This year the dinner was held at Penarth Athletic Club on Friday 6 June.
Award Winners
Richard Ball received his cap for 100 appearances.
Most improved player – Jerome Bryan
Clubman of the Year – James Docherty
Cogan Coronation player of the year – Scott Mackie
Kevin Bush Memorial Award – Sue Seymour
Club Player of the year – Joe Page
Congratulations All.
St. Peters 46 – Penarth 29
That’s it for 2013/14 and despite another losing score Penarth finish the season with good reason to look forward with optimism.
Yet again, in this protracted end of season, injuries and unavailability dictated a makeshift look to the side. But with the help of a couple of old campaigners the young Penarth bloods coming through from the youth system did not look out of place at the higher level. In fact this contest could have gone the other way had it not been for technical deficiencies such as a failure to secure high kicks and tackling too high which the coaches will need to work on.
St Peters made the early running, Penarth’s re-jigged back row and young half back pairing needing time to settle. So despite Paul Collett breaking out with Joe Page using the freedom of flanker to support and feed Tom Hillman on the wing, surrendered possession at the breakdown plus a weak tackle allowed the home side to open the scoring.
Penarth hit straight back. Following a searching kick ahead by Kieran Carpenter and pressure on the home full back forced a panicked lateral clearance. Although the line out was not secured pressure was maintained and the back row union worked hard to gain the touchdown. Honours were even again.
St. Peters though are a slick outfit and play skilled fifteen man rugby. So their response was to abandon running wide and concentrate on short burst forward work in which they were assisted by a series of decisions that went against the defence. Having got all the territorial gain they required they were able to exploit some further weak tackling to score under the posts.
Immediately and with Penarth still in some disarray the move was repeated so that on twenty minutes the home advantaged stretched to an ominous 21 – 7.
However Penarth were showing signs of settling together. In the pack the front row were holding with Sean O’Sullivan supporting Mason Good at hooker and Jerome Bryan showing what he offers in addition to propping in putting in a series of effective carries. At half back Paul Beddis and Kieran Carpenter were gelling and this allowed established centres Mike Hurley and James Thatcher to create some telling breaks from midfield as well as Giving Hillman some space to work on.
So it was Penarth on the scoreboard next through a penalty after firstly a home attack was foiled by spectacular tackling back from the indefatigable Bryan and subsequently taking advantage of a bizarre home back pass that cleared not only the defence but also the dead ball line.
Again St Peters hit back collecting spilled ball and running it out wide but this time it was Penarth not allowing their opponents time to enjoy the moment. The restart was collected, worked up-field by Thatcher and Hurley, taken on by the back row and released to James Crothers on the wing. Within five minutes the dose was repeated. From a good attacking position Carpenter made the half break and found Crothers, who had drifted in-field looking for work, on hand for his second try.
With half time approaching Penarth had got themselves back within four points. Sadly they didn’t hang on and surrendered possession to stretch the half time score to 31 – 22.
The second half started with club Chairman Mike Clare taking a compulsory ten minute break from his shift in the second row and an eight point advantage accrued in his absence.
A long active but scoreless period followed. Both sides were competing well with noticeable scrum pressure from Penarth. Joe Page was denied after one of his power breaks and St Peters touched down only to be brought back by the touch judge.
Andy Pyman and Connor Cavanagh came and Bryan confirmed his versatility switching to back row and Hillman came in to scrum half from wing.
Adjusting seamlessly to these changes Penarth produced a little gem. Thatcher set off from midway leaving a series of defenders grabbing at fresh air; support at pace came from Hurley whose score earned a useful bonus point.
With home coach Mark Ring sensing real danger and exhorting his troops from the sidelines they managed a further score to put a result beyond Penarth’s grasp but the young guns had more than demonstrated their capability to challenge for places next season.
Penarth; Sean O’Sullivan; Mason Good; Jerome Bryan; Mike Clare; Richard Howells; Louis Chandler; Joe Page; Luke Crocket; Paul Beddis; Kieran Carpenter; James Crothers; Mike Hurley; James Thatcher; Tom Hillman. Replacements Andy Pyman; Connor Kavanagh.
