MAGNIFICENT SEASIDERS RIDE THE WAVE

Penarth 50-22 Old Illtydians (HT:12-3)

Having disposed of bottom club Cefn Coed the previous week, there might have been some question marks about how they’d fare against opposition further up the table. Fielding a squad looking far more like a first-choice selection, the Seasiders banished all doubts with a storming second-half performance to record their best league win since beating Treherbert 68-7 three years ago.

Having held out under early pressure from Illtydians, they took the lead after 12 minutes as Owain Lord put in a huge break which nearly resulted in a score in the corner, but Rhys Morgan’s trademark tapped penalty saw the captain over the line. The hosts were back again almost immediately as Ben Hill made ground down the left flank, but ill-advised advice to the referee gave Illts a penalty instead.

This led to the visitors’ first points as outside-half Sean Cochlin pulled three back. After a lengthy delay as Illts number eight received treatment before retiring, the match settled into a frantic deadlock as both sides tried to gain the upper hand, but it was Penarth that got the decisive score on the stroke of half-time. Ball worked left from a 22m scrum, Kevin Maddox straightened it up and Hill scored in the corner.

The opening ten minutes of the second half brought two tries for the Seasiders and one for the Illts. First Alan Doyle claimed the ball from the kick-off and made ground into the 22, where quick recycling allowed Maddox to find Richie Bowen who left his cover for dead. Then Illts pulled seven points back with a tapped penalty from Cochlin, but the introduction of James Docherty’s kicking game secured the bonus point for Penarth. The restart was hoisted up into the visitors’ half where Hill challenged for the ball, seemed surprised to come away with it, but lost no time in making his way swiftly under the posts.

A further four tries were to follow in the final quarter. Bowen won a turnover on the home 10m before sprinting into the Illts 22 with Matt Allen in support. Last defender drawn, Allen scores. Minutes later the flanker was off again, turning the defence inside and out. Hill looked odds-on to complete his hat-trick, but was tackled, Rhys Beynon being on hand to complete a neat touch-down in the corner.

Illts managed a second try as the game entered the last 10 minutes, but the grand finale belonged to Allen as he completed his own hat-trick in fine style. A scrum outside the 22 was claimed by the Seasiders, with the lock breaking clear and all the way to the line. Then Docherty plugged the restart right back to the goal-line, but the clearance found Spencer Robinson, who soon set the backs running. Allen was found in the outside centre berth and cruised to the line for Penarth’s eighth try. A consolation third try by the visitors on the stroke of full-time couldn’t take anything away from a magnificent performance by a Seasiders team that looked any but relegation candidates.

Another win against 11^th-placed Gwernyfed next Saturday would go a long way towards securing Division 3 (East Central) A status for Penarth next season.

PENARTH:

George Roberts, James Crothers, Owain Lord, Rhys Beynon, Ben Hill, Kevin Maddox, Rhys Morgan ©, Harry Wood, Mason Good (Iwan Baker), Ryan Jones (Alan Doyle), Matt Allen, Andy Lang, Jack Hughes (Chris Mortimer), Miles Jones, Richie Bowen.

Scorers:  Matt Allen (3t), Ben Hill (2t), Rhys Morgan (t/c), Richie Bowen (t), Rhys Beynon (t), James Docherty(4c).

SEASIDERS CLINCH CRUCIAL WIN

Cefn Coed 8-35  Penarth (HT 8-14)

A clinical performance from Penarth last weekend brought a much needed victory and 5 points as they battle to retain their status as s Division 3A East Central side for next season. Yes victory came against a side who have tasted defeat in all 15 of their previous league matches, and yes it was far from a faultless performance but it was a must win game and whilst not perfect it was a comprehensive result which will boost confidence going into the remaining fixtures.

The pre-match talk was all about confidence in your own ability and doing the right thing in the right areas. Unfortunately there was a little too much of the former and not enough of the latter in the first 20 minutes as Penarth proceeded to play fast flowing rugby from all over the park but kept coughing up possession and territory to a Cefn Coed side who were making up in effort what they clearly lacked in ability. The result was that the home side were able to find field position and take an early 5-0 lead as their big forward pack rumbled over in the corner.

