A HARD-FOUGHT STROLL IN THE PARK

Pontyclun 6-43 Penarth (HT 6-17)

Visits to Pontyclun by Penarth have traditionally been viewed as a major challenge, with occasional narrow victories being celebrated as a significant success. This game wasn’t really like that and although Pontyclun made the Seasiders work hard for every score, the fact that there were seven tries makes it look like a stroll in the park.

However, with Penarth now averaging six tries and forty points a game in the league, I suppose there was only going to be one outcome.

The visitors wasted no time in settling into attacking mode. After some preliminary thrusts along the try-line, Joe Williams simply pinged a precision kick over to the right-hand touchline, where George Roberts jinked inside the defender to score.

The next ten minutes were also spent probing the home defence as successive scrums went to Penarth regardless of put-in. Finally a reset scrum allowed clean possession and three quick passes to Rhys Beynon brought up the second try.

After about twenty minutes under the cosh, Pontyclun finally worked their way over the half-way line for the first time and celebrated by converting a penalty from all of 48 metres. No sooner had they broken their duck, bit a further string of penalties bought them field position from which to double their score.

The Seasiders responded with tightly-controlled possession, moving the defence from side to side until the overlap was achieved for Miles Jones to arc around and claim the third try.

Turning round 17-6 in the lead at half-time, Penarth wasted no time in moving further ahead, despite the hosts having the best of possession for a while. All their hard work was in vain as Josh Hurley picked his way down the left touchline before breaking free on the 22 to claim the bonus-point try.

Number five arrived soon enough as Harry Williams broke the line and then fed out a perfectly-time scoring pass for George Roberts to score in the corner.

Trailing 6-29 at this point, Pontyclun managed some sort of revival and there were no further scores for either team for twenty minutes. After their scoreless siege was lifted, the home side had little left in the tank, while the Seasiders still had unfinished business.

Try number six duly arrived as Bradman Williams scored from a driven line-out and a clean catch from Cam Sultana in a similar position led to yet another classic hooker’s try from Tom Griffiths.

No further games in November, but Penarth’s three December fixtures have a tempting look to them and represent a clear opportunity to extend their three-point lead at the top of the table.

PENARTH:

Josh Hurley, George Roberts, Harry Williams, Rhys Beynon, Ben Wellington, Joe Williams, Spencer Robinson, Harry Wood (Geraint Williams), Tom Griffiths, Ryan Jones (Bradman Williams), Cam Sultana, Andy Lang (Matt Allen), Mike Lang, Miles Jones, Harry Roberts.

Scorers: George Roberts (2 tries), Rhys Beynon (try), Miles Jones (try), Bradman Williams (try), Tom Griffiths (try), Josh Hurley (try, 4 conversions).

GRIT, DETERMINATION AND A GRIFFITHS HAT-TRICK

Penarth 17-13 Fairwater (HT 5-10)

Having beaten the league leaders a fortnight ago, this time the Seasiders welcomed second-placed Fairwater to the Athletic Field. The west Cardiff side are always a tough proposition and they certainly didn’t make it easy for Penarth.

Playing into a gentle breeze, the home side made a great start as Josh Powell made a storming run down the right touchline, linking with Spencer Robinson and Harry Roberts before George Roberts was tackled into touch 2m from the line. The Seasiders claimed the line-out and Tom Griffiths notched up the first try.

It wasn’t going to go their way for long, though, as they spent the rest of the half defending in the face of a string of penalties, allowing Fairwater to build pressure before they finally cracked the defence on 24 minutes as their left wing squeezed through a gap to score from 2m. With a further penalty 5 minutes before the break, the visitors led by five points at half-time.

The second half began poorly as a long-range penalty from Fairwater eased them into a two-score lead at 5-13, but the rest of the game belonged to Penarth as they got their noses in front. Ten minutes into the half, a stunning 50:22 touch-finder from Josh Hurley knocked the stuffing out of the visitors, Mike Lane taking a clean catch and a textbook drive saw Griffiths over the line for his second try of the afternoon.

