Match Report - 1st October 2011

Dinas Powys RFC 1st XV 23 v Old Penarthians RFC 1st XV 18 (SWALEC League)

Old Penarthians first XV arrived at Dinas Powis Common last Saturday for their SWALEC league 5SE fixture in very unseasonal 75 degree heat that made the adjoining cricket pitch a much more enticing venue for an afternoon of sport.  However, despite having a test cricket match venue in Cardiff named after the sponsors, it was in their winter sport that both teams had come to entertain the large partisan crowd, packed with players and supporters of this and previous generations.  As always in these local derbies one set of supporters was due for celebrations and the other set for condolences and this match saw the visitors leave with the sun reddened but sadder faces.

After the initial fractious beginnings that are a feature of local rivalries, the game settled down into an even contest that gave both sets of spectators something to shout about, with the result in the balance until the last minute of the game.  On this occasion it was a repeat of last year with the home side the happier following a last gasp try from Ryan Taylor converted by Michael James that made the final score 23 points to eighteen in favour of Dinas Powis.

In fact it was the Dinas team that had the better of the early exchanges with strong forward play leading to a penalty which was kicked into the corner for a line out and pressure on the Penarthians try line.  Old Pens resisted the ensuing attack and battled out of the twenty two, but a turnover gave Dinas the ball back and a three-quarter move saw Dinas clean through for a try only to be brought back for a forward pass.  After 14 minutes a scrum infringement conceded by Old Penarthians led to a penalty kick by Louis Morgan and a three point advantage.  That lead lasted only three minutes before a penalty from Scott McCarthy levelled the scores after strong work from the forwards led by Tim Ursall and James Coslett.

There followed a series of attacks by the away team with good running from Gareth Jones at the base of the scrum and Mark Sadler bursting into mid field to keep up the pressure.  This momentum kept the Old Pens in the Dinas half of the field and charges by Paul Langley, Ross Meadows and Lee Brennan left Gareth Jones with an opportunity to break on the short side and slip a pass to Richie Moir who scored a try in the corner, despite a desperate cover tackle that saw the corner flag uprooted by the defender but no sign of the Penarthians winger touching the ground outside the field of play.  The try went unconverted.

Old Penarthians received the kick off and again made ground forcing Dinas to give away a penalty on half way.  McCarthy kicked to within ten yards on the opposition try line and a fine take by Langley at the line-out, followed by a forward drive saw Rob Benson celebrate the birth of his new baby daughter with a try.  Old Penarthians looked quite comfortable at this stage with the set scrum working well and with good foraging at the loose.  It was however the home team who would have the last word of the first half when Old Pens turned the ball over in mid field and the Dinas Powis backs spread the ball wide to James Smith, who sprinted along the touchline leaving two Penarthians players wishing they had made better tackles, to score a try to make the half time score 13 points to 8 in favour of the visitors.

The second half was scoreless for the first sixteen minutes with both teams having chances but neither being able to take advantage.  There were opportunities for Tom Draper to use his pace on the blindside on a couple of occasions but firstly a poorly timed pass and than an over eager run meant the chances were lost.  It was then Dinas that took advantage of some poor defence from a quickly taken penalty and James Smith ran in a fine try wide out to level the scores at thirteen all.

This action seemed to galvanise the Penarthian team and there were two occasions when the forwards thought that they had driven over the try line and grounded the ball correctly, only for referee Bill Hunt to indicate that the ball had been held up and award attacking scrums.  Another chance came and went when Jonathan Crimp stole a ball at a ruck ‘Richie McCaw style’ and Ross Meadows was released for one of his trademark attacking runs only for his support to be unable to keep up with him.  A penalty did however result but the chance from distance from McCarthy fell short.  The continued pressure from the Old Penarthians did however result in a try for winger James Williams who managed to pump his legs more like a flanker with tacklers around him before being driven over the line by the fast arriving forwards.  The conversion was missed by substitute Huw Liddle, who had replaced injured try scorer Moir.

Dinas Powis did not give up and with their forwards, well led by skipper Tom Paterson, they fought back to earn a penalty in front of the posts which was slotted home by replacement Michael James.  At this stage with eight minutes remaining Old Penarthians must have thought they had done enough to win having played most of the second half in opposition territory and a break by Coslett saw the flanker just brought down short of the line.  This was however to be the visitors’ last chance, when from an Old Penarthians scrum on half way a handling error turned the ball over to Dinas Powis. The Dinas team passed the ball quickly and managed to exploit a gap in the Penarthians rearranged centre partnership, broke with pace to create a three on one overlap.  Crimp now at full back committed himself to tackle the oncoming centre, who through a poor pass to his left that went behind his intended recipient.  Quick thinking from the Dinas winger however somehow saw him manage to hook the ball from behind him and with a kind bounce it fell into the hands of Taylor to score the try and give Dinas Powis the victory.

Old Penarthians again only came away with a losing bonus point from the match and will be annoyed to have lost this local derby, but despite territory and possession.