Rumney v Merthyr 06.03.2010

SWALEC League Division 1 East

RUMNEY v MERTHYR

Riverside Park, Rumney
Saturday 6th March 2010, k.o. 2.30pm

Merthyr v Rumney 17.10.09
Past playing record : played 22, Merthyr 11 wins, Rumney 8 wins, 3 draws

Rumney : 15. Dafydd Evans   14. Lewis Fox    13. Paul Niblett  12. Lee Mullane  11. Luke Fear  10. Danny Clark  9. Chris Milton  8. Michael Kelly  7. Ryan Fenton  6. Anthony Wilson  5. Joe Mills  4. Paul Bull   3. Darren Fenton   2. Michael Feneck (Capt)  1. John Leadbeatter
Replacements:  16. Ryan Sutton   17. Craig Fitzpatrick  18. Matthew Way  19. Nathan Bridson  20. Solomon Matthews

Merthyr : 15. Lewis Williams   14. James Wood    13. Bleddyn Rees  12. Adam Williams  11. Chris Weightman  10. Lloyd Hynes  9. Jonathan Hooper  8. Phil Rees  7. Matthew Rees  6. Rhys Miles (Capt)  5. Darren Lynch  4. Sam Wadham   3. Rhys James   2. Rob Evans  1. James Howe
Replacements:  16. Darryl Jenkins   17. Gareth Williams   18. Jonathan Watkins  19. James Bull  20. Daniel Snape

Referee : Julian Smith, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran

Rumney 20   Merthyr 14

Scorers for Rumney : Michael Kelly try, Darren Fenton try, Luke Fear try, Danny Clark conversion and penalty

Scorers for Merthyr : James Bull try, Lloyd Hynes 3 penalties

A dynamic start by Rumney found prop John Leadbeatter thundering into the Merthyr defences and forcing a fourth minute penalty which outside half Danny Clark immediately slotted. The Ironmen fielded a very big pack which proved to be one of the best that the homeside had encountered all season, but they also showed that they were ready to run the ball and the opening exchanges found both sides switching play between backs and forwards, Rumney second row Joe Mills and flanker Anthony Wilson bursting down midfield, making big territorial gains and setting up attacking positions. Leadbeatter, hooker and Captain Michael Feneck and prop Darren Fenton used excellent scrummaging technique in the set piece and in the eleventh minute a powerful, well controlled drive from a five metre scrum was finished off by No8 Michael Kelly carefully touching down for the first try, Clark's difficult conversion putting his side ahead by 10 - 0. Home scrum half Chris Milton was in characteristically lively mood and kept the opposition guessing with darting runs and neat chip kicks, wingers Lewis Fox and Luke Fear following up and tackling well. Home fullback Dafydd Evans fielded all high balls and counterattacked well and centres Paul Niblett and Lee Mullane locked up the midfield, but Rumney were still susceptible to giving away penalties, particularly for offside, and in the fourteenth minute Merthyr outside half Lloyd Hynes opened his side's account with a successful place kick. Fear, Evans and Fox tirelessly followed up kicks to pressurise the visitors' defence and achieve more strong, attacking positions. Having lodged in the Merthyr twenty two for some time, Rumney won a lineout, Wilson soaring in the air to secure possession, and the pack quickly drove forward led by Mills, second row Paul Bull and Leadbeatter, until Darren Fenton broke from the side and crossed for a very good try. Mills was also outstanding in receiving high balls and the home pack worked comfortably as a unit but the Merthyr forwards were also showing a well drilled approach and enjoyed a lengthy period of possession, launching dangerous attacks and forcing some turnovers and penalties. Hynes added three points in the twenty third minute and involved his threequarters, particularly lively centres Bleddyn Rees and Adam Williams, in more movements, bringing out necessary tackles from the Rumney backs. For the home side Kelly was impressive breaking from the base of the scrums, Feneck provided strong support in all forward moves and Bull, Mills and Wilson made further gains but although the Ironmen were forced to concede penalties, their well marshalled defences prevented scores. Darren Fenton was proving very difficult to stop and flanker Ryan Fenton was outstanding in the loose, winning balls and putting in a high tackle count, while in the backs Mullane, Fox, Niblett and Fear threatened at every opportunity and Clark ran the show with careful kicks and passing movements. Ryan Fenton, Wilson and Evans made further breaks from loose play but with Rumney giving away more penalties, half time arrived with Merthyr enjoying a period of assendency.      