The Seasiders finally re-stated their attacking credentials on the hour as a lovely outside break from prop Sam Sully, followed by an inch-perfect inside pass set up the next try. Hurley came on to the ball at pace, but was stopped just short of the line by the visitors defence. Penarth were not to be denied, though as the ball was worked right for Hurley again, then George Roberts drove for the line, working just enough of a gap for Griffiths to complete his hat-trick with a 15m dart to the line.

With the best part of twenty minutes remaining, Fairwater gave it their best shot in trying to close the gap, but the Seasiders defence saw them home with some ease.

Next Saturday, it’s back to the Division Three Cup with an away tie at group leaders Tylorstown. Having failed to secure a bonus point against Rhymney last week, Penarth unfortunately cannot now qualify for the knock-out rounds.

PENARTH:

Josh Hurley, George Roberts, Andy Richards (Harry Williams), Rhys Beynon, Josh Powell, Joe Williams, Spencer Robinson, Geraint Williams (Harry Wood), Tom Griffiths, Ryan Jones (Sam Sully), Matt Allen, Andy Lang, Mike Lang, Miles Jones, Harry Roberts.

Scorers: Tom Griffiths (3 tries), Hurley (conversion).

LEADERS FALL TO SEASIDERS’ TRY-MACHINE

St.Albans 29-44 Penarth (HT – 0-34)

You leave the ground shaking your head, wondering how on earth to describe the last 80-odd minutes. In the end, you decide to stick to the basic facts: Penarth went over to Tremorfa Park, beat league leaders St.Albans by a margin of 15 points, scored five excellent tries and surged to the top of the table.

Was it as simple as that? Well, not entirely. Certainly the Seasiders were irresistible in a glowing first-half, where their defence denied the ‘Buns any momentum and the attack peeled off four superb tries. Leading 34-0 at the break, Penarth then entered some sort of alternative reality as St.Albans were allowed to pull back as many as five tries before Penarth finally got a toe-hold in the game. A superlative fifth try for the Seasiders sealed the result.

The match was only seven minutes old when Josh Hurley drove straight at the home defence, flipping a low, cat-flap pass to Josh Powell, who coolly side-stepped at pace past tacklers to open the scoring.   .

No let-up in the pressure from Penarth, as a succession of scrums was capped by Spencer Robinson looping wide and feeding George Roberts on the right wing. The scrum-half tracked him into the 22 before receiving the inside pass to score.

Continued pressure led to two penalties from Hurley, the first from 49 metres, which extended the lead to 20 points, but the Seasiders didn’t let it rest there. Next up was a characteristic burst from Rhys Beynon, with Andy Richards taking the pass on the 22 and cutting in to the posts. A brief period of home possession was then halted as Penarth won a turnover on their own 22. The backs fanned out in a beautiful echelon turn, which became a three-man overlap by the time they’d reached their own 10m line and Richards again the inevitable scorer. Sheer poetry.

The second half began messily as the Seasiders failed to get to grips with the lack of structure. In fact, the game stuttered along for fully 35 minutes as the hosts somehow managed to notch up four tries in response.

With the score now standing at 24-34, Penarth were finally awarded a penalty, which James Docherty converted to extend the lead to 13 points, only for normal service to be resumed as the ‘Buns worked it down the touchline for an unconverted fifth try.

With their lead now reduced to 8 points and time running out, we all needed something special from the Seasiders and they responded with another beauty. Starting in their own 22 again, they fanned out in perfect formation, with prop Sam Sully in the line, setting George Roberts off on a sprint up the touchline. Robinson was up in support and took the pass on half-way for a classic side-stepping score to finally settle the contest. I’d stick with the first paragraph, it’s easier to imagine!

Next Saturday, it’s back to Division Three Cup action at the Athletic Ground as Penarth welcome Division Three East Rhymney, who claimed their first league win of the season last Saturday with a 17-10 win against Garndiffaith.

