Ironmen suffer shock defeat
MERTHYR .................... 18
NEWPORT .................... 19
MERTHYR lost their 100% Premiership record to the Black and Ambers of Newport RFC thanks to an 85th-minute penalty from visiting outside half and captain Matt O’Brian.
Newport got off to the better start and soon had the Ironmen under early pressure and a neat chip ahead from O’Brian inside the Merthyr 22 caught the home defence flat footed and centre Tom Pascoe scooped up the kick to dart over under the posts, O’Brian converted to give Newport a 0-7 lead.
Merthyr had several chances to kick at goal from penalties, but captain Craig Locke opted for the touchline and the catch and drive. Even this for a while did not function as Newport spoiled any good ball and Merthyr were guilty of not securing clean possession.
Merthyr then began to put several good forward phases together as they put Newport under pressure. A penalty 5 meters out was turned down and the kick was pinned into the corner. From the lineout the pack drove towards the Newport line but knocked the ball on at the last pass. It was now all Merthyr as they kept the pressure on Newport looking for the all-important try but once again overeagerness and poor passing in midfield once again let Newport off.
A fine break up field from centre Arron Pincers saw him tackled inside the Newport 22 and as Newport scrambled back they gave away a penalty. Once again Merthyr opted for the corner. Captain Locke taking the lineout and being driven forward by his pack with hooker Rhys Williams crashing over for the try, full back Matthew Jarvis converted to tie the scores 7-7.#
This seemed to settle Merthyr as they began to come more into the game with the home scrum putting Newport under pressure and the dangerous Kyle Evans causing Newport problems with his jinking runs. However, it was O’Brian who was causing the Merthyr defence problems with his jinking runs and clever touch kicking. He slotted Newport ahead just before half-time after Merthyr gave away a penalty at a maul. This was not the last play of the half however as Merthyr charged upfield and a clever angled kick by Gareth Davies found Kyle Evans in space and as he raced after the kick he bundled his opposite wing into touch 5 meters out. From the lineout once again, Locke took the clean catch and his forwards once again drove him forward and hooker Rhys Williams crashed over for his second try, Jarvis just going wide with the conversion, but Merthyr went in 12-10 ahead.
As the second half began the game began to open up with Newport opting to run everything at Merthyr to keep the ball away from the home pack. The Merthyr back row of Osian Davies, Phil Rees and Nick White were beginning to win the 5050 balls but good defence from Newport was keeping the danger out. Both kickers then exchanged penalties as the game reached the last quarter with Merthyr holding onto a 15-13 lead.
Merthyr then should have made the game safe when a three-to-one overlap was created 30 meters out but the Newport tackler stopping the move with a last-gasp tackle. To their credit Newport kept battling away at Merthyr with their backs running everything and this was rewarded on 71 minutes when O’Brian kicked his side ahead 15-16 with a 30-metre penalty.
With time running out Merthyr threw everything at Newport looking for the winning score and when they gave away penalty 40 meters out up stepped replacement outside half Richard Powell to stroke it over and it looked as if Merthyr had snatched
the game back 18-16. Back came Newport deep into injury-time as they threw everything at Merthyr looking for any score as their forwards went through several phases and then Merthyr gifted Newport the win when they conceded a penalty 30 meters out. Up stepped man of the match O’Brian who made no mistake with the kick to give Newport a last-gasp 18-19 win.
It was a disappointing performance form the current champions but credit to Newport who never gave up right up to the 85th minute.
Merthyr this weekend face their first West Wales side as they play Llanelli at home, kick-off 12pm due to the Wales v France international, before they play Pontypool at home on the following Tuesday night (20th), in the quarter-final of the WRU Cup, kick off 7.15pm.