SWALEC Plate

BEDLINOG 42  PENARTH 8 – Saturday 27 October 2012

On the face of it Penarth’s switch from league to knock out competition just left them on the end of thumping. But that’s far from the whole story on this visit to pastures old at Second Division Bedlinog.

To be sure problems still remain and more considered action from management is needed. But some encouragement can be taken from this encounter.

For instance a neutral observer (not many of those up the Cwm Bargod!) if asked to identify the side in the higher division would most of the game have nominated Penarth. The main reason being the almost total domination exerted up front by the Penarth eight.

The front row was immense with stalwarts Richard Merrett and Sean O’Sullivan joined by hooker Darren Chick. A welcome return at 8 by Richard Ball added strong ball carrying.

So why did they still ship six tries? It was not from offering the clear run through the central defence that has bedevilled the side of late. It was that the home side possessed a critical weapon on the wing in Owain Rees. Here was a flyer with an unerring homing device tuned to the opponents’ try line. Three times he crossed and three times he had left defenders so far adrift that he could stroll the width of the in-goal area to dab down under the post. It was a display Shane Williams would have been pleased with and not much you can be done against it.

What Penarth can do something about is expressed in one word –‘composure’. Time and again pressure was exerted and advantage steadily built by patiently working through the phases only to be lost by hasty and anxious handling. Fix that and the ascendancy up front will produce points.

The match’s progress was set after Bedlinog’s Rees first feel of the ball. With a gap open in front of him the seven points were a formality. Then followed fifteen minutes in which Penarth took attacking positions but sadly failed to convert penalty opportunities. In spite of a yellow card for Mike Clare subsequently the Penarth seven duly shoved the Bedlinog eight clean off their own scrum ball, amazing!

After thirty or so minutes of this danger man Rees was fed the ball near on his own line so that he could demonstrate that he could sustain a scorching pace for the full length of the park.

As well as pace out wide Bedlinog are no strangers to the dark arts on the floor as was straight away exemplified when Merrett lost patience with release delaying tactics and earned a penalty for trying to resolve the problem himself. It lead to another electric home break and a half time deficit of 21 – 3.

In the second half Bedlinog enjoyed the stiff breeze down the valley and declared intent by belting first possession the length of the park. The ball wasn’t secured and allowed Rees his hat trick.

The industrious Matt Sutton was rested for Alex Thau which just emphasised Penarth’s dominance up front.

At this stage the referee also lost patience with the home back row and number 6, Bull, was yellow carded. Despite this loss the home backs were able to use their pace to gain a further score. Then with Penarth giving up possession yet again the home side’s sixth and final try was run in.

With the best part of half an hour remaining the prospects were not good. Yet there were signs to he contrary. On a couple of occasions Penarth wing Louis Chandler had come close and there had been long periods of controlled pick and drive by the forwards making the home defence work overtime.

All this pressure eventually realised a consolation prize. On seventy minutes Penarth centre Mike Hurley exploited a gap in the home defence to underline a strong finish by the visitors.

Penarth Tom Gillanders; Gareth Clancy; James Candy; Mike Hurley; Louis Chandler;
Jams Docherty; Chris Mortimer; Richard Ball; Matt Sutton (Alex Thau); Marc Devine; Dan Hoffman; Mike Clare: Sean O’Sullivan; Darren Chick; Richard Merrett.

Back to league action and another trip up the valleys on Saturday 3rd November to Dowlais.