Once Penarth had realised that an element of structure was all that was required to break down the enthusiastic home defence progress started to be made. In particular second rows Anthony Pine and, man of the match, Matt Allen started to make serious in-roads and the running lines of Owain Lord and Rhys Beynon were causing serious headaches for the Cefn defence. However, Beynon soon found himself on the sidelines as his response to a forward pass call was less polite than the referee expected and he was given 10 minutes to consider his choice of words.

Despite that set back Penarth took control of the match and from a penalty they set up field position and unusually efficient lineout set up a rolling maul from which Harry Wood sprang loose to bulldoze his way over for Penarth’s opening score. Skipper Rhys Morgan added the extras and Penarth were into a lead that they never relinquished.

The second try came shortly after and was a breathless affair, after a number of phases inside their own half Matt Allen burst loose, the ball was moved wide where Owain Lord breached the scattered defensive line before feeding Kevin Maddox who strained every sinew to dot the ball down over the whitewash.

A knee injury for Pine just before half time and a momentary lapse of concentration saw Cefn Coed kick a penalty to send the sides in at 14-8 but Penarth were in control.

The first 10 minutes of the second period were scrappy but Penarth soon moved into gear. A succession of penalties saw them move into the home 22 and Richie Bowen, on to replace Pine, burrowed over after yet more good work from Chris Mortimer in the lineout. Morgan adding his third conversion to stretch the lead to 13 points.

Injury returnees Alan Doyle and James Docherty replaced Ryan Jones and Kevin Maddox respectively and the former made an immediate impact as he stampeded down the left wing for 40 metres before being hauled down agonisingly short of the line. But Penarth were not to be denied and shortly afterwards a flowing backs move saw Jimmy Crothers break through and when the ball was recycled some swift hands saw Bowen claim his second of the afternoon and the all-important bonus point.

Cefn Coed did not relent and a sustained period of pressure in the Penarth 22 looked like it may get them back into the game. However, the Penarth defence held firm and some significant interventions from Mason Good and Beynon snuffed out the attack and allowed Penarth to relieve the pressure.

There was still time for one more score as a loose clearing kick from Cefn Coed was collected by Wood who fed Docherty, the fly half sent up a Garryowen which was palmed back into the waiting hands of Roberts who fed Beynon before Lord made yet another break and offloaded back to Beynon for the final try, followed by Docherty’s second conversion.

Whilst not perfect there was plenty of encouraging play and some great performances from the whole squad. Next Saturday sees the Old Illts visit Penarth and the Seasiders will be looking to overturn the 16-15 defeat and take another big step towards safety.

Penarth: H.Wood, M. Good (L. Richards), R. Jones (A. Doyle), A Pine (R.Bowen), M.Allen, J. Spragg, C. Mortimer (R. Rees), M. Jones, R. Morgan (c), K. Maddox (J.Docherty), J. Crothers, R. Beynon, O. Lord, B. Hill, G. Roberts

Scorers: H.Wood (t), K Maddox (t), R. Bowen (2t), R. Beynon (t), R Morgan (3c), J Docherty (2c)

Seasider’s Blown Away

Penarth 12-41 Fairwater (HT 0-31)

This was always going to be the most difficult of Penarth’s remaining fixtures, being against table topping Fairwater, and so it proved. The score accurately reflects the match and in particular a first half in which Penarth failed to get a foothold through a mixture of a rampant Fairwater defence and a cacophony of errors.

It is often considered that the importance of a solid set piece is overstated, however, when you see the effect that a malfunctioning lineout and retreating scrum has on a side’s performance you realise how critical this element of the game is. Unfortunately in the first half Penarth were unable to build or relieve any pressure due to a failure to secure good possession, or in the case of the lineout any possession, and the result was a game that seemed over as a contest at half time.

It was a missed lineout for Penarth that ultimately resulted in the first Fairwater try as they were able to find field position before rumbling over. And a second score was not far behind as the left wing crossed under the posts after a slick handling move. With the wind at their backs Fairwater’s inside centre was keeping Penarth pinned inside their own half with some monstrous kicks and Penarth simply struggled to escape. At 14-0 down they did have a good five minute spell which resulted in a penalty 35 yards out but Kevin Maddox was unable to convert.

The Fairwater pressure was relentless and Penarth simply did not have the answers, collectively at least although some individual performances in particular Mason Good and Miles Jones were noteworthy in the way they took the game to the opposition and tried to drag their team mates with them. Three more tries came for Fairwater before the break and the loss of Rhys Beynon at half time meant many in the crowd were left thinking of the disaster at Pontyclun when contemplating possible final scores.

