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Ystrad
Rhondda 27 Rumney 23
Rumney
had already notched wins against Penallta & Newport
Saracens as they took to field on Saturday in confident
mood & the level of confidence was justified when speedy
full back Andrew Carlson cut through the home defence for
a try under the posts as early as the first minute. It was
the visitors who looked good value for their twelve point
lead when a robust forward drive culminated in a second
try.
Ystrad’s lineout, with the accurate arm of hooker
Carl Facey & jumper’s Chris Hanly & Nathan
Hughes dominant, was a key feature of the afternoon, one
Hanly take allowing quick ball for scrum half Mark Jones
to send number eight Thomas Hetherington charging into midfield,
referee John Roberts adjudged that Rumney were preventing
quick release of the ball which gave outside half Dylan
Jones the chance to record his first penalty.
Minutes later Jones was cynically tackled when the in form
scrum half attempted to take a quick penalty, Roberts had
no hesitation in yellow carding the transgressing second
row. With Rumney’s pack down a man it seemed a smart
option for Captain Hanly to choose a scrum from the resulting
penalty & the choice was warranted as Hetherington showed
his class to power over for a try from close range.
With half time approaching Rumney furthered their lead with
a well struck Danny Clark penalty but it was Ystrad who
had the final say of the half, prop John Watkins had to
leave the field for stitches in a head wound & it was
another trademark quick penalty take by Jones in his own
half, the former Porth player linked up with lively flanker
Nathan Hughes who in turn found fellow flanker Tom Hocking
in support, in the absence of injured Neil walker Hocking
is relishing his chance to shine & with the Rumney defence
homing in on him Hocking gave a try scoring inside pass
to wing Dean Jones. Dylan Jones converted to level the scores
15-15 at half time.
With the slope in their favour Ystrad should have fancied
their chances as the second half got underway, Rumney however
showed good spirit & took the initiative to open up
a 23-15 lead courtesy of another Clark penalty & a try
when they worked the overlap for left wing Lincoln Plummer
to race clear.
A series of forward drives which saw prop Craig Griffiths
& replacement flanker’s Hywel Stoddart & Mazin
Al Azzawi to the fore ended with a try under the posts for
Nathan Hughes, Jones converted.
John Watkins was back on the field sporting a headguard
& a solid Ystrad scrum near the visitors line meant
the Cardiff team’s back row had to stay down which
gave scrum half Jones the chance to feed right wing Chris
Harris with a one against one, Harris did well to slip his
man & stretch over the line for a vital touchdown. Dylan
Jones hit the post with a difficult conversion attempt.
The commitment shown by the whole squad shone through on
Saturday & in the end a bonus point victory will lift
them further up the table before another home game this
Saturday versus Beddau.
Prominent for Ystrad was man of the match Geraint Shalton,
the full back again showing a coolness under pressure, Craig
Griffiths, Hywel Stoddart & Mark Jones also gave notable
performances.
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