Hirwaun RFC 7

Sully View RFC 6 (match abandoned)

SULLY View RFC, lying third in the table, travelled to second place Hirwaun looking for a victory that would reverse the league standings.

The opening exchanges were fierce and evenly fought, with play end-to-end, and then half-way through the first period, with outside half Chris Cummings kicking two penalties to the home sides converted try, disaster struck when flanker Peter Brown snapped his ankle.

The referee was forced to abandon the game as Peter could not be moved from the pitch as he lay in awful pain waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Players, officials and spectators all wish Peter a quick and full recovery.

Sully View RFC 2nds 15

Old Penarthians 2nds 29

Old Penarthians gained a thumping victory on the season’s opening day, and they travelled the short distance to local rivals, Sully View, expecting an easy double, and although from the score line it may have looked that they got what they expected, the truth was a little different.

Both teams played an expansive game and ran hard, good lines, but in the end it was Old Penarthians who deservedly came out on top, as they were better at supporting the runners.

In a hard fought first period both sides had turns of dominance and at the break the scores were level at 5 – 5.

It was the View that exerted the opening pressure, and when Old Penarthians failed to secure the ball from their own line out five metres from their own line, flanker Jake Haysham burst through for an unconverted try.

It was then the turn of the visitors to enjoy the best of play, and territory, eventually levelling the scores 10 minutes before the break, with a try almost identical to the one they conceded, pinching a Sully line out five metres from the home try line.

Again the game was turned on its head as the View stormed into the attack for the remainder of the half, and were unfortunate not to take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

A Sully attack was halted illegally just inside the Old Penarthians 22, and full back Nathan Taylor took a quick tap penalty, and looked odds on to score, but the last defender, on a few metres from the penalty spot tackled him high, and the score was lost.

Fortunately for the defender, but not so for the View, the referee failed to give a card of any sort, or even a penalty try, and with the visitors now re-marshalled in defence the View opted to take a penalty kick, only to see Rhys Manford’s effort sail wide, and the scores tied at the break.

This spurred Old Penarthians, and within two minutes of the restart they took the lead, when they pounced on a poor View kick out of defence, moved the ball quickly across their hard running backs for an unconverted try in the corner.

Once again, the control of the game changed, as Sully took charge for the next 20 minutes. After a series of drive ins, and around, the visitors 22 yielded several kickable penalties, which the View opted to run, and it was Manford that took a quick tap penalty five metres out, to sneak through for an unconverted try.

Five minutes later, Old Penarthians regained the lead, scoring a well worked converted try, again the result of good running angles and support play, although the View felt aggrieved as a couple of questionable referee decisions counted against them in the build-up.

From the restart, the View caught the Old Penarthians defence in possession, turned the ball over, and now it was their turn to show that they too could run hard and support the ball carrier, with flanker Nathan Szuchnik crashing over wide out for an unconverted try.

The critical, and most controversial, score came 10 minutes from the final whistle, with a strong Old Penarthians attack crossing the home 22, the ball carrier was tackled, his support clearly over running him, and his offload a couple of metres forward, was ignored, or not seen, by the referee, and even then the scorer was tackled before the line with full back Taylor under him and the ball, only for a try to be awarded, with an easy conversion following.

Sully now slightly overstretched themselves, as they sought to score another try to give them a bonus point, and possibly a losing bonus point, and the visitors took advantage to score the best try of the game in added time, again demonstrating good hands, lines of running and support play.

Considering this was the View’s for six weeks, and after criticism the previous week for their failure to manage to field a team if they can train a little more, and get teams out regularly, then, on this fine display, there would be improvement and promise to see them become even more competitive in their remaining fixtures.

The next couple of months sees another period of disruption to fixtures, as the 6 Nations is played, but as Wales play next Sunday, the 1sts have a league fixture, at home, next Saturday, against old rivals Cardiff Internationals Athletic Club (CIACs), KO 2.30pm – players to meet at the club by 1pm.