Fixture

The end of the 2022/23 season in WRU National League Division 4 East Central is proving very hard for all the players, administrators and supporters of Old Penarthians. Last Wednesday,26th April, the 1^st XV travelled to Llantwit Major for a loss by 55-0 and then returned home last Saturday for a fixture against Tonyrefail and another defeat by 57-17.

The common factor in both these matches was the total commitment shown by all the players who have taken part.  They have all shown spirit and resolve in pulling on the shirt and everyone of them is to be congratulated for their efforts.  It is particularly hard for spectators to watch the core players give their time and battered bodied week after week without the support of their erstwhile team mates who have decided that rugby is now a part time recreational hobby rather than a committed weekly diversion from the working week.

It is however not a problem that Old Penarthians face alone because over 25 matches were not played last weekend due to player shortages in one of the participating teams.  At least the Old Pens are fulfilling their fixtures and the opposition were full of praise, after both recent defeats, in congratulating the players for being competitive.

That competitiveness in a game can only last so long and there is only so much a depleted squad can achieve when the team is starting games with 14 players because of front row shortages and can then have a maximum of two substitutes.

Both games emphasised that fact, because at half time against Llantwit Major the score line was only 22-0 and in the game against Tonyrefail after 33 minutes the score was 26-10 to the visitors

At Llantwit three tries in the opening eight minutes of the second half quickly changed the atmosphere and to only concede another 13 points in the remainder of the game showed the resolve.

In the match against Tonyrefail the visitors opened the scoring with tries by Liam Banfield and Garreg Lewis inside eight minutes with a conversion by Jordan Jones. Old Pens were soon on the attack and from a turnover by Tyler Carter, Jon Crimp kicked the resulting penalty for a 12-3 scoreline.

Five minutes later following a scrum on halfway Tomos Hillman broke to the openside with Joel deClaire in support. He in turn found Rhys Lakin and a well-timed pass gave Evan Morgan the opportunity to break tackles and run in from 40m to score a try that Crimp converted to reduce the deficit to 2 points

The defiance was not however sustained and tries by Richard Hope, Sam Christopher, Dafydd Lewis and Stephen Driscoll with three Jones conversions made the half time score 38-10

The second half started promisingly with drives by Tom Sidford, brothers Joel and Jonathan deClaire and James Reynolds gaining territory.  From one of those forays Lakin again manged to release Morgan but this time his footwear let him down and he slipped when apparently free.

Another Lewis try for Tonyrefail extended their lead before an attacking lineout was caught cleanly by Josh Allcock and the forwards drove over the line for Allcock to claim the try.  Crimp converted and the score was 43-17

Tonyrefail’s forwards were by now dominant and only strong tackling, particularly by Rhys Thomas, kept the opposition to two further tries and a final scoreline of 57-17.

In defeat it is worth noting that two current Youth team players Iestyn Bennett and Tristan Hammond made their debuts and they joined previous Old Pens youth team products Rhys Stout and James Reynolds in a relatively inexperienced line-up.  It is hoped that their first experiences of 1^st XV rugby are stepping stones to more games in the future as they will form the backbone to the club as the Old Pens move forward.

Th final game of the season will be a home fixture against Llantwit Major, scheduled to kick off at 2.30pm and it is hoped that a large crowd will attend to cheer on the team and give them a good send off into a well-earned summer break prior to the Club’s centenary season starting in September.