Social media has no place in the realm of rugby’s original Lion king
TWO entertaining Welsh derbies saw 125 points scored over the weekend, including 16 tries, with both away teams posting victories.
Cardiff Blues produced a fine performance to edge out the Scarlets 29-28 in Llanelli, while the Ospreys got back on track with a 42-26 victory over the Dragons in Newport.
The Blues could have particular grounds for being pleased, with Dai Young’s side physical up front and playing with no little style behind.
The Ospreys lifted their performance level after the previous weekend’s misadventure at Parc y Scarlets. The foundations were laid in the shape of a strong forward effort, with the Dragons under pressure at the scrum and breakdown and losing their way despite some slick back play.
A Welsh rugby legend also reminded us how it used to be.
These are the winners and losers from the weekend.
WINNERS ANEURIN OWEN
The man-of-the-match call was a tough one for Sean Holley at the Dragons v Ospreys game.
Toby Booth’s side registered an emphatic 42-26 win with the collective effort ultimately breaking the hosts. The Ospreys had too much forward power and made the East Wales team pay for their mistakes. MARK ORDERS Rugby writer mark.orders@walesonline.co.uk
But the eye-catching individual performances came from the home team.
Jonah Holmes had a big game, breaking tackles for fun, but Holley opted instead for young Aneurin Owen.
Around 18 months ago someone who’d been observing him at close quarters enthused about the centre’s potential. “He’s a general,” the individual said. “Not only is he aware of what’s going on around him, he has lovely passing skills and can make a break.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at some point if he went on to play for Wales and even the Lions.”
Call that a bold statement.
But Owen is progressing nicely.
He has a hint of class about him as he goes about his business, with his instinctive skills buying him time, and he also makes good decisions. At 20 he is still learning. But there are not many better midfield prospects around.
ASHTON HEWITT
How impressive has this bloke been on Premier Sports punditry duty over the past two weekends?
As a current player, he might easily have been tempted not to criticise those he plays with and against, but, fair play, if he spots mediocrity he’s not afraid to call it out. He can put his views across, too. And his knowledge is bang up to date – of course it is.
A really good effort.
JARROD EVANS
There are some glass-half-empty sorts who might point to Evans wasting a try opportunity by failing to send the ball to the supporting Lloyd Williams in the second half against the Scarlets.
And they’d be right to say he can still improve his kicking out of hand.
But there was also so much that was good about his game in Llanelli.
He can beat a man in the tightest of spaces and some of his passing was sublime. In some respects he is Wales’s answer to Finn Russell, a player who can prompt delight and despair in the space of five minutes – someone who lives by the sword and perishes by it.
But Saturday was a good day for Evans.
His was a performance that deserved a live audience.
BARRY JOHN
“I haven’t got a watch. I haven’t got a mobile phone. Instagram, Twitter – I don’t know what they’re on about. I’m a total throwback.” That’s Barry John, quoted in a lovely piece by David Walsh in The Sunday Times. Fifty years ago John (circled, left) was starting the famed Lions tour of New Zealand, where he would take his reputation into the stratosphere and return as the most feted player on the planet. His pomp came in a simpler age. But the way he played was on another level. He may not be up to speed on aspects of modern life. Does it really matter? The world got by without Instagram and Twitter when he played rugby. It was not markedly worse for it. But it would have been a far, far poorer place without Barry John.
OSPREYS HALF-BACKS
A week earlier the Scarlets pair of Kieran Hardy and Angus O’brien scored a clear victory in their half-back battle against the Ospreys.
But, credit where credit’s due, Liberty Stadium duo Reuben Morgan-williams and Luke Price played well against the Dragons.
Morgan-williams scored a solo try to remember, while Price orchestrated matters in a solid, unflashy way, making few mistakes and kicking well out of hand.
The pair were helped by the platform their forwards set in place, with the Ospreys dominant at the scrums and at the breakdown.
Morgan-williams fought a good battle with opposite number Gonzalo Bertranou, who’s been an excellent acquisition for the Dragons, with Price playing the percentages and coming up with the type of performance the Ospreys needed.
The home side looked a lot slicker
behind the scrum and their threequarters were outstanding.
But at half-back the Ospreys took a step forward.
TOMMY REFFELL
He’s a little out of sight at Leicester, with Welsh eyes tending to be focused on bigger-name players elsewhere and on the regions.
But the openside flanker continues to go about his business in his trademark tough and rugged way.
Last summer there were suggestions England might make a move for him on residency grounds. He replied simply: “I haven’t thought about that. I’m Welsh.”
But Wales should keep an eye on him.
At 22 he’s holding down a place at one of England’s biggest clubs and playing regularly in the Gallagher Premiership. On that basis he must be doing a lot right.
MAX NAGY
It was the big English lad’s Ospreys debut and he wasn’t on the field long.
But he scored a try from the wing as a replacement and there were glimpses that he might have something about him. For sure, we need to see more. But at first glance he looks promising.
LOSERS CAPTAIN’S CHALLENGE
Ken Owens didn’t seem altogether chuffed at the way his challenge panned out against Cardiff Blues.
The Wales hooker claimed an opposing player had come in from the side but, without reviewing the incident, Irish referee Sean Gallagher ruled the episode hadn’t involved foul play and had not been leading to a try.
Owens gave the official a glare before getting on with the game. Seventy-six minutes were on the clock and there were suggestions that under the experimental laws anything can be challenged in the last five minutes of a game.
Nor was Dean Ryan particularly pleased in Newport.
He spoke about the integrity of the game and players potentially looking to get others sent off. Ryan had seen Rhys Lawrence sent off after a captain’s challenge and Ollie Griffiths penalised for a questionable tackle against the Ospreys.
To which the answer might be: ‘Well, don’t commit foul play in the first place.’
Whatever, it’s fair to say the jury’s out.
As for the idea of allowing a side who’ve had a man sent off to have their numbers restored after 20 minutes – let’s not go there.
DRAGONS SCRUM
It cost them against the Ospreys.
They had a hugely promising lock in Ben Carter and a marauding back row in Aaron Wainwright, Ollie Griffiths and Dan Baker.
And some of their back play was high class.
But their scrum was sending out distress signals for much of the game and a flood of penalties went against them.
Ultimately, it was the difference between winning and losing.
LEIGH HALFPENNY
It’s harsh to call this guy a loser – he came up with some strong defensive work for the Scarlets against Cardiff Blues in Llanelli.
And he does so much that’s good in every game.
But he’ll have had nightmares about the moment on Saturday when he saw a conversion attempt from in front of the posts charged down, with Blues wing Jason Harries dashing off the goal-line to stop his side conceding the two points.
With the visitors winning 29-28, the significance of the missed kick was huge.
That said, the Blues deserved their win, with the Scarlets playing in patches and failing to back up a strong performance against the Ospreys the previous weekend.