Fixture

Ynysowen RFC | 1st Team 31 - 6 Old Penarthians RFC | 1st Team
Dewi Morris
Try 1
Gavin Alex Richards
Conversion 3
Try 1
Jake Hurley
Try 2
Cameron Harris
Try 1
Rhys Williams
Try 2
Steffan Crimp
2 Penalty

Match Report
06 December 2021 / Team News

Old Penarthians v Ynysowen Match Report

In recent seasons a visit to Ynsyowen in the league has seen Old Penarthians travel home with victories but last Saturday was not to be a successful outing as the team lost by 33 points to 6.  It was to be hoped that after a victory the week before against Gwernyfed that the team could move forward confidently. This hope was however dashed before kick off with the starting line up showing five changes from the previous weekend with a further five changes on the substitutes bench.

As coach Jake Thomas said in the after-match discussions if players want to succeed at any level of the game there has to be a commitment from everyone to training, playing and team spirit.  It is a credit to the club that there are good playing numbers and the endeavours of the replacements could not be faulted but to win matches consistency of availability and therefore selection is paramount.

The match itself could not have started in a worse way. Within six minutes Ynysowen were leading 12 -0 through two identical situations. On both occasions Ynysowen kicked down field for territory. Old Pens players trying to be adventurous ran the ball back but tackles from a quickly advancing Ynysowen defence won penalties for not releasing the ball.  The Ynysowen outside half kicked to the corner where their forwards set up driving mauls resulting in tries.  One of which was converted.

Old Penarthians did recover some composure and aggressive runs from Louis Chandler, Joel deClaire and Josh Mellor in the forwards gave the team momentum. From a set scrum on halfway Rhys Lakin was put into space by Gareth Clancy and he made 20m before being tackled. The opposition then infringed at the ruck and the resulting penalty was kicked by Steffan Crimp for a 12-3 scoreline.

Soon afterwards however Chandler received a knock to the head and was replaced by Anthony Pritchard which meant a reconfiguration of the pack with Stu Clarke going to the backrow and Mellor joining Matt Stingl in the second row.

The team however was still making progress and Tom Sidford carried strongly to gain ground with support from Josh Allcock and Greg Freaney. Another penalty was conceded by Ynysowen and after previously handing out a warning to the Ynysowen captain about repeat offences a yellow card was shown.  Two minutes later another yellow card was issued and from this penalty Steffan Crimp kicked the three points.

Penarthians tried to make the numerical advantage pay and moved the ball wide for Chris Poole, Jon Crimp, Alex Lewis and Aled Rees (on loan from Penarth) to launch attacks but too often a lack of cohesion between threequarters and forwards meant the moves faltered.

The half ended soon afterwards but not before the loss of Clarke with a hand injury to be replaced by Rhys Thomas.

The second half started with both defences on top and neither side being able to take their chances. Steffan Crimp did try to get the backline moving with some inventive long passes but the narrow Ynysowen pitch denied the width that the Penarthians were trying to exploit despite further breaks from Lakin, Poole and Jon Crimp

Further disruption was caused when deClaire was injured to be replaced by front row player AJ Jones and James Williams (himself a replacement) went off for Mike Rogers to debut on the wing.

It was however the disruption to the forwards that was most noticeable in the scrummaging and after repeated drives Ynysowen took a 17-6 lead after a push over scrum on 25 minutes.  The pressure from more scrums under the posts rewarded the home team another score on 33 minutes and to round it off the final play of the match was another push over try for the number 8 and a score of 31-6.

On Saturday the 1st XV return to Cwrt-y-vil for a home match against Treherbert with a 2.30pm kick off.

 

 

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