In many ways Saturday, April 26, 2014 was a day to remember in the recent history of Penarth RFC, though a depleted senior club XV succumbed to an in-form Pentyrch RFC by a six tries to two, on a wind-swept Parc y Dwrlyn at Pentyrch. Dominated in all areas of the game, Penarth battled bravely to score a brace of tries through centre James Candy and lock forward Jon Boland, on each side of the break. Captained for the first time by hooker Joe Page were very much in contention by half time, playing against a very strong wind, with Stuart Clarke, Matt Sutton, Ollie Laity, Paul Collett and Grant Robson – the backs-coach deputizing at fullback for the injured Rhys Morgan – giving a good account of themselves . However, a number of defensive errors, a dysfunctional line-out and a less-then effective scrum doomed the team’s better efforts.
On the same day and at the same time a selection of old and new Penarth hands, calling themselves Penarth Invitation XV entertained Morley RFC, a Yorkshire club on tour in Wales, losing a good-natured game 34-25, at the Recreation Ground. “The last time Penarth fielded two teams during the same weekend must have been in the early 1990s, recalled former Chairman Mike Gooding, who was on linesman duty at Pentyrch. What the two matches had in common, other than the absence of so many of the first team regulars, was that they enabled eight of the Youth players who played for the team who defeated the Crawshays Youth on Good Friday, to make their first team debut. Miles Jones, nowadays a student at Loughborough University, Youth captain Connor Kavanagh and scrum-half Tom Hillman were the three youngsters who travelled to Pentyrch with the seniors, while the other five: Kieran Carpenter, Ben Thomas, Luke Crockett, Rob Rees and Mason Goode appeared for the Invitation XV, captained on the day by their own forwards coach and prop emeritus Andy Pyman.
“The fact that the club has raised two Senior Teams who played at the same time on Saturday is quite remarkable and should give us some reasons for optimism, though the last few matches of the senior side have been quite disappointing,” Club Chairman and No8 Mike Clare observed. “The club overall is in good health, with several of the age groups doing exceptionally well overall. The Youth coached by Colin Laity, Andy Pyman and Richard Smith managed to defeat a strong Crawshays Youth for the first time ever. This is indeed very commendable and several of their players were rewarded with first team debuts this weekend,” he added.
One hopes that the success of the Youth against the Crawshays will act as an incentive for the talented generation of U16s, coached by former Wales outside-half Dai Evans, to join the ranks of the Penarth Youth next season. The U16s finished their season with a spectacular 42-21 win against the Catalonia Regional XV last week in Barcelona. “This was our last game of the season and also the last game as an age-group and it was great for the boys to finish with such a good win, against such a strong side, “said Head Coach Dai Evans.
The U14s, coached by former Penarth wing-forward Dai Williams, have also brought home foreign silverware, having won the Dungarwan RC Challenge Cup in Ireland, undefeated. Another Penarth age-group making a splash are the U13s who play CRICC in one of the semi-finals of the Regional age-group competition “Redrow Homes” Blues Cup, while the club’s U12s have gone one better in the same Blues Cup by defeating Cowbridge 26-14 to reach the final against the Abercwmboi on May the 11th, at Cardiff Arms Park.
“I am quite pleased with the way the boys have progressed this season,” said U12s Head Coach Jason Allen, a former Penarth first team regular. “There are 28 clubs in our section of the Blues Cup and reaching the final is not too bad. We started the season with some heavy defeats, against Cowbridge, CRICC and St Peters and it was quite rewarding for the boys to defeat Cowbridge in the semi-final. We have a policy here that enables every boy to play and this has given the team a strong bond. The boys enjoy it, the parents love it and the coaches, Nigel Boucher, Phil Musa and Warren Evans and of course myself enjoy it. So it is all good fun.”
Pentyrch 43 – Penarth 12
Penarth RFC: Grant Robson, Paul Collett, Oliver Laity, James Candy, James Crothers, James Docherty, Tom Hillman, Mike Clare, Matt Sutton, Miles Jones, Stuart Clarke, Jon Boland, Sean O’Sullivan, Joe Page (captain), Jerome Bryan (Connor Kavanah)
Tries: J Candy, J Boland; conv J Docherty
CARDIFF QUINS 63 – PENARTH 36
How many teams can you think of who ship more than sixty points but score five tries to gain a bonus point? That was the Penarth achievement on an afternoons try rampage from the league leaders and third place opponents. Definitely one for the quiz books this.