However, anyone arriving at half time would have been shocked to hear the scoreline on the basis of what happened in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Penarth flew out of the blocks and took the game to Fairwater in a manner which seemed inconceivable in the first period. First Ben Hill finished off a wonderful team move by going over in the left hand corner and then five minutes later, after a period of sustained pressure, Miles Jones charged over off the back of a scrum to bring the score to 12-31. Whilst victory seemed a long way off thoughts of one, or even two, bonus points were starting to circulate.

Penarth continued their onslaught for another 10 minutes, without quite creating any clear cut chances, before two penalties in quick succession saw territory conceded and ultimately 3 points added to the Fairwater tally. Whilst this seemed like a minor blip it seemed to suck the life from Penarth and reinvigorate the table toppers who showed a ruthless edge in managing to conjure a final converted try before full time as Penarth gamely tried to rescue something from the game.

With only three fixtures completed in the league, due to sides being involved in the quarter finals of the WRU Bowl, little had changed in terms of the position Penarth find themselves in, although bottom side Cefn Coed lost again to cement their place at the bottom of the league. With a two week break ahead Penarth will need to get that creaking set piece back in working order before the must win fixture at Cefn Coed on 23^rd March. Although they will be bolstered by the return of Alan Doyle and skipper Rhys Morgan and also the returning Richie Bowen who everyone was pleased to see play 40 minutes on Saturday after returning from a broken ankle suffered in the last game if last season.

Penarth: H.Wood (R. Merrett), M. Good (L. Richards), R. Jones, J. Spragg, H. Pugsley, R. Rees (A.Pine), J.Hughes, M. Jones, S. Robinson, K. Maddox, J. Crothers, C. Mortimer (c),  R. Beynon (R. Bowen), B. Hill (L. Davies), G. Roberts

Scorers: M. Jones (t), B. Hill (t), K. Maddox (c)

SEASIDERS EYE DOUBLE AT PENYGRAIG

In the days before the Merit Table, there were still clubs, like Penarth, apart from the big boys, that nevertheless managed to produce Wales internationals. Penygraig were one of the first clubs to break this pattern.

So now, a century on from these early glory days, both Penygraig and Penarth find themselves languishing in the lower reaches of the fifth level of Welsh club rugby. The Rhondda club are in eighth position on 25 points, while the Seasiders are one place below, on 21 points.

Since no-one yet knows where safety lies, due to the WRU’s cryptic observation that ‘up to three’ clubs could be relegated, both clubs are likely to find themselves in a four-way fight to stay in Division 3 East Central A, along with Clwb Rygbi and Gwernfyed.

All of which means that next Saturday’s fixture up at Graig Park just outside Tonypandy is kind of important. Recent form doesn’t favour Penarth, having lost five straight games since their last win, while Penygraig have registered two wins and a draw in the same period.

Indeed, although Penygraig are only four points ahead of Penarth, they have five wins under their belts, against three for Penarth. The anomaly can easily be explained by pointing to a 3-9 bonus points haul in Penarth’s favour.

So what is the club’s view of the prospects?

Coach Matt Bolton tells us “We are not in an ideal position, but if we can find some consistency in availability and performances we should be fine. Some of rugby we have played this year has been the best I’ve seen in my time here but we need to be able to perform for 80 minutes every week. Ultimately our fate is in our own hands and I am confident that we can get the results we need, starting this weekend. ”

Captain Rhys Morgan adds “Given the number of players we lost at the start of the season and the injuries we’ve picked up there are a huge amount of positives to take from the season so far. We have a lot of young local lads who’ve come into the squad this year who have really stood up to the rigours of senior league rugby. There is a good feeling in the squad and some really positive signs for the future. Whilst the focus is very much on survival in Division 3A at the moment we are also looking to put in place the building blocks for further improvement and progress next season.

Regardless of the statistics, the only one which has any bearing on Saturday’s match is the 31-24 score in Penarth’s favour on 10^th November last. Tries from Jimmy Crothers, Rhys Beynon, Spencer Robinson and Ben Hill gave the Seasiders their second win of the season and the distinct impression that they were on the way back.

Just two games were played last weekend and Clwb Rygbi obligingly lost one of their games in hand, admittedly away at league leaders Fairwater. Every little helps.