BARRY RFC 1st XV 17 LLANDAFF NORTH 18

ON Saturday Barry entertained the Cardiff club positioned just below them in the league.

The visitors had done their homework on the local geography and soon put this knowledge to good use, camping in Barry territory, with both backs and forwards driving to the low corner of the field.

A series of scrums and line-outs had the home side struggling to keep them at bay. Barry were not helped by an over-officious referee who, in the first 10 minutes, penalised them on 10 occasions whilst not judging Llandaff North guilty of any transgressions!

The visitors nosed ahead after half an hour via a pushover try from a line-out but their touchline kick was unsuccessful. The Barry set scrums were coming under heavy pressure and it was left to the loose forwards to redress the balance.

In this regard Degaura and Parker played prominent roles. The home side got just reward for their efforts when Provis rounded off a good move by the backs to cross wide out. Lee converted with a fine kick from the touchline to put Barry into the lead going into the interval.

With the slope advantage in the second session, Barry were confident of securing a much-needed win. Within five minutes of the restart they had scored a fine try by James Hadfield after the groundwork had been laid by Evans, Jones, Provis and Hardy. Barry’s total was increased to 14 points with an excellent conversion by Lee.

Llandaff North were not finished yet though.

Building on their superiority at the scrummage, they attacked the Barry defence with gusto and not little skill. The try, when it came, had an air of inevitability about it. After 20 minutes, the visitors went into the lead courtesy of a further penalty.

A rare foray by the home forwards allowed Lee to land a penalty which saw the lead revert to the hosts.

From this juncture to the final whistle, the arbiter revealed a bewildering array of rule interpretations leaving players of both sides confused. Each side was given chances to take advantage of penalty awards.

However, it was the visitors who held their nerve to take a late opportunity to run out victors by the narrowest of margins.

Barry: Dix, Adams, Provis, Buckland, Bounds, Hardy, Lee, Jones (capt), Hadfield, Parker, Tanner, Degaura, O’Sullivan, Evans and Lundy. Replacements. Thorne, Scott, Poole and Thomas.

* Barry's next fixture is away to Llantwit Major on Saturday, December 8.