DIVISION 1 EAST CENTRAL
MOUNTAIN ASH ......... 29 RUMNEY ........................ 6
AFTER three near misses, the Old Firm got their first bonus point of the season with a four-try victory over a never-say-die Rumney side which kept going to the very end.
Mount were straight on the attack from the kickoff when a turnover saw the ball taken into the Rumney 22 where the visitors came under pressure. Although clearing the ball, the respite didn’t last long. From a ruck in the Mount half, the ball was moved quickly into midfield where hooker Jack James made a half-break and slipped a nicely timed pass to prop James Cowdry who showed a turn of pace to draw the last line of defence and give to wing Nathan Treharne who ran in from 25 metres for the first try of the day, which full back Will Holley converted to make it 7-0 after just six minutes.
The visitors hit back, outside half Danny Clark, who was Rumney’s best player throughout, made a break from a lineout to take play into the Mount 22, but an excellent cover tackle by scrum half Ross Davies stopped the move. Wing Holley got away from his opposite number on halfway but Rumney covered the danger and then a well-placed 50 metre diagonal kick by the visitors’ No 8 took play to just 5 metres out from the Mount line. Another break by outside half Clark saw play taken to 15 metres out but some tight Mount defence saw a penalty awarded and the ball cleared.
After 27 minutes, the Old Firm increased their lead when a Rumney overthrow was latched on to by flanker Chris Edmunds, who linked with outside half Kieron Olden who put full back Holley away, who gave to wing Sean Williams for him to run in from 15 metres out for a well taken try and a 12-0 lead.
The visitors got their first points of the afternoon five minutes later when outside half Clark kicked a penalty from 45 metres with a well struck kick. Right on half time, a turnover on the Mount 22 saw the Old Firm’s best attack of the half with flanker Chris Edmunds, centre Steve Brittain, full back Holley, and wing Sean Williams all involved. Quick ruck ball was moved to the charging James Cowdry, who looked as if he would finish the move off with a spectacular try but a desperate tackle 5 metres out stopped him and although the Mount pack was quickly up in support, a Rumney scrum resulted and half time came.
A mix-up from the restart saw the visitors’ scrum half get away down the touchline but wing Sean Williams covered to save a dangerous situation but a penalty award saw outside half Clark kick a 22 metre penalty to bring the visitors back to 12-6 down after 45 minutes. The Mount scrum was disrupting the Rumney put-in and from one on halfway, a penalty was awarded, which full back Holley converted with a high and mighty kick to great applause to take the Old Firm’s lead up to 15-6.
The pressure was building on the visitors and a quickly taken penalty by scrum half Davies on the Rumney 10 metre line saw him almost get away but a slip pass to prop Cowdry, who was quickly up in support, saw the prop break through one tackler but scragged down for a second time a metre or so out. The ball was moved quickly to outside half Olden who made use of the free Will Holley in midfield for the full back to run in from 10 metres under the posts for a second well-constructed try. The conversion from Holley took the lead up to 22-6 after 63 minutes.
A quick penalty by Rumney was moved into midfield where Mount centre Steve Brittain made a fine tackle to dislodge the ball. Outside half Olden kicked on and looked as if he would score but the bouncing ball eluded him as he went to gather it and touch down. Rumney were trying to break out of their own half but a blanket Mount defence saw them making no ground. A long kick up to replacement full back Liam Jones on halfway was run back, Jones dummying one defender and setting centre Steve Brittain away down the touchline. An inside pass to Jones and a follow up by Brittain, who drove on strongly from 10 metres out saw the centre get the all-important fourth try to seal the game and earn the Old Firm a bonus point. Full back Holley converted superbly from the touchline to finish the scoring and seal the win, which keeps the Old Firm in fourth place, with a game in hand of the top three.
This Saturday Mount travel to unbeaten Dowlais, the Athletic welcome Dowlais 2nd XV to Duffryn Pennar Park, and the Youth go to Cyncoed to play Cardiff Metropolitan in the Welsh Youth Cup. All games kick off at 2.30pm.