With only one shy of a century of points mostly from touch downs the game progress was at breathless pace and Penarth, with a back division disrupted by injuries and unavailability, played their full part.
They applied the early pressure through Joe Page who was held up illegally (a recurring home team practice that mars their otherwise excellent character). Three points were claimed but the riposte was swift and menacing as the Quins shifted ball dazzlingly to wing Franklyn who burst through to score.
Scarcely five minutes later on the other wing the return of Tom Lock at full back saw him facing three attackers who he disrupted and dispossessed. This allowed Mike Rowe to make the initial break and feed James Docherty who likewise released a charging Mike Clare sadly this gave momentary relief only. Quins regained possession and 11, 12 and 13 swung up-field at pace and around the defence and over.
After 20 minutes Penarth found themselves 12 – 3 adrift but more than this their back division had scarcely settled together faced with a slick and pacy opponent. So it was with commendable positivity they stuck to the task and a sparkling Hurley break found skipper Gary Power whose muscle only just failed to get him the distance because of illegal interference. This earned Quins a yellow card, Jon Boland set up the following maul and as the pack drove over Rhys Morgan buried in for the try.
Quins returned to the Offensive allowing Docherty to demonstrate his spectacular defence in a flying dive over the ruck. Morgan wriggled down the touch but ran out of support and yet again Quins profited by running from deep, slickly off-loading from the tackle and releasing speedster Haynes to score wide out. A simple tactic they applied again from the restart with the same outcome.
Yet again Penarth refused to be dismayed setting up a rumble in the dying seconds of the half. Morgan again it was who profited diving in at the last minute to return the score to respectability at 27 – 15.
However Quins opened the second half with more magic. Number 9, Ellis traversed the width of the park without a finger laid on him and 11, Haynes yet again provided the unstoppable pace out wide.
Even so Penarth hit straight back. Jo Page showed that his running is elusive as well as powerful, crowned by a delightful step and go from Docherty who converted his own try.
Then, cruelly, Penarth suffered a couple of injuries; most significantly to Chris Mortimer who had been putting in a quite magnificent display out of position at flanker. We all hope that his shoulder damage is not as bad as it looked.
Scott Mackie and Andy Pyman were now on as replacements and despite contributing to staunch defence were unable to hold Quins, who had picked up another yellow card. In succession both home wings and their scrum half used pace to exploit gaps in the visitors defence.
With 15 minutes remaining the home score had moved past the half century and it looked as if further embarrassment would be piled on. Quite startlingly Penarth decided that they just didn’t believe in lost causes. Mike Hurley was the star of the revival. After being held illegally and Quins getting yet another yellow card he found himself on the end of subtle interchanges and wrong footed the whole defensive line by cutting sharply back inside.
Scarcely recovering his breath Hurley, again, took a sweet slip pass on half way and it was sheer individual brilliance that saw him avoid all challenges. Docherty converted from the touchline.
Penarth:- Tom Luck; Ryan Thompson; Mike Rowe; Mike Hurley; James Crothers; James Docherty; Rhys Morgan; Gary Power (Andy Pyman); Joe Page; Jerome Bryan: Richard Ball; Jon Boland; Stuart Clarke; Chris Mortimer (Scott Mackie); Mike Clare.
Penarth 17 Aberdare 23 – Saturday 12 April 2014
For the second game running, the Seasiders scored three tries, but this time they had not one kicker, but two. Sadly this availed them little as only two points came from the boot, again a conversion under the posts. It was hard to put your finger on what was wrong with Penarth, as the second-placed club faced second from bottom, but they rarely looked as if they believed they could win this game. This was strange, as they held the upper hand in the scrum for eighty minutes, but just couldn’t make it count against a youthful Aberdare side staring relegation in the face.
With a stiff breeze at their backs, the Cynon Valley side made all the early running and were 6-0 up inside twenty minutes, even if the second penalty was weirdly inappropriately awarded. Still, although there seemed to be nothing too much to worry about, it was about to get much worse. A Seasiders attack broke down near the Aberdare 10m line and Mike Hurley unwisely fly-hacked the ball directly to the visitors’ left wing, who had the vision and pace to waltz through a misaligned defence for a 60 metre solo try.
