Depleted Barry hit by Zebra stampede (From Barry And District News)

Depleted Barry hit by Zebra stampede

TREORCHY 48

BARRY 5

HOW RUGBY times have changed over recent years for Treorchy RFC (The Zebras), going from playing the likes of Llanelli not so many years ago to competing against Barry last Saturday in a fixture with passive scrums from the kick-off.

With no front row cover available for the bench, Barry had to play with a bare 15 as the rules state no substitutes at all are allowed in such cases for the infringing side.

Second row John Campbell s season ended last week with a serious knee injury, and combined with the unavailability of numerous players, credit to team manager Colin Knapman for managing to get a 15-man squad together.

Student Tom Griffiths and the new Merthyr-based Terry Garlick made up the second row combination.

Young Gareth Osborne stepped into the centre position for only his second first team game, and all three gave their everything, along with the rest of the team, and at half time they were well in the game, just trailing 13-5.

Having to absorb lots of first half pressure, Barry looked dangerous when they took the opportunity to counter attack out of their own 22m area.

On one such occasion, after 20 minutes play, centre Dave Provis produced a delicate kick ahead on reaching the Treorchy 22. Fast running full back Rhys Hardy was on hand to latch on to the ball and with the help of supporting players he crossed the try line for what was to be Barry s only try of the match.

A couple of other efforts undoubtedly deserved further points, one in particular where flanker James Hadfield was brought down just short in the corner.

The players took a few crucial wrong options when in the opposition 22, in particular making individual breaks without support, becoming isolated and losing the ball at the breakdown or penalised for holding on.

Such incidents, during Barry s best phase of play towards the end of the half, prevented them from possibly taking a lead going into the second period.

Whether this would have made a difference to the Zebra stampede is hard to tell. The final score definitely did not do justice to the Barry effort.

This Saturday Barry have a home game against Tonyrefail, ko 2.30pm, followed on May 3 by the reverse fixture, ko 6.30pm.