow carded. The Rumney pack did well to keep Mount out after a number of drives close to their line, but from a lineout, a nicely timed pass by outside half Hall saw Jamie Long get on the outside of his opposite number to run in for the Old Firm’s first try of the day. Hall converted to make it 7-7 after 28 minutes.

From the restart, prop Tom Harper was quickly onto the ball to gain a penalty for Mount which was kicked into the Rumney half. A lineout take by Dai Richards was moved into midfield where centre Alex Hughes took the ball from a short pass, burst through the home defence and with only the full back to beat gave a perfectly timed pass to flanker Ewan Rees who was on his shoulder and run in from 15 metres to finish off a nice piece of play and score under the posts. Hall converted to make it 14-7 to Mount.

A nasty knee injury to hooker and captain Jarrad Parfitt stopped play for at least 5 minutes, but when play resumed, Mount continued to press and a beautiful placed diagonal kick by outside half Hall and quick following up by the backs and then the Old Firm pack earned a penalty, but the home team held out close to their line. After a slow start, Mount had had by far the better of the territory and had pressure on the Rumney line.

A 15 metre penalty to Rumney after 50 minutes reduced the lead to 14-10.

An interception by hooker Kieran Coomer on halfway saw him take play into the Rumney half where the ball was moved to one touchline and back again with some neat interpassing, and eventually saw flanker Dai Richards stretch over to touch down midway out. Hall converted to increase the Old Firm’s lead to 21-10 after 53 minutes.

The home team replied with a penalty to make it 21-13, and then on the hour, a Mount forward drove up to the Rumney line where quick ball was moved wide and with the try line beckoning just 10 metres out and the Rumney defence stretched, a knock-on saved the home side.

Minutes later, full back Cushion was nearly through and gave a well-directed pass when tackled inside to Hall, who was tackled 5 metres out. A home forward was yellow carded and another penalty by Hall made it 24-13 after 68 minutes. But, as the game went into the last 10 minutes, the Old Firm’s one man advantage lost when a forward was yellow carded at a lineout and Rumney awarded a penalty in the Mount half.

After defending with great determination against several Rumney attacks, the home wing eventually squeezed over in the corner after 75 minutes to make it 24-18, with the conversion being short.

The game was still hard-fought and a high tackle by a Mount player gave Rumney another penalty. A scrum in the Mount 22 with a home put-in saw Rumney penalised, and although the kick to touch did not make it, the Old Firm defence was in no mood to relinquish their hard-earned lead to register a third way win the division.

The win was Mount’s fifth from 5 starts and keeps them in 3^rd place behind Rumney and St Peter’s who have played two and one game more respectively. The Old Firm put some nice passages of play together in the second half when they kept the ball moving and looked a more effective team when they kept the ball in hand and moved it into space quickly, supporting the ball carrier.

It was nice to see Tom Harper back in Mount colours; both hookers, Jarrad Parfitt and Kieran Coomer threw in well, and Dai Richards was excellent in the lineout. The whole Mount pack were hard-working against a strong Rumney eight and were solid at the scrum. Centre Jamie Long scored a nice try, fellow centre Alex Hughes showed his power to go through in midfield and gave a perfectly weighted pass to flanker Ewan Rees, who, just like a good openside flanker, was on hand to run in for a try. Both half backs did well, scrum half Morgan Cartwright keeps the opposition on their toes, outside half Hall put in some nice kicks and added 9 more points to his season’s total, and full back Cushion is always in the action.

This Saturday, Mount entertain Brecon at Duffryn Pennar Park in the Mid District Cup, kick off 2:30pm.