PENARTH:

Josh Hurley (James Docherty),, George Roberts, Andy Richards, Rhys Beynon, Josh Powell (Ben Wellington) Joe Williams, Spencer Robinson, Bradman Williams, Tom Griffiths (Luke Ellis), Ryan Jones (Sam Sully) Cam Sultana, Andy Lang, Mike Lang, Miles Jones, Harry Roberts.

Scorers: Powell (try), Richards (2 tries), Robinson (2 tries), Hurley (2 penalties, 4 conversions), Docherty (penalty, conversion)

ROBERTS RUNS RIOT AT QUINS

Cardiff Harlequins 11 – 67 Penarth (HT 6-31)

After three narrow defeats you could be forgiven for wondering whether all the talk of potential in this young Penarth squad was ever going to come to fruition, but on Saturday afternoon everything clicked and the Seasiders showed exactly what they are capable of with a devastating display of running rugby. Wing George Roberts scored a phenomenal 5 (FIVE) tries as part of an 11 try rout which left everyone watching excited about what the rest of the season could hold.

On a glorious afternoon it was the visitors who took an early 3 point lead after a frenetic first five minutes of play. But it didn’t take Penarth long to respond as they stole a line out on the Quins 22 before stretching the home side left and right before a deft inside pass from George Roberts set hooker Tom Griffiths clear to go under the posts.

A long range penalty from the home outside half narrowed the gap to one point but that was as good as it got for the home side. A blindside burst and some neat handling from Owen Lloyd saw Roberts open his account with a neat finish in the corner. Roberts repeated the dose minutes later as glorious flick from Harry Williams put him one on one with his opposite number who he handily stepped and fended to get over and stretch the lead to 13 points with the help of Josh Hurley’s conversion.

The bonus point try came shortly afterwards as Hurley fielded a long kick on his 22 and 15 seconds later Joe Williams was over the whitewash via the hands of Spencer Robinson, Roberts, Lloyd and H Williams in what will be a certain try of the season contender. Another followed on the stroke of half time as Ben Wellington picked up the scraps from a loose lineout and Andy Richards burst through the defensive line before executing a perfect two on one to see Roberts cross for a first half hattrick.

The home side came out fighting in the second half but after an initial burst the pattern of the first half returned when the Penarth pack took a scrum against the head and at the end it was that man Roberts again skipping his way down the right wing and into the corner for his fourth try. Ten minutes later another loose lineout saw Penarth steal possession in their own 22 and after some quick hands Wellington made 50 meters up the left flank before Joe Williams used all his nous to scoot up the short side and under the posts. Robinson got in on the act next with a trademark break through a tiring and deflated defence to bring up Penarth’s half century and he was over again moments later after a quick 22 drop out and chip ahead from Harry Williams gave him the space to exploit his pace.

Roberts completed his days work with another tidy finish down the right and Andy Richards finished Penarth’s scoring with another long range effort from inside his own 22. The Quins got finally got a try with the last play of the game but it was scant consolation.

For the first time this season Penarth established real set piece dominance which allowed their much heralded back line the chance to really showed what they have got. The additional size of Bradman Williams at Prop and Owen Lloyd in the second row certainly aided this and Penarth will hope to see more of both of them as the season progresses.

If further proof was needed of what Penarth can achieve then this was it but there will be much tougher tests to come if they want to prove themselves real challengers for promotion and even the title, that being said next weeks match at the Athletic Field against the Old Illtydians should not be one of them and Penarth will be looking to put in another dominant display.

Penarth: Harry Wood, Tom Griffiths (Luke Ellis), Bradman Williams (Ryan Jones), Owen Lloyd, Cam Sultana, Josh Spragg, Harry Roberts, Miles Jones (C), Spencer Robinson, Joe Williams, Ben Wellington (George Kynaston), Andy Richards, Harry Williams, George Roberts, Josh Hurley

Scorers: G Roberts (5T), S Robinson (2T), J Williams (2T), T Griffiths (T), A Richards (T), J Hurley (6C)