Seasiders Washed Out in the Thaw

Having completed only one league fixture since the beginning of December, a memorable victory in dreadful conditions at the Diamond Ground against Cardiff Quins, an end to the recent cold spell promised much.

So it wasn’t any real surprise when the thaw produced a waterlogged Athletic Field and the scheduled game against Fairwater was called off, leaving a fixture backlog now amounting to four games.

Not that this places Penarth at any significant disadvantage, as all the clubs in the division are between 2 and 4 games behind where they ought to be. They and 9th-placed Porth Harlequins nevertheless have the most ground to make up.

This comes at a frustrating for the Seasiders, as they are clearly on their way out of an injury-driven early season slump as a number of key players return.

In their last two league games they’ve given notice that they don’t intend to dice with relegation at the bottom end of the table for much longer. Of course there’s a small matter of a seven-point gap to bridge before they can begin to climb the table, but once the wins start to come, the points tend to mount up.

Which is why an early rearrangement of the Fairwater game is a welcome development and this will now go head (weather permitting, of course) on this coming Friday evening, as a curtain-raiser to the 6 Nations.

Yet again, Penarth RFC are untroubled by international calls and should be able to field something like a full-strength team.