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Ystrad
Rhondda 48 Rhydyfelin 10
With
fixtures piling up in recent weeks & the intensity of
rugby Ystrad have been playing it was inevitable that injuries
would take its toll sooner or later & with key threequarters
Gareth Pugh (hamstring), James Davies (knee), Chris Rees
(ankle) & Dan Phillips (shoulder) plus outside half
Wayne Jervis & centre Gerwyn Davies unavailable the
club were grateful outside half Dylan Jones went through
the pain barrier to help his side to the Division Two title,
last Saturday also saw coach Alan Roberts play his first
game in over a season, Roberts linking up in what proved
to be a promising centre partnership with Harry Allen.
Ystrad had their work cut out early on, the visitors showing
they were up for the battle & took an early lead when
a scrum against the head allowed the Rhydyfelin scrum half
to break up the blind & make use of a three on two overlap
to score a converted try.
Rhydyfelin disrupted the home team's pattern of play by
whichever means they saw fit & Referee Reg Hughes often
deemed their play illegal, outside half Jones the beneficiary
on two occasions when he stepped up to record two penalties
before a break through the centre by Roberts who linked
up with Allen & with the Cardiff dualled centre held
just short Rhydyfelin were again penalised under the posts
& their number eight was yellow carded for constantly
infringing. Jones kicked the penalty to give Ystrad the
lead.
The home team furthered their lead when lively scrum half
Ben Daniels pinched the ball from the back of a Rhydyfelin
scrum & escaped the clutches of his opposite number
before passing to Harry Allen, quick ruck ball from Daniels
to Jones who found hooker John Watkins loitering in midfield,
Watkins showed a good pair of hands to take the pass &
crash over for a try under the posts. Jones converted.
Rhydyfelin hit back with a penalty from which Ystrad tighthead
Chris Waygood became the second player to get a yellow card.
Although the half time score was 16-10 signs in the latter
part of the first half were that the league leaders had
started to take control.
With the second half only a few minutes old centre Roberts
used his vast experience with a perfectly timed pass which
put Allen into space & the Tylorstown lad used his pace
to round the full back & cross for a try.
It is testament to the fitness levels of the Ystrad team
that they have often found teams out in the last quarter
& no one deserves more credit for their fitness &
determination than second row Nathan Hughes, Hughes tackling
an opponent in his own twenty two & being first on his
feet to disposess him which gave an opportunity for Allen
to break out of defence & link up with flying wing Dan
Hitchins, Hitchins rounded two Rhydyfelin players &
off loaded to replacement flanker Tom Hocking, good awareness
by Hocking meant an inside pass found Allen who raced clear
under the posts. Jones converted.
A half break by scrum half Daniels & hit into midfield
by mobile prop Neil Jones drew in too many Rhyd defenders
& a long pass by Dylan Jones found flanker Neil Walker
in space, Walker has had a superb season & it was somewhat
fitting that a dummy by the flanker enabled him to cross
for the bonus point try to seal the league.
Ystrad continued to play champagne rugby, following a controlled
build up & several phases Hitchins appeared in centre
field against a forward & showed exceptional gas to
glide through unopposed under the posts. Jones converted
before limping off the field which left Ystrad with fourteen
men for the last ten minutes.
Number eight Thomas Hetherington continues to get through
a huge amount of work, Thomas setting up Ystrad's last try
when he raced clear from the back of a scrum & found
Daniels in support, who in turn passed to full back Dean
Jones, Jones' angle of running helping him to break through
& register his side's sixth try.
Replacement Gareth Williams made the full time score 48-10
with a well struck penalty just before the champagne corks
were popped as Hanly's men lifted the Division Two title.
Minds must be kept focussed for the Mid District Cup Final
which will be between Ystrad & Beddau at Caerphilly's
Virginia Park on Wednesday 7th May Ko 7.15.
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