The rest of the half belonged to the hosts, but despite a couple of tremendous individual breaks by Chris Poole and a lot of time spent in the Aberdare 22, they simply couldn’t make a convincing case for scoring any points and half time arrived with them still trailing 0-13.
The second half was better, even if the hosts struggled to make any real use of the wind. The pack now took matters into their own hands as Richard Ball hurdled over a ruck and was clean through to the line. The Aberdare scrum, creaking all afternoon, were pushed clean off their own put-in and Louis Chandler claimed the try.
The momentum generated by the Penarth eight in the following ten minutes should have taken them to victory. A lengthy siege in the visitors’ 22 saw a lot of mistakes from both sides and Aberdare tight-head Nathan Terry collecting a yellow card. The pressure told with a series of penalties before referee Aled Evans finally lost patience and awarded the Seasiders a penalty try.
With the score standing at 12-13, the visitors decided to go for broke and threw everything into a furious assault. The Penarth defence, usually so solid, lacked the will to resist and lock Adam Parry crashed over in the corner. Within minutes another series of missed tackles down the left flank saw flanker Owen Young with a clear run-in behind the posts.
With Grant Robson replacing James Docherty and Chris Poole moving inside to outside half for the final ten minutes, the Seasiders suddenly sprang to life. This new sense of urgency led immediately to a try as the ball was worked wide for James Crothers to score in the corner, but it was far too late and a jubilant Aberdare side celebrated at the final whistle as if they’d won promotion.
This was the last home fixture of the season and Penarth now travel to face runaway league leaders Cardiff Quins on Easter Saturday.
PENARTH Rhys Morgan, Paul Collett, Chris Poole, Mike Hurley, James Crothers, James Docherty (Grant Robson), Chris Mortimer, Gary Power, Joe Page, Sean O’Sullivan, Richard Ball, Jon Boland, Louis Chandler, Matt Sutton.
National League Division 3 (SE)
Saturday 19th April 2014
Cardiff Quins v PENARTH
The Diamond Ground, Forest Farm
Kick-off 2.30pm
Did you know Penarth Athletic Club is available to hire to all members?
Catering packages can be arranged through them along with any entertainment.
The club also organises many events. The following are coming up
Saturday 12 April 2014 – Karaoke
Why not join us this Saturday for our very own Karaoke Night!
Saturday 26 April 2014 – End of Season Party
Why not end the season on a high and support the club by coming along to our very own End Of Rugby Season Party
An adults only event all coaches, partners and friends of all rugby sections are welcome
Disco and free entry
Starting Sunday 4 May 2014
Breakfast club – Every Sunday morning, 10am – 12 noon
Sunday 4 May 2014
Family Fun Day from 1.00pm – Pony Rides, Stalls, Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Penarth’s Got Talent
Great prizes to be won, music running all day and evening
FREE ENTRY!
Any more info then please do not hesitate to contact
Tash, Club Steward on 07769 204650
Pontyclun 18 Penarth 17 – Saturday 5 April 2014
With league leaders Cardiff Quins going down at home to a resurgent St Peters, this was a game the Seasiders would have preferred to win. Both teams were unable to field their first-choice selections, but the hosts were able to field something like a regular kicker and this proved decisive.
The hosts were simply intent on charging headlong at any chances that fell their way and this yielded an immediate dividend as early as the fourth minute. Full back Adam Lewis received a pass outside the Penarth 22 and just ran straight. About four tacklers in turn failed to get a grip on him and he was over for an unconverted try.
The Seasiders’ approach was more measured – dominance up front and work it wide when the game opened up. However, they had to win over the referee and this they noticeably failed to do, falling further behind at the end of the first quarter as the Badgers converted a penalty. Penarth came back strongly and laid siege in the home 22. Several thrusts were held up on the line, but when they were finally awarded a five-metre scrum, the writing was surely on the wall. So it proved, as the Seasiders’ eight drove straight through and over for the score. Unfortunately, referee Gavin Roberts saw it rather differently and declared that the scrum had gone through 90º.
There was no let-up for the hosts, though as Penarth continued to dominate. Stand-in kicker Rhys Morgan pushed a penalty just wide from 25m and then a breath-taking break from a side-stepping James Thatcher was halted 20m out. The ensuing penalty was tucked safely into touch and after Joe Page was stopped in the first thrust from the line-out, Geraint Blake made sure with the second.
