Saturday, October, 28th, 2017.
Maesteg Quins 14 – 10 Pontypool United
WRU Plate Round 2
As long as a pugilist remains on his feet and can defend himself, he has an opportunity of winning. Despite territory, possession and opportunity creation unanimously favouring the Quins; entering the final quarter dogged Pontypool United were still standing, giving themselves a puncher’s chance of administering a knock-out blow in the knock-out competition.
Both teams jabbed at each other in a bout of aerial combat for the first ten minutes before the Quins broke out. An offside gave the hosts a thirty-five yards kicking chance but the stiff crosswind pushed it wayward.
The long drop-out put United deep in the Quins twenty-five but the pressure was dissipated by a faulty throw.
The Gwent men found throwing-in difficult. Even when they didn’t, Quins stole a few. Alternatively Jay Ronan located his jumping triumvirate of Mines, Tutt and Williams for the entire eighty minutes in trying circumstances in a stunning display.
Set-piece stumbling was an unwanted feature of Pontypool United’s game. If their faltering line-out let the Quins land telling body shots, their scrum was a glass-jaw. Several times United were left on the canvass as the Quins drove them off the ball and it proved a decisive factor in the final result.
Rhodri Davies made some swerving runs and an excellent cross-field touch-finder led to the first score. Harassing Pontypool into a mistake, the ensuing scrum exploded to let Andrew Healy make the most of a back-row ensnared in retreat to go over. Rhodri Davies converted.
It was Healy’s last involvement for ten minutes and with Sam Mills cleverly pulling the strings at outside-half for United, soon wing Grovenor converted a penalty for the visitors.
With a feint, burst and one-handed hook pass, Nathan Edwards created a try-scoring opportunity, but the ball was knocked-on.
A Quins penalty chance was missed on the half-time whistle, but they were comfortably ahead on the judges’ card.
Ben Davies raced off like a dog-track hare with a quick tap penalty. Jay Ronan made extra ground and quick recycling instigated another attacking wave. Rhodri Davies’ fixed a defender to compliment Nathan Edwards’ precise angle change to exploit a gap. Only ring rustiness prevented the centre from taking the pass and romping over.
Capitalising on the confusion created by a maul melee, Edwards punched the defence and stretched out to place the leather over the line. Unfortunately he was adjudged to have made a double movement.
New recruit Michael Owen’s second touch was devastatingly creative and proved a hammer-blow. Owen took out two back-rowers plus the scrum-half with his carry. His pass allowed Ben Davies to make a sharp burst and sharper transfer to supporting Adam Hillier-Rees who scored an inventive, well executed try. Davies converted.
There followed a period of exhaustive Quins defence that kept United in their own half. Unaware of the visitor’s potent final flourish, this became a vital phase of the match. Lewis’s Tutt, and Francis, plus Gavin Burridge substantially increased their tackle tallies.
United’s substitutes shored up the scrum. Suddenly the Quins’ guard dropped. Suddenly Pontypool United came off the ropes. Suddenly the visitors broke through and relieved the Quins of their comfortable cushion with a scoring blow.
PONTYPOOL - ONLY TO POP
Skirmish after skirmish was repelled and just as a move was halted, Quins were exasperated when United went on only to pop the ball to heavyweight second-row Williams who made a telling break. Dragging a bantamweight defender over with him he dotted down under the posts. Mills converted and the visitors now needed a try to win with ten minutes to play.
FURIOUS FINAL FLURRY
The Gwent men didn’t throw hopeful haymakers. They hung on when under pressure and calculatingly varied their tactics to come back. Their error count dramatically dropped to build pressure and a lot of fifty-fifty decisions went their way.
Well-timed Steve Williams turnovers and last ditch Tutt tackles sparked out potent attacks, preventing a knockout punch that may well have come in the fraught, frenetic final few minutes.
Brain Clough wasn't the only person to have trouble with a team called United. For the Quins last week’s inaction didn’t help. New combinations need time to gel, but most of all Pontypool United didn’t throw the towel in. With tough encounters in Division One East to come, like all champion teams, United will show what they are made of against all-comers.
Nevertheless, the Quins created chances against the resilient Gwent men and if just one more with boot or ball in hand became a money shot, it would have been a more comfortable conclusion. Quins also defended admirably to go the distance in this toe-to-toe contest, prove they can react positively when not everything goes their way and now await the bell for round three.
15. Geraint Evans 14. Jack Picton 13. Nathan Edwards 12. Lee Ronan11. Alex Griffiths
10. Rhodri Davies (2C) 9. Ben Davies
1. Lewis Francis 2. Jay Ronan 3. Dean Ronan 4. Steven Williams (c) 5. Gavin Burridge
6. Josh Mines 8. Andrew Healy (T) 7. Lewis Tutt
Replacements
16. Adam Hillier-Rees (T) for J. Mines 17. Michael Owen for A. Healy 18. Mark Watson
19. Steven Davies for A. Hillier-Rees 20. Siôn King
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