The conceding of more penalties hampered Rumney's start to the second half but the scrums indicated that the home forwards were again in dominant mood and Merthyr scrum half Jonathan Hooper did well working with the difficult ball he was receiving under renewed Rumney pressure. The lineout was where the Merthyr forwards did particularly well after the interval, and second rows Sam Wadham and Darren Lynch, flanker Rhys Miles and No8 Phil Rees went on the offensive and took play deep into the Rumney half. Clark and Milton were able to keep the Ironmen at bay and Mills appeared in the threequaretrs to pull off a vital tackle, but the flurry of penalties from the home side continued and in the sixty fourth minute Hynes added a further three points to bring the score to 15 - 9. The same pattern of play continued and with Rumney continuing to waste attacking opportunities through further infringements, a change was considered necessary and Ryan Sutton and Matthew Way joined the back row, Craig Fitzpatrick took over at prop and Solomon Matthews on the right wing, Kelly moving to second row and Fear to centre. Leadbeatter, Feneck and Fitzpatrick battled back upfield, Sutton ruled the lineout and roamed the park tackling and grabbing possession, while Evans, Mullane and Matthews attacked and followed up well, but even more penalties allowed Hynes to peg Rumney back and in the seventy third minute a series of forward drives drew in the home defence and when the ball was rapidly switched wide, James Bull was worked clear and crossed in the corner to bring Merthyr to within one point of their hosts. Sensing the possibibility of snatching the win, the Ironmen returned to the attack but with time running out they had to take chances and a fumble in midfield was pounced on by Niblett, who linked with Clark on the break and brilliant backing up by Way resulted in the ball flying out to Fear who burst over for the decisive try, the final scoreboard reading Rumney 20 Merthyr 14.

Darren Fenton (left) and Luke Fear (right)

Matthew Silva, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "After an explosive start I think some of us may have been guilty of thinking that this could be a convincing victory. We are trying to play positive rugby at Rumney this year and strive to improve game on game. Today I thought we took our foot off the accelerator and opened ourselves up to a difficult physical encounter. As I have mentioned in previous reports, if you want to place yourself in the top six in the League this year, you need more than a physical, committed performance. We stopped playing rugby ten minutes before half time and never really got any momentum for the remainder of the match. Fortunately for us, all of Merthyr's hard work and endeavour failed to produce another winning performance, as it was a game they could have won. I have to praise our set piece and our team and backline defence as, with hindsight, it won us the match. We now play Tredegar in our next fixture and once again we have to go there, stick to our structures and game plan and create the product that we are trying to achieve, which is a fifteen man game. We have now consolidated our position in the top six and we must aim to push on. The Man of the Match was Anthony Wilson who stuck to his game, did not get distracted by Merthyr's game plan and produced a professional, workmanlike performance."

Lewis Fox, wing Rumney 1st XV : "The pack was obviously on top in the first ten minutes and we scored two good tries but then we switched off a bit mentally. From a backline point of view, we gave Merthyr's No10 a lot of space, time and ball. Our defence is something we have worked on in training and today there was apprehension but the pack stayed on top and we were positive going into half time. At half time the coaches told us to get back to basics, get back into their half, put the pressure on and put the game to bed. Merthyr came back when the penalty count made it a difficult job for us, and in the end, through the penalties and the pressure, they got right back but unlike in the game up at Merthyr, we kept fighting and put pressure on, and then Paul Niblett scooped up the ball and Luke Fear scored and we held out to win the game. When you are standing in the backline and you see your pack doing that well as a collective and dominating teams like they do, it is good to watch."