Fixture

Waunarlwydd RFC | 1st Team 20 - 28 Maesteg Harlequins RFC | 1st Team
Lee Evans
Conversion 1
Penalty 2
Alan Pope
Try 1
Geraint Evans
1 Try
Rhodri Thomas Davies
4 Conversion
Owen Richards
2 Try
Stephen Williams
1 Try

Match Report
17 April 2018 / Team News

Waunarlwydd 20 - 28 Maesteg Quins

Saturday, April, 14th, 2018

Waunarlwydd 20 – 28 Maesteg Quins

Division One West Central

Escapologist ‘The Great Stupendor’ always wanted to add ‘Wow Factor’ showstoppers to entertain his adoring fans..

Instead of just handcuffing himself and freeing his body, ‘Stupendor’ planned to be constrained in a straightjacket, suspend himself upside down in a twenty foot piranha filled tank of water. Wearing a blindfold, he’d be chained and injected with a sedative for his next performance.

At his funeral, it was revealed ‘Stupendor’s’ love of making his exploits more difficult was inspired by Maesteg Quins; a team who often rejected the simple in favour of the elaborate.

With a reliable set-piece, the ability to play to their strengths and exploit opponent weaknesses, potent Waun’ are capable of overturning anyone at Roseland Road.

Quins had new half-back and centre partnerships. Additionally, the pack’s back five were all back-row forwards.

Waunarlwydd had first use of the slope and wind. It was clear the Rams wanted to keep the ball alive; but with the Tutt, Williams, Mines, Owen and Tidball’s back-row stealing expertise to contend with, that proved difficult.

The extra mobility of five rear rowers meant open space was at a premium for Waunarlwydd. Constricted at close quarters, a long pass was attempted and intercepted by Geraint Evans who raced seventy-five yards to score. Rhodri Davies converted.

Seven points up, with the defence on top and gleaning a penalty that gave the Quins a line-out on the Waunarlwydd ten yards line, it was a comfortable start. For the Quins, too comfortable and something had to be done to make the contest more difficult to stress the visiting crowd.

When Steve Williams was dragged down in mid-air after winning possession, the referee held his arm aloft, signalling a Quins penalty. What more he could have done, other than summarily execute the offender is unknown. Why anyone felt the need to spout off is beyond comprehension. There was nothing more to gain. Whether inanity, superciliousness or puerility, it was needless.

The action was all the more foolish when Lee Evans put a pinpoint kick onto the Quins five yards line. When Waunarlwydd were awarded a penalty try for collapsing a maul, the imprudence became even more acute.

Lee Evans converted two out of three half-way line penalties. Between this the Quins made several breaks. Geraint Evans’ footwork and jinking runs defied many defenders on several occasion.

Steve Williams brushed a midfield defender aside and put three backs away. With one man to beat, it was just too easy to pass along the line. To increase the degree of difficulty, the carrier delayed delivery and sent out a high, looped pass with a hint of forward momentum to put the ball out of the receiver’s reach and into touch.

Michael Owen instigated a number of cracking movements from scrum carries. Sometimes guilty of indecision, this time Owen chose his course of action and executed the simple well. From the twenty-five Owen charged. Defenders gravitated towards him without making contact. Sensing space on the outside, Owen released the backs. Davies, George and Bradley put Picton in the clear. The inside pass was difficult due to a forest of retreating defenders between carrier and support runners. If it had gone to hand, a superb try would have been scored. The support runners were there which was great, the next step is to run at angles away from the defence to make passes easier, receive the ball in space and round off magnificent moves with what they deserve.

From a series of five-yard scrums and repetitive rucks, the Rams’ defence was breached by a perfect flat pass from Rhodri Davies and short, angled burst from Owen Richards. Davies converted for a 13-14 lead.

A Quins line-out on half-way – lost. Waunarlwydd knocked on, but the scrum – lost. Two tackles were already missed by the time the Rams roared up the touchline. Home wing Alan Pope had faith in his pace and power. Two further Larry Grayson’s wrist tackles allowed him to pick his spot and touch down, giving his team a 20-14 lead.

Twice the Quins had space and numbers only to kick the ball away. The moves were just too easy.

Invigorated, Waunarlwydd piled on the pressure at every opportunity. The ball suddenly appeared from a disrupted scrum and a host of Rams flocked to regain possession. Outnumbered and cornered, what could the ever-reliable scrum-half Siôn King do?

From the most difficult of beginnings, King’s peach reverse pass was undoubtedly the skill of the day. It ‘castled’ the numerous hordes herding down on him and found Rhodri Davies. Running onto the ball and into the open space created by the delivery, Davies freed the outer backs to produce the most potent result. Owen Richards evaded the covering defence to score. Davies converted to regain the lead for the Quins.

Between two failed Quins penalty attempts, Waunarlwydd chose a non-engagement line-out defence. Much to their questioning disbelief and vocal annoyance, it led to Steve Williams scoring a bonus point try to secure the result in what surely was a why whine Waun' decider! More vitally Davies kicked the wide angled conversion, to put eight points between the Quins and their hosts.

On reflection, the Quins did not use the slope and wind to their optimum level. It was too easy an option to take. Consequently, the final ten minutes were spent defiantly defending. The biggest turnaround was at the scrummage, with numerous home five yards drives the Maesteg men nullified them.

Constant steals halted the hosts’ momentum. Attempting something different, Waunarlwydd were beaten back. Even when a score wouldn’t make a difference to the end result a regimented defiance reigned supreme.

This could have been a banana skin due to the Quins’ inability to conclude simple moves without ‘Stupendoesque’ elaboration. Yet a reverse was avoided by King’s regal reverse pass, plus a grit and determination for a simply stupendous bonus point win.

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