WRU NATIONAL PLATE ROUND FOUR

MOUNTAIN ASH ........... 3 GLAMORGAN WANDERERS ................. 6

GLAMORGAN Wanderers may have won their last 15 matches but they breathed a huge sigh of relief when the final whistle was blown in this National Plate last-16 match after they were taken all the way by the Old Firm who had by far the better of the territory but could not convert half a dozen scoring chances into points on the board.

The Mount pack to a man was tremendous all afternoon, having the better of the scrums, competing for everything and making plenty of ground with driving mauls which the visitors had great trouble dealing with.

Mount went straight on the attack from the kickoff and after the ball was knocked on in the Wanderers 22, a tremendous shove by the Mount eight had the visitors backtracking but the ball was cleared.

Frustratingly for the Old Firm, a couple of knockons stopped attacks in the Wanderers 22 in the opening 10 minutes which left the visitors off the hook. A take by Mount second row David Richards at a lineout saw scrum half Ross Davies break on the blindside and sprint away to take play up to the Wanderers’ 22 where the ball was moved wide and the Old Firm got a penalty, which was kicked to the corner.

After winning the lineout, scrum half Ross Davies went to the narrow side and fed strong running prop James Cowdry who went through one tackler and was scragged down by another with the referee judging he was just held up over the try line. From the ensuing scrum, further pressure led to a point-blank penalty under the posts and a Wanderers centre yellow carded, but instead of taking the three points on offer, the Old Firm opted for a scrum.

After the Mount eight looked to be nudging forward, the ball was moved but a Wanderers tackle wide out dislodged the ball and the visitors survived.

A long kick out of defence by Wanderers outside half Luke Fish was returned superbly by full back Declan Conway who placed his kick to take play to just 10 metres out. A crooked throw-in by the Wanderers gave Mount a scrum from where drives by hooker Jack James and prop Cowdry took play to metres out, but a turnover saw Fish clear again. Frustratingly for Mount, knock-ons in good positions in the Wanderers 22 were giving the visitors the opportunity to clear.

To end a pulsating half, some nice interpassing in midfield saw Mount second row David Richards break through with only the full back in front of him but his inside pass to a Mount player was knocked back by the desperate hand of a defender and a kick on from 5 metres out by Richards went dead.

After such an all-action first half, which Mount had dominated, the teams turned round with the game scoreless.

From a lineout just outside the Wanderers’ 22 in the opening minutes of the second half, Mount moved the ball into midfield to strong running centre Alex Hughes who took play into the visitors’ 22 but a harsh penalty for side entry to a ruck gave the Wanderers the chance to clear. The visitors had hardly troubled the Mount 22 but after managing to take play to just outside it, they were awarded a penalty which outside half Fish converted to put the Wanderers 3-0 up after 51 minutes.

The Old Firm hit back with a powerful drive by second row forward Jarrod Parfitt who made 20 metres with tacklers hanging off him, and with props Geraint Lock, Tom Harper and centre Alex Hughes all gaining ground and taking play into the Wanderers 22, the Old Firm were awarded a penalty 15 metres out in front of the posts which outside half Jack Roberts kicked to level the scores at 3-3 after 59 minutes.

Throughout the game, the Wanderers seemed to have the benefit of the doubt from the referee, and so it proved on the hour when the referee made a crucial decision not to issue a yellow card to a Wanderers tackler after signalling that Mount outside half Roberts was tackled without hands and arms, with the illegal hit flattening him and stopping play for several minutes before he groggily got up and resumed. Minutes later, the eagleeyed referee stopped play just outside the Mount 22 after a long kick upfield by Fish due to a what he judged to be a late tackle on him.

The penalty was missed, but shortly after the Wanderers were given another penalty at a ruck which Fish converted from 30 metres out for a 6-3 lead after 65 minutes.

Mount went back on the attack and after the Old Firm were awarded a penalty just outside the Wanderers 22, a scuffle saw a forward from each side yellow carded but the Wanderers once again given the benefit of the doubt, with the penalty reversed and given to the Wanderers, which left the Mount support exasperated.

A break by Wanderers outside half Fish in the Mount 22 – which was about the only one in the whole game by the visitors – saw play taken up to the try line but the Mount defence held firm and the danger was cleared. With the game deep into injurytime and the Wanderers fringing at driving mauls, the Old Firm kicked a couple of penalties to touch and took play to 15 metres out from the try line.

A take by second row Richards was driven on and took play to a couple of metres out, and after a Mount forward was held up on the try line, a pulsating game was brought to an end to leave the Old Firm bitterly disappointed at going out of the Plate and the Wanderers mightily relieved to be the winners of an exciting cup tie that could have gone either way.

CILFYNYDD ................ 20 MOUNTAIN ASH ATHLETIC .................... 47

MOUNTAIN Ash Athletic travelled to Cilfynydd for a hastily arranged friendly and came away with a 4720 win, scoring seven tries.

No 8 Lewis Scarle and prop forward Darren Dix scored two each, with full back Gavin Roberts, wing Sam Akintioye and centre Will Holley getting one each. Holley also gave a good kicking display, converting six, most of which were wide out.

MOUNTAIN ASH YOUTH ......................... 11 PONTYPRIDD YOUTH .. 8

MOUNTAIN Ash Youth showed great spirit and used the ball better to beat a far bigger Pontypridd side 11-8 at the Rec.

The visitors went in front early on with a try from a lineout take and drive but the Young Firm hit back in great style. Scrum half Morgan Cartwright put in a lovely chip over the top which outside half Morgan James got to first and passed to wing Cory Roberts who scored a great try in the corner, to make it 5-5.

The Mount backline caused Ponty real problems when they had the ball with full back Jarrod Cushion looking a real threat.

Outside half Morgan James kicked two penalties to put Mount 11-5 up and although the Young Firm also had two players sin binned, they held on for a famous, but deserved, win over their old rivals.

This Saturday, Mount and Glamorgan Wanderers play again at Duffryn Pennar Park, this time in the league. The Seconds are away to Caldicot 2nd XV and the Youth at home to Merthyr in the Blues League. All games kick off at 2.30pm.