SEASIDERS BOUNCE BACK AT LAST

PENARTH 43 CARDIFF QUINS 41 – Saturday 13 January 2018

Well, well, it got interesting all right. A stunning display of almost unbelievable resilience from the Seasiders saw them home in a game that most teams would surely have despaired of winning. Climbing two places in the table to eighth, they can surely see that survival in Division 2 East Central is now firmly in their own hands.

The nature of the contest was there for all to see after only five minutes. As Chris Mortimer burst through the cover running back the kick-off, the Quins won a turnover and lock Matthew Dingham took it all the way over to the left wing before beating Matt Allen to the line. Four minutes later, Penarth built well from the restart, but as Morgan Smith went into contact, Richie Bowen exploded from the breakdown and the Quins defence simply couldn’t hold him as he scored by the posts.

The lead was to swing backwards and forwards between the sides for the whole match, as the Seasiders conceded soft tries, but pegged the Quins back with penalty kicks and tries of their own. Quins wing Lewis Allwood pushed his side back into the lead after 10 minutes, but two James Docherty penalties swung it back Penarth’s way after 17 minutes before the Quins’ Dafydd Franklin finished in the corner after 23 minutes for a 13-15 scoreline.

Another five minutes and the Seasiders were back in front as Bowen completed a move that captain Alex Thau had started, only for Quins to bizarrely claim their bonus point for four unconverted tries after 32 minutes as scrum-half Zac Bartlett scored out wide. Penarth nevertheless went in at half-time with a three-point lead thanks to a third penalty conversion from Docherty.

After the break it was the Seasiders’ pack that came to the fore, as they soon won a penalty try to give them a 10-point lead. Almost inevitably, defensive weaknesses allowed Franklin to score his side’s fifth try minutes later and Quins then took the lead again after 53 minutes as a static Penarth defence failed to punish errors and Spencer Lumby slipped through for a sixth try and a 30-34 scoreline.

Penarth weren’t taking this lying down, but handling errors were stifling their own attacking efforts. However the pack soon took control again with a huge scrum and replacement hooker Iwan Baker carrying well in the drive. As ball came loose in the Quins’ 22, Alan Doyle, playing perhaps his finest game for the Seasiders, received a pass, sold a dummy and fed Ben Hill for Penarth’s own bonus point try and the lead at 35-34!

By now, the Seasiders had really got the bit between their teeth and surged forwards, led by exhilarating charges from Nick Davenport. Quins held out, but only until a massive break from Thau, running back a clearance, set up James Thatcher for a 15 metre dash before slipping it inside to Hill for a 40-34 lead with thirteen minutes remaining.

Could Penarth make it to the finishing line? It seemed less likely as both sides lost a player to the bin and the Seasiders’ pack was reduced to seven. A win seemed even more remote as Franklin won a foot-race down the left wing with two minutes left for his side’s seventh try and a fragile single-point lead, but Penarth simply never gave up. The pack put the wilting Quins under enormous pressure, led by Doyle and Davenport and a richly-deserved penalty 25 metres out was all the reward they needed. A nerveless conversion from Docherty sealed a fantastic win.

PENARTH Morgan Smith, Ben Hill, James Thatcher, Chris Mortimer, James Crothers, James Docherty, Rhys Morgan (Owain Lord), Dave Thomas (Matt Russell), Sean O’Sullivan (Iwan Baker), Alan Doyle, Owen Thomas, Matt Allen (Nick Davenport), Miles Jones, Alex Thau©, Richie Bowen

Scorers: Richie Bowen (2 tries), Ben Hill (2 tries), Penalty try, James Docherty (4 penalties, 2 conversions).

Division 2 East Central

Saturday 20th January 2018

Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd v PENARTH

(Possibly) Llandaff Fields, Cardiff

Kick-off 2.30pm