The teams turned around with the home side still 8-5 in the lead, but the Seasiders seemed to have mastered the conditions and surely knew how to secure the points. Pontyclun naturally burst out of the traps and as Penarth held on grimly, they lost Blake to a yellow card and it began to look like an uphill struggle. Pontyclun struck the penalty just wide and the visitors made quick progress from the restart over the half-way line. A penalty was kicked to touch, the lineout secured and a second penalty won, also put to touch, this time inside the home 22. The home side were clinging on under immense pressure and even though they gained a scrum, they still managed to spill the ball and the Seasiders worked it wide. A wonderfully-weighted miss-out pass by Thatcher to James Crothers wide on the left put Penarth into the lead at last, although the conversion was again missed.
Trailing 8-10, the hosts threw everything into trying to retrieve the situation and the referee obliged them with a kickable penalty from which they edged back in front. More pressure from the Seasiders brought on a yellow card for a Pontyclun replacement and when Thatcher tapped and went from the penalty, Blake was over for a second try, which was again declined by the referee. With the ball not having gone dead, the hosts were able to hack it upfield and into the visitors’ half. The Badgers sensed a chance and once again threw themselves at the Penarth defence in a series of bursts. In a near repeat of the first try, right wing Llewelyn Rees burst clean through and around behind the posts.
Trailing 18-10 with six minutes to go, the Seasiders came back again and again as Pontyclun conceded a string of penalties and a yellow card for their hooker, before the referee finally relented and awarded a penalty try. With only a minute left. Liam Bevan duly converted with Penarth’s only successful place-kick of the game.
Pontyclun had scored two tries, but kicked eight points, while Penarth had out-scored them with three tries. There were all sorts of reasons why the Seasiders really should have won this one, but ultimately the lack of a regular goal-kicker proved the difference between the sides.
Happier times may lie ahead, as Penarth held on to 2nd place with Wattstown drawing 6-6 at home against near neighbours Porth Harlequins. 11th-placed Aberdare are the visitors to the Athletic Field next Saturday.
PENARTH Rhys Morgan, Louis Chandler, Paul Collett, Liam Bevan, James Crothers, James Thatcher, Chris Mortimer, Gary Power, Joe Page, Sean O’Sullivan, Stuart Clarke (Jerome Bryan, then Mike Clare), Jon Boland, Richard Ball, Matt Sutton.
National League Division 3 (SE)
Saturday 12th April 2014
PENARTH v Aberdare
The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road
Kick-off 2.30pm
Penarth 17 – Wattstown 13
This had all the promise of a cracker; two sides lying second and third in the division, both with eleven victories this season and both on 51 points.
As it transpired nerves played a major part and time after time promising build ups by both sides slipped away with knocks on and stray passes. In the end the side that held its nerve triumphed, albeit at the very death.
Wattstown had clearly turned up to claim the spoils and put pressure on the league leaders. Their travelling support gave full voice from the start and their side responded with a full out assault. They displayed great ball handling skill with deft inter-passing and rapid recycling which kept the home defence at full stretch and pinned in their own 22.
Sustaining this series of short carries and recycles constantly varying the angle of attack paid off. After only 10 minutes flanker Adam Phillips found just sufficient space to score close in.
At seven points adrift and under the cosh Penarth saw they had a game on their hands. Their response was strangely muted; with Wattstown sticking to a policy of getting the ball wide as quickly as possible Penarth worked steadily up front. A stolen line out by second row Stuart Clarke developed into a maul and series of scrums deep in the opposition half. This graft earned them three penalty points which were presented straight back when the visitors clearance was kicked back with a wild skew that gave away more advantage than it gained and resulted in a visitor’s penalty which rattled the post followed by a sweet drop goal from centre Dano Roberts.
Then came an intervention by the match official; heavy pressure on the home line was relieved when Wattstown try scorer Phillips turned villain by not being able to resist sticking his hands into an attacking ruck. Penarth’s one man advantage lasted less than a minute as a deeply puzzled James Crothers departed in a case of mistaken identity.
