Penarth Sport

Victory at last for Old Penarthians!

8:30am Thursday 26th January 2012

Old Penarthians 10 ST JOSEPHS 8

SATURDAY saw the third meeting this season of the Old Penarthians and St Josephs. On the two previous occasions at Blackweir, St Josephs won 11-6 in the league and 18-10 in the SWALEC Bowl competition.

With such close scorelines it was therefore expected that this fixture would be no different. And this was definitely the case, with Old Penarthians breaking their 2012 duck with a 10-8 victory.

Whilst the score suggests a very close contest it does not tell the whole story, with Old Pens dictating much of the game. Their scrum in particular was dominant with Lee Brennan, Jippy Evans and Peter Harry again immovable, and with the support of Tony Kemp and Andy Gill from the second row the opposition were often driven back.

But the dominance of the pack did not pay off when it really mattered and a series of scrums on the opposition goal line after 20 minutes of the first half failed to produce the necessary points that would have finished the contest. Unfortunately wrong options were chosen at critical times and opportunities were lost.

It was particularly galling for coach Jeff Norman, who was urging his team to follow a tight game plan, only for his charges to release the ball at the wrong moments. Norman was to admit afterwards that it was a game he very much wanted to win, and at times he thought the absence of points from the pressure was going to cost the team dearly. Of course he should not have worried!

The game could not have started more poorly for the Old Penarthians when from the kick off by St Josephs the home team did not claim the ball, putting pressure on the backs who managed to knock on twice, once behind their own line. From the restart the Joes were awarded a penalty, kicked by outside half Scott Taylor.

In the Old Pens defence they were playing against a strong wind in the first half and therefore passing the ball wide and kicking for territory was something of a lottery. The plan to keep the ball within the forwards was therefore justified and they responded well with strong carries by Alun Haines, Evans and Paul Kemp. This was supported by captain Mark Sadler from centre who carried the ball back into the forwards.

This led to the scrum pressure on the Joes try line that was not turned into points. On 19 minutes good lineout work and ball retention from the forwards within the opposition 22 allowed Gareth Jones to pass to outside half Jonathan Crimp. He sensed that the opposition threequarters had advanced too quickly and he stepped inside a tackler before eluding the covering flanker to score under the posts from 10 yards. Huw Liddell kicked the conversion.

St Josephs then came back into it and on 25 minutes they had an attacking lineout from a penalty. From there, their forwards tried to assert themselves but they could not get through determined Old Pens tackling, particularly from Sean Leach and Evans.

The half ended with Simon Davies attacking from full back with support from Richie Moir but they were bundled into touch to give a half time score of 7-3.

With the wind at their backs the Old Boys would have expected to continue their dominance, but as is often the case the team with most to overcome strengthened their own resolve and Old Pens spent the first 10 minutes on the defence.

A break out from Tim Naylor relieved the pressure and gave Liddell an opportunity of 3 points from a St Joes infringement, but it was not taken.

After 26 minutes Liddell made amends from another penalty kick awarded for collapsing a maul and Old Pens led 10-3. This lead seemed to frighten the Old Boys, who have not been in this position going into the last 15 minutes of a game very often this season, and the lack of confidence seemed to affect all decisions.

Whereas previously in the second half, kicking downfield using the wind seemed a sound tactic to make the opposition play from deep within their own half, this was not continued. Or if it was, it was poorly executed.

This meant most of the rest of the game was played in Old Pens territory. Tackling was robust but the penalty count began to climb and with 7 minutes left the referee lost patience and Leach was sin-binned.

Two minutes later Dave Mason, who had replaced Paul Kemp midway through the half, was also sent off for playing the ball on the ground and preventing a quick release. Mason was not if fact the transgressor as Liddell had committed the offence, but the referee must have thought that one scrum cap looks much like another and Mason was off.

With Alun Haines already retired from the game with injured ribs, replaced by Noel Etxragary, the makeshift pack had 5 minutes to survive. The tackling remained strong with Gill to the fore and with the Joes attack bundled into touch for a home team throw-in, the game seemed to be safe. The lineout was, however, won by St Josephs and the attacks resumed. Somehow the ball was retrieved by Penarthians and all it needed was a touchline clearance. Unfortunately the kick sliced into midfield and the pressure was still on.

This time the defence could not hold out and flanker Nigel Morgan scored a try 5 metres in from the corner flag. The Old Penarthians team and supporters' emotions sank, thinking a great opportunity had been lost, but the kick came up short and to the left of the posts and with the missed kick the referee blew the full time whistle.

Cue celebrations for a 10-8 victory and 4 league points. The coach need not have worried at all!

SECONDS

THE Seconds played away at Tremorfa Park against St Albans in a CADRU 2nd XV League fixture and lost with the last kick of the game by 26 points to 24.

It was the first time in the match that the home team led and it took the gloss off what had otherwise been an enjoyable game.

In fact with 10 minutes to play the Old Pens thought the game was won and possibly relaxed which allowed the Buns to score two unanswered tries.

The last came from within the shadows of their own post and it was the St Albans backs, reinforced by a couple of First XV players who did not have a league fixture, who made the difference when it mattered at the end.

Until then it had been the Penarthians pack who had won their fair share of ball at first and second phases of play, allowing the side to build a lead.

For the result to be snatched away at the end was demoralising but overall it was an excellent team display and quite a few of the side could stake claims to a call-up to the senior team if they commit themselves to training.

If a less intense, but still enjoyable, match day is the requirement, then the Seconds will ensure game time is competitive.

Old Penarthian points were accounted for by tries from Stuart Gunnarsson (playing with a broken hand), Jim Morris (playing for the first time in a year) and two from Paul Langley (playing his first competitive game since returning from a broken bone in his hand). Steve Thomas (playing under a pseudonym) kicked two conversions.

There was a notable club debut from vet (yes, a proper animal doctor not an old man) Andy Jeffers at prop, and he was supported by Dominic Hedges making his first appearance as a tight head prop in a mobile pack that leant on the experienced guidance of Langley, who coached his way through the game. Charles Gore ran strongly on the wing and fullback Matthew Reid again excelled.

FIXTURES

THIS Saturday the First team take their newfound confidence to Ferndale and all supporters are welcome to join the team bus, which will be leaving the clubhouse at 12.30pm.

The Seconds have a home game against Llanishen, with both kick offs at 2.30pm.

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