SEASIDERS FIGHT BACK AFTER SLOW START

Llantwit Fardre 7-38 PENARTH (HT 7-5)

It was interesting to recall that the Seasiders struggled to get on top of Treharris last week before taking them to the cleaners, but something similar happened again at Parc Canol. Llantwit Fardre presented a real threat with their hefty pack and hard-tackling defence, which left Penarth with their backs to the wall in their own 22 for much of the first half.

Whatever the Seasiders tried (all the usual moves) simply failed to come off as they struggled for continuity. However, the Rhinos weren’t having it all their own way, as the one thing Penarth were getting right was the defence. For 35 minutes the hosts had the upper hand, but only scored once. This was after 14 minutes, when their sizeable captain Jo Popple found himself facing a defensive mismatch from 5 metres and powered over.

Surely more was to come, but this was ‘Fardre closing their account and no further points of any sort came their way. The last five minutes of the half showed a different side of the Seasiders’ struggles as they enjoyed oceans of field position in the home 22, but registering a ‘red zone conversion rate’ of zero. Not for want of trying, though and with the final move of the half, Penarth held a scrum five solidly. A quick two phases later found Dom Owen on the touchline and the lock stretched out to score in the corner.

After a lengthy one-way exchange of opinions with the coaching staff, the second half was like entering a parallel universe where the Seasiders simply tore the Rhinos to shreds with stunning running rugby.

It all started from the restart, as Cam Sultana fielded the kick and set off on a rampaging charge towards the home 22, where a succession of phases took play over the line, but no try. Penalty Penarth, line-out, same result. Penalty to touch, same drill, Tom Griffiths scores!

That’s more like it, what next? Well, more Cam Sultana magic, as the flanker took a pass on the home 22 and rode two tackles before scoring in the corner. The bonus point which had seemed such a remote possibility only 15 minutes earlier, came before the hour as Man-of-the-Match Ben Jones picked Tom Griffiths out with a pin-point pass 5 metres out and the free-scoring hooker rarely misses from there.

Leading 24-7 and with the game surely in the bag, the Seasiders still had to navigate the 25 minutes remaining. They decided to continue as they’d meant to start. Spencer Robinson fielded a drop-out on the 10-metre line and launched a spectacular (if familiar) assault on the home defence as he arced around the first line of tacklers before accelerating past the rest of them before they could turn.

To be fair, the Rhinos never gave up trying to get back into the contest, but that was never going to happen. The final move of the game saw Penarth back in the home 22 with a penalty to touch and the almost inevitable Tom Griffiths try as he completed his hat-trick.

The two sides face each other again as soon as next Saturday at the Athletic Field in the third round of the Division 2 Cup.

PENARTH: Rhys Morgan, James Crothers, Spencer Robinson, Andy Richards, Ben Wellington, Ben Jones, Tom Hillman (Luc Keane-Adams), Harry Wood (Geraint Williams), Tom Griffiths, Sam Sully (Ryan Jones), Dom Owen, Matt Allen, Cam Sultana (Dan Cahalane), Miles Jones ©, Mike Lang.

Scorers:           Tom Griffiths (3 tries), Spencer Robinson (try), Dom Owen (try), Cam Sultana (try), Ben Jones (4 conversions)