Fixture

Saturday February 16^th 2019

Bedlinog 11 – 21 Maesteg Quins

WRU Championship

Keats wrote: ‘In dreams begin responsibility.’ Having achieved the dream of reaching the Championship, Quins’ next aspiration is to remain in the second tier of Welsh rugby. To achieve this, every player took responsibility to secure an away win at secluded Bedlinog, the club immediately above them.

Ignoring referee calls to retreat a couple of steps, Quins’ midfield was penalised for offside. Home out-half Rhys Davies converted the early penalty.

Quins carriers were isolated and at first the breakdown battle went Bedlinog’s way. The hosts felt raising the pace of the game was their best option of overcoming their guests. Little did they know that the Quins’ pack’s back five consisted of back rowers. This was the catalyst for an almighty contest at the breakdown.

Minutes later he Foxes extended their lead from a grubber kick. Ben Grzesica’s composed fly-hack and re-gather of a popped pass from the ground, allowed him to gambol over untouched.

Cue responsibility. Taking the fox by the tail, carries weren’t exactly smashing through a ferocious home defence, but the Quins were pulling up oaks to stem Bedlinog’s flow to shake off the shackles of their groggy opening. Aled Evans seemed to receive every other pass from the breakdowns and Dean Ronan consistently popped up. Mike Owen sucked in defenders in a good carrying display.

Owen Howe missed his first kick at goal but was on target at the second time of asking for a ruck offence.

A Bedlinog clearance was charged down and the bobbling, spinning ball returned to the full-back, who knocked on. A home defender dived on the ball from and offside position and Howe again bisected the uprights.

The out-of-hand and tee kicking contest was single-handedly won by Owen Howe. His ground makers were making tens of yards more than anyone else and his goal kicking proved match-winning, punishing home indiscretions with the precision of a Swiss watch.

Often a team’s greatest strength can also prove to be its greatest weakness. This proved the case for Bedlinog. When playing on the edge at the breakdown you win some and you lose some. It was their ferocious breakdown play where the Foxes dug their own grave. More ruck indiscipline led to a yellow card and Howe’s third successful goal attempt.

Bedlinog regained the lead after Quins were penalised for not releasing, but just before half-time the hosts copped it for the same offence in the Quins half. Fuelled by the constant touch-line criticisms of the referee, the home players refused to believe that they could be at fault and aired their opinions. Marched back ten yards, the penalty was now a couple of inches inside the Bedlinog half. Even from this distance Howe sent the ball high and over the bar, giving the Quins a 11-12 half-time lead. It also took Howe pass 100 seasonal points.

Lewis Tutt, Gavin Burridge and Matthew Tidball are synonymous with devouring opponent’s attacking efforts and this match proved no different. Tutt was also prominent in heisting stray Bedlinog throws. This proved particularly important for a Quins without the services of a recognised second row.

Alex Griffiths added a couple of gnawing runs. Tadgh McGuckin opened up the home defence a number of times. Callum Powell again proved a superb asset. As sharp as a lemon sherbet dip in thought and footwork. Powell’s elusiveness gained great ground, giving Ben Davies and Jakob Williams quick possession to heap pressure on the hosts and pin them down.

In his fiftieth match, Lewis Francis too showed a clean pair of heels with one particular barnstorming run, to add to his fine all round display in the tight, open and defence.

Twice in the second half Quins got deep into the home twenty-five. Firstly Jay Ronan broke the through the midfield. Failure to roll away prevented quick ball, leading to two more yellow cards and two further Howe penalties.

In an end to end attack-and -turnover encounter, Quins’ midfield and three-quarters proved to be sound in their defensive work, ran with strength and direction. They also beat many a home player to the chase when the ball was on the deck.

Late on the home scrum struggled. Penalised, like a sadistic headmaster of old punishing every indiscretion, Owen Howe’s forty yards penalty put the Quins ten points ahead with his magnificent seventh goal, becoming the first Quins player to kick seven penalty attempts in a match for a twenty-one points, match-winning haul.

With the final kick of the game, Bedlinog had the opportunity to eek a losing bonus point out of the match only to see the goal shot drift wide.

This vital win lifted the Quins to sixth in the table, three points and places above the final relegation spot of ninth.

Next up for the Quins current Championship champions and champions elect Pontypool will visit South Parade for the first time on March 2^nd.