Match Report
OLD ILLTYDIANS 7 – PENARTH 17 – Saturday 3 September 2016
‘Singing and dancing in the rain’ might be a bit of an overstatement but the energy and enthusiasm of this new look Penarth side in what was a comprehensive victory lifted the spirits in dreadful conditions.
The pitch at Moorlands Park is very wide but it was the visitors who took first advantage of this space. From the scrum number 8 Alex Thau went blind side, stepped through two tackles and made 20 meters before running out of support.
The home side responded, throwing everything into attack down the left flank. What they discovered, however, was that this Penarth side were not inclined to give an inch. Successive drives were met by successive aggressive tackles and ground was lost not won. This became the significant feature in the Penarth performance throughout.
At the same time St. Illtyd’s powerhouse scrum was also finding life frustrating. Consistently they got the shove on and moved the Penarth pack backwards in set piece but without causing them to lose control of the ball and still able to give their half backs the time to clear.
All this contributed, throughout the game, to a rock solid aggressive/defensive performance in which Penarth’s sole concern was a shaky line out.
The first try after 13 minutes came from another Thau break. A solid hand off was followed by meters gained. Then a slick off load to Nathan Smith in support to step on the gas for the last few meters then convert his own try.
After a further 10 minutes of solid defence outside half Huw Elias showed supreme confidence in jinking out from his own in goal area. Only two offloads were required to feed speedster James Crothers. He was only denied a score by a blatant body check which earned St Illtyds a yellow card and Smith 3 points from the penalty.
Trailing by 10 points in a game in which they had had most of the possession galvanised the home side and for the 10 minutes remaining of the first half both home forwards and backs adopted battering ram tactics from which they gained a series of 5 meter scrums. But they didn’t gain a single point and at no time did Penarth lose their composure in defence.
The second half saw the introduction of bodies from the strong Penarth bench. The changes brought one immediate result with the steadying of the pack and, after 10 minutes, a devastating drive for the line left back row Scott Mackie to round it off and Smith to provide the conversion.
The weather conditions then achieved the seemingly impossible and actually deteriorated. In the unceasing downpour continuity of play became difficult. St Illtyds took better advantage of this and exerted pressure such that Penarth couldn’t get out of their own half. But the more the waves of home attack were mounted the more the tackles rained in snuffing out potential score after score. This was not an exhibition of skills by any individual or individuals. This was a total 22 man squad committing themselves absolutely and resolutely to keeping their own goal line secure. Rousing stuff indeed.
St Illtyds did have the last say, the line was ultimately broached but the try conversion was followed by the final whistle.
Whilst there will be aspects that coach Mathew Bolton will want to work on he must be well pleased with the application of one and all to the cause.
Penarth;- Matt Holder; Jerome Bryan; Alan Doyle; Jon Boland; Owen Thomas; Dan Seal; Scott Mackie; Alex Thau; Owen Rees; Huw Elias; Ben Hill; Nathan Smith; James Crothers; Tom Smith; James Docherty; bench Gareth Mathias; Rhys Morgan; Elliot Smith; Chris Mortimer; Richard Merrett; Sean O’Sullivan; Tom Hillman.