Back to rugby business Penarth treated us to the move of the match. All the back line were involved with Rhys Lakin providing thrust and James Thatcher elusiveness whilst half backs Rhys Morgan and James Docherty kept thing flowing by short, swift and accurate passes. This worked the ball up-field and from one wing to the other finally finding the energetic Trevor Blake wide out right faced by a denuded defence . Docherty capped the display with a fine touch line conversion.
Wattstown full back Rhydian Williams did threaten to reply with an individual forty meter weaving through all attempts to grab him but his final pass fell short of its’ target and half time arrived with points even at 10 – 10.
The restart was scrappy with Penarth conceding position when a long clearance flew out on the full. The subsequent visitor’s attack was illegally held up and three points conceded.
Despite this setback and the Wattstown lively back division the home eight had been grafting away and steadily achieving domination. Whereas an early scrum had seen tight head Sean O’Sullivan penalised for boring in by now either he had reformed or the referee changed his point of view.
Whatever the reason O’Sullivan, Richard Merrett and Joe Page were starting to make a right mess of the Wattstown front row. Add to this line out control by Jon Boland and Stuart Clarke and the result was Penarth enjoying a full ten minute period of play entrenched in the far left corner of their opponents territory. But the visitors showed total commitment to the cause, didn’t give an inch and amazingly, survived.
After this onslaught play shifted back to midfield. Owain George replaced Morgan but was most unfortunate to be concussed in initiating his first attack and stayed on for only a minute.
Richard Ball replaced Jon Boland and play settled back to home domination up front and occasional forays from the visitors. However the home front eight had not forgotten school day injunctions “if at first you don’t succeed then try, try again”. Jerome Bryan joined the front row and with seconds ticking away Penarth took up camp yet again in the deep left corner. Wave after wave of forwards piled over each other until brave Wattstown resistance could hold no longer. A touch down resulted and despite mischievous claims from Blake it was the industrious Joe Page who clung on as the pack powered over.
Intelligently Docherty realised that using up the full minute was more important than the two points which he nevertheless gained.
Time remained only for Mr. Nigel Jones to blow time and at 17–13 Penarth became second in the league.
The next home game is Saturday 12th April versus Aberdare.
Penarth:- Paul Collett; Ben Donovon; James Thatcher; Rhys Lakin; James Crothers; James Docherty; Rhys Morgan; Richard Merrett; Joe Page; Sean O’Sullivan; Stuart Clarke; Jon Boland; Scott Mackie; Mike Clare; Geraint Blake.
Porth Harlequins 27 – Penarth 26
If you’ve a jaded pallet for rugby and believe the current game is dominated by reset scrums and aimless kicks then your faith would have been restored up the Rhondda Valley last Saturday.
Two sides served up nine tries in eighty minutes of high paced entertainment and skill with only one point separating them at the finish; great stuff.
Penarth set off facing into the cold wind gusting down the valley and early pressure came from the home side. A five meter line out was successfully defended but the subsequent possession turned over and flicked out to the home centre, Rowlands who faced a defensive gap wide enough for him to skip through and under the posts.
The Penarth response was immediate and determined. Rhys Lakin ran forcefully and fed the elusive James Thatcher who just failed to wriggle through. Nevertheless the attacking base was established and allowed the powerful Penarth front eight to shove the home pack back over their own line where Scott Mackie dropped down to set up the equalising score.
Seven points each was how it stayed for half an hour of vigorous to and fro competition until Penarth failed to secure ball and put pressure on themselves in their own 22. Porth sustained their attack at close quarters before releasing number 10 Morgan who needed only a 2 meter dash to touch down.
Penarth’s response was electric, Thatcher side stepped out from deep, releasing Lakin and then Ben Donovan who although just brought down short still managed to feed James Docherty whose delightful slip pass found Lakin re-entering and rounding off the move under the posts. The conversion was a formality and Penarth took the lead 12-14. With scarcely time to draw breath Penarth were back in home territory. This time it was Joe Page, normally a hooker, showing his versatility at flank forward and wisely holding to commit the defence so that Lakin, again, was clear to power over in the corner.
In barely two minutes Penarth had thrillingly turned a 5 point deficit into a 7 point lead.
Porth though were not minded to roll over and on half time took punishing advantage of Penarth’s failure to secure their clearance kick. Possession became sustained pressure on the visitors’ line and home wing, Coleman had just enough space wide out left to reduce the deficit by 5 before the whistle.
