Fixture

Cambrian Welfare RFC | 1st Team 15 - 18 Mountain Ash RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
24 April 2022 / Team News

Cushion’s Dancing Feet Wins Game For Mount

Full back Jarrod Cushion was Mount’s hero and the Old Firm’s match winner in the 80th minute of this hard-fought, competitive game with a jinking run in which he beat three or four defenders and passed to prop Bleddyn Lock who run in from 5 metres to make it 18-15 to the great excitement of the Mount support.

Mount made a dream start to the game. After barely 2 minutes of play, a high kick by outside half Callum Hall was caught easily enough by the Cambrian full back in the middle of the field. He threw a long pass out to his right wing, but it never got there as Mount left wing Morgan James jumped high, made a good catch, and run in under the posts from 20 metres. Hall converted to make it 7-0.

Another attack by the Old Firm took play up the Cambrian line, and after a couple of scrums, a home forward was yellow carded. Hall kicked a 30 metre penalty after 18 minutes to make it 10-0 to Mount.

The Old Firm did not have the game all their own way by any means, with Cambrian taking play up to the Mount 22, but the defence was solid. The home side kicked a 15 metre penalty in the 33rd minute to reduce the lead to 10-3.

Mount responded with their best attack of the half. Centre Alex Hughes broke through in midfield and the ball was moved wide where wing James kick-passed when a pass through the hands would probably have been a better option 15 metres out.

There was a sensational start to the second half. A kick out of defence by Cambrian was taken by Morgan Cartwright. He handed off one tackler and broke through, being tackled by a desperate defender on the home 22. His pass was not quite to hand and was hacked upfield by a Cambrian player who won the race with Mount second row Mitchell Barnard to secure the bouncing ball in the Mount 22 and run under the posts for a try. The conversion tied the score at 10-10.

The score was a momentum changer as the home team competed for everything and attacked the Old Firm. Mount second row Daniel Phillips was yellow carded 5 metres out from the Old Firm’s line. The home side opted for a scrum, with Mount centre Alex Hughes packing down at No.8.

The Mount scrum held and did well, but there were four further resets and after the ball came out on the fifth, a pinpoint crossfield kick by the Cambrian outside half was caught by the home wing who touched down to the great delight of his team and the home supporters. The conversion missed but it put Cambrian 15-10 in front after 57 minutes.

Mount’s play throughout the game up to this point had very little continuity to it as the home side battled for everything. In the last quarter, the Old Firm played probably their best rugby of the match, having more width to their game and playing with more pace.

But it was the home team which won a penalty after 66 minutes with the resulting kick at goal just wide from 37 metres.

A long-range attack by Mount, started by Morgan Cartwright in his own 22 saw interpassing among the forwards as play was taken into the Cambrian half. Centre Hughes looked through but was ankle-tapped on the 22 line. A 15 metre penalty under the posts was kicked by Hall in the 70th minute to bring Mount to just two points adrift at 15-13 down.

With the game being played mostly in the Cambrian half, with the Old Firm looking for the score to put them in front, the ball was moved to the touchline to wing Declan Conway, who was in space and got away. He grubber kicked on, but the ball went over the try line and was touched down.

The home team dropped out long, full back Jarrod Cushion catching it, beating three or four defenders and just 5 metres out giving a lovely pass out to prop Bleddyn Lock who scored in the corner, which ignited the Mount support. The conversion missed but the try put Mount 18-15 up in the 80th minute.

Everyone knew there was still quite a bit of injury time to play because of the amount of time throughout the game it was held up waiting for balls to come on to the field to restart it.

A penalty to the home side from the restart saw them kick up to 15 metres out from the Mount line. Try as they did with a catch and drive and then moving the ball wide, Cambrian had no change out of the Mount defence and it was the Old Firm who were controlling the ball in the 86th minute when scrum half Ross Davies kicked the ball into touch to keep Mount’s unbeaten record in the League and register the 9th consecutive win from 9 League games this season.

Players Fixture player info not published.
Gallery

There doesn't appear to be any tagged photos.

Upload and Tag Photos