WRU National League Division 3 South East

Saturday 16th February 2008

Brecon 11 - Heol-y-Cyw 8

The comment that best summed up Saturday’s game came from the neutral WRU Referee’s Assessor who on speaking to Brecon supporters after the game said, “No matter how disappointed you may feel right now about the performance just look in tomorrow’s paper and you’ll feel a lot better.” If his assessment of the referee was as accurate as his summation of the match, from a Brecon perspective, then Robert Ward will have received some good advice.

The result of this game was all important to both sides. In the end Brecon earned the spoils and eased themselves further away from the relegation zone while Heol-y-Cyw, with just their one losing bonus point, sank deeper into trouble. The home team certainly deserved the win as they always looked the better and more creative team but they made so many basic errors and could easily have lost if they had not pulled themselves together in the closing stages of the match.

Brecon started the game with possession, pace and territory. The one thing they lacked was points. Flanker Alan Jones got close after a storming run and then a period of patient play with sponsors’ man of the match, Dale Williams carrying effectively, finally broke down with a disappointing knock on. After ten minutes of sustained pressure and no points, Brecon were relieved to see Daniel Edwards kick a penalty.

That relief was short lived as they made a complete hash of the restart and gave away a penalty which C. Chilcott kicked.

Brecon should have regained the lead almost immediately. They earned a line out five metres out and with Steve Covington ruling the middle of the line on Brecon’s throw a catch and drive over seemed immanent. An over complicated call led to some confusion and when Alan Taylor eventually threw the ball in for Steve to claim, Alan was penalised for a dummy throw. In spite of the lost opportunity Brecon still looked the most likely to score. A Gethin Davies break and chip ahead almost led to a try for Owen Morgan. Then they worked their way deep into opposition territory for another 5 metre line out. This time they were pulled up for a crooked throw.

Their profligacy was compounded when twice they spurned the opportunity to put unmarked players away on the left first by unbelievably turning the ball back inside and then through dropping a simple pass. From there things went from bad to worse. Brecon’s defence failed to deal with a relieving kick and Alan Taylor was sin-binned at a ruck deep in their 22. They held the line out drive but when outside half popped a simple pass to centre C. Chilcott he had no trouble in brushing aside a woeful tackle.

At half time Brecon were five points behind and the signs were ominous. They had had most of the play and almost all of the opportunities to score and yet their error strewn performance left them in a difficult position. Heol-yCyw were hardly ambitious. They played a simple game based on pressure, the boot of outside half G. Howe and then waited for Brecon to make mistakes.

It took some great work, first at defensive mauls by Huw Morgan and Dale Williams to secure possession and then a characteristic charge from No 8 Owen Davies, well supported by scrum half Geraint Price, to relieve mounting pressure.

Now on the front foot the home sided needed either an error free passage of play or some brilliance to turn the game in their favour. To the delight of their supporters it was the latter. On half way, Rob Jones, who had another good game at outside half, drew Gethin Davies on to the ball with a sweet pass. The invitation to run was all Gethin needed. He split the defence with a lovely step and then surged away from any cover before rounding the full back for his eighth try of the season.

His work for the afternoon was not finished as the game headed towards its conclusion he put in two superb tackles which snuffed out any hope of a Heol-y-Cyw revival and allowed Daniel Edwards the opportunity of attempting a match winning penalty. From wide out on the ten metre line Dan struck the ball beautifully to register what must be his most important score of the season to date.

At last in front, Brecon finished strongly and it was good to see young Owen Morgan burst down the left wing to display his undoubted potential.

The final whistle brought great relief for athough the performance left a lot to be desired it was a job done.