Half time Porth 17 – Penarth 19.
Porth ignored the wind disadvantage at the restart and mirrored their success from before the break with forward pressure once more allowing wing Coleman to touch down wide out.
Going unexpectedly behind spurred Penarth into determined attack, Rhys Morgan in looping support from full back was only just forced out. Then it was the home sides’ turn to fail to clear their lines and in scrambled defence they concede penalties which Penarth used to establish lines out rather than taking the points. Sadly they failed to sustain the rolling mauls developed from Jon Boland’s clean takes and no score resulted.
Substitutions were made. Mike Clare relieved Matt Sutton and Louis Chandler came on for Jerome Bryan who had done well moving from prop to hooker.
The rearranged Penarth pack sustained pressure on the home eight and when their maul did function they were able to release the outstanding Lakin to crown a powerful performance with a hat trick try.
With a 4 point advantage established and moving into the final quarter a Penarth victory looked assured but then the wheels fell off.
Penarth’s bugbear throughout had been failure to sure clearance kicks. When they stood off again and pressured themselves into defence, second row Boland was yellow carded. Play restarted and straightway the whistle blew once more, this time it was Mackie on the receiving end and the card was a harsh and disputed red for stamping.
The deficit of two in the pack was too much to quickly reorganise which Porth ruthlessly and immediately exploited with a fifth and final try from captain Lewis.
Thirteen man Penarth brought on Owain George for Chris Mortimer and defied the odds to launch a counter attack and gain a late penalty but Docherty’s long range attempt just faded wide and Penarth had to be satisfied with the two bonus points that four tries and a close losing score gained them.
Penarth:- Sean O’ Sullivan; Jerome Bryan (Louis Chandler); Richard Merrett; Richard Ball; Jon Boland; Matt Sutton (Mike Clare); Joe Page; Scott Mackie; Chris Mortimer (Owain George); James Docherty; James Crothers; Rhys Lakin; James Thatcher; Ben Donovan; Rhys Morgan.
Next fixture Saturday 29th March at home to Wattstown
On the eve of the Wales v Scotland international on Friday evening (March 14), a team of Penarth Veterans hosted a jolly group of French tourists disguised as a rugby team.
The 40-odd visitors belong to the “Les Youkies” a social rugby club from the French Ministry of Environment and located in Paris. The club formed in 1977 is active in what the French call, the Corporate Championship, playing against teams from other companies and Parisian institutions. Every other year during the Six Nations they visit one of the other five capitals, and this year, after short tours to Scotland (where they were hosted by Inverleith RFC), Ireland (Parkmore RFC) and Italy (Capitolina RFC) they arrived in Penarth for their “YoukiWales Tour 2014”.
A good time was had by all, with the Penarth Veterans outscoring the visitors by six tries to four after a fast moving match. The referee, a young French student from Bretagne on an exchange at Cardiff University, was excellent and contributed to the atmosphere of good will and good fellowship.
The food for the after match informal function do was prepared by Athletic Club Chairman Andy Jones and included an amazing spread of French gastronomic delicacies, from the 40 regions represented on the touring party. The visitors, led by their energetic tour manager Pierre Brunet were entertained by Chairman Mike Clare, Vice-Chairman Chris Thau and Social Secretary Peter Goodfellow and were presented with an autographed copy of the club history “The Spirit of Penarth”.
Pierre Brunet said,”I can assure you that the 40 of us had an wonderful time in Wales and have brought back home some unforgettable memories.. The evening we spent together in Penarth (+ the night that followed for some of you who joined us!) is definitely one of the two highlights of our tour, the other one being the national anthems ceremony at the Millennium Stadium. “
Penarth – Rhiwbina
9. Match Day
30/11/2024,
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | T | L | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | St Josephs | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | • | Penarth | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 33 |
| 3 | ↑ | Rhydyfelin | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 30 |
| 4 | ↓ | Abercynon | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 5 | ↑ | Llanharan | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| 6 | ↑ | Abercwmboi | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| 7 | ↓ | Llanishen | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| 8 | • | Barry | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| 9 | • | Rhiwbina | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| 10 | • | Porth Harlequins | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
