Pain for Zane...
THE Guinness PRO14 derbies may have taken centre stage in Welsh rugby last weekend, but there was no shortage of winners and losers outside the four regions.
We give you our shining stars and the ones who came crashing to earth... RUGBY coaching can be a tough enough assignment for anyone these days... but think of the task ahead for Rachel Taylor.
She made history this season as the first female coach of a national league Welsh rugby team as Colwyn Bay broke with 137 years of maledominated tradition in the sport here.
She had to revive a losing dressing room, taking on a team that won just one of their 22 games in Division One North last season and had points deducted for failing to fulfil a fixture with Pwllheli.
It may not have been the best of starts in Two North with one win in four, but the TV cameras were there on Saturday to see Taylor oversee an 83-8 rout of Abergele in the second round of the WRU Bowl.
PONTYPOOL
THE way things are going the Principality Premiership could well be losing five clubs come the start of next season.
While four are destined for the dreaded drop as the WRU look to trim the semi-pro division from 16 to 12, the fifth from bottom are poised for a play-off with the Championship winners.
And it already looks to be surefire bet that will be Pooler.
They haven’t hit their straps in making it five from five ahead of Saturday’s clash with potential title rivals Narberth.
But the Otters were well and truly drowned under an eight-try deluge and Pooler hold a one point lead over Cardiff Met, with the students also unbeaten this term.
ABERAVON
GIVEN the way they lost their televised Principality Premiership clash at table-topping Ebbw Vale at the start of September, the comeback from the Wizards in the last month has been nothing short of spellbinding.
They’ve beaten Pontypridd and Llandovery at home and stormed the fortress that is The Wern, Merthyr, to put themselves firmly in the title race.
On Sunday they shaded an 11-try thriller at Rodney Parade beating Newport 38-35.
Iwan Tembeltt and Luke Davies both bagged touchdown doubles while James Garland converted four of the six tries to put Aberavon up to third in the table.
PHIL DOLLMAN
IT’S a testimonial year for the Dragons reject as he celebrates 10 years at Exeter Chiefs.
In three seasons with the Rodney Parade region, he played a total of 38 games but a contract wasn’t forthcoming in the summer of 2009, so he upped sticks to Devon.
Along with fly-half Gareth Steenson, Dollman is the only Exeter regular from the 2010 promotionwinning season to still be plying his trade at the club.
And judging by his performance at west country rivals Bath on Friday night there’s no reaching for the pipe and slippers just yet.
The full-back made 12 lungbusting carries for 65 metres gained in the Chiefs’ impressive 39-24 victory at The Rec. tackling Robbie Henshaw.
LONDON WELSH
YOU expect the odd scoreless draw in football, but they are extremely rare in rugby.
On Saturday was one that will be memorable on all fronts for London Welsh player-coach Cai Griffiths.
Because their top of the table clash with Old Streetonians in London & SE Division Three North West not only ended 0-0 but was played out in some of the worst weather conditions the 34-year-old former Ospreys prop can remember. Old Streetonians are based in trendy Shoreditch in East London, but play their games down on Hackney Marshes where the vast number of rugby and football pitches are exposed to the elements.
“It was an absolutely mad game to be involved in,” said Griffiths, in this interview about the remarkable game.
ZANE KIRCHNER
FRYING pan and fire sprang to mind when the South African international left the Dragons midway through September for a month loan deal with Bristol Bears.
They’ve beaten Harlequins during his time at Ashton Gate, but leaked 97 points in their last two games with Sunday being a particularly painful defeat. The Bears were shot down 52-7 by 14-man Worcester Warriors.
Though 34-year-old Kirchner, who crossed the Severn as a short-term injury replacement for Charles Piutau, was one of the better Bristol backs on show at Sixways it was a team display that probably left his yearning for a return to Rodney Parade.