Maesteg Celtic 11 Trebanos 6

Saturday 26th November 2011

SWALEC League Division 4 South West

Crucial Decisions At Crucial Times Give 'Banos Heartache At 'The Battle In The Mud'

(match report by Roy Bowen)

Trebanos took a trip to the Garw Valley to play 'top of the table' Maesteg Celtic. They made changes to last week's team due to injuries and player unavailability. In came Jordan Hopkins at centre, Amer Hussain went to No 8 and Dai Davies started as prop. Maesteg with only one loss this season and a 100% home record are riding high in the South West division.

On a miserable, wet and windy November afternoon with fine rain and a strong wind blowing diagonally across the pitch and conditions not convivial to running rugby, this was always going to be a war of attrition and so it was. Trebanos, with a magnificent performance by every player, frightened the life out of this over confident team. The much smaller Trebanos XV battled for every inch of this pitch; plus a display of phenomenal first half tackling that has to be the best ever defensive performance from the 'Ancient Borough'. Trebanos can be disappointed with the score because they definitely deserved a share of the spoils and on three occasions they were tackled on the line; however rugby sometimes can be a cruel game!

Maesteg playing with the wind and the rain at their backs kicked off on a grey afternoon and if they had floodlights they would been illuminating the pitch at 2.30 in the afternoon. Cerith Edwards gathered the ball and kicked up field where it was gathered by the outside half; he passed inside to his centre but prop Dai Davies was there with the first tackle of the afternoon and that epitomised the Trebanos spirit and ethic, 'Tackling is good for You'.

Trebanos were under constant pressure; Maesteg pinning the visitors in the right hand corner of the field with some quality kicking from outside half Healey. In the 9th minute of play; from a rolling maul Maesteg No8 Jones (a big man) drove on 5 metres out and charged towards the try line but a magnificent tackle by Hussain and Williams flattened him; then prop Lent went down the narrow side; another fantastic tackle by scrum half Jones and Whiteman halted him, then two more attempts; first by the second row Power; then by the flanker Williams; they were stopped on the line by the 'Banos'; with the mud taking its toll, I don’t know who tackled them but eventually the ball was lost and Kristian Jones cleared to touch 15 metres out. Within two minutes Trebanos were caught offside under the posts 30 metres out; Healey kicked stepped up and kicked the three points.

Outside half Healy persecuted Trebanos, constantly driving them back in the corner with some quality kicks. With the big Maesteg forwards winning good ball for their scrum half, he also sent kicks into the same area. On 18 minutes Maesteg won a throw in on the visitors five metre line but good work by Declan Bale and Rod Davies won ball for Trebanos; scrum half Jones under constant pressure from the marauding Maesteg back row put in a brilliant overhead kick, sending his team 30 metres up field. From the first Maesteg three quarter movement Trebanos were unlucky to be penalised; centres Thomas and Hopkins tackled their opposing centres and whilst the Maesteg centre was lying on the floor with ball in hand; a Trebanos player slipped down on the pitch and inadvertently played the ball on the ground resulting in a penalty to the home side some 40 metres out and directly under the posts. Healey slotted the kick over after 21 minutes taking the score to 6 - 0.

Trebanos came with a brief foray into the Maesteg half, 30 metres out; Shaun Hamer won ball and sent a pass out to Edwards; the flying winger was tackled but sent a pass to scrum half Jones who chipped ahead but good cover by Rowe, the Maesteg full back, sent Trebanos back to their 22 metre line with a towering kick. Maesteg came again attacking the try line in a forward drive; the No 8; drove on; Kristian Jones tackled him; they drove on again; first Power; then Everett, his second row partner. But Dai Davies, Gareth Lynch, Declan Bale and Amer Hussain put them down; out it went from scrum half Paget to Healey but Trebanos were given offside on the 22 metre line; however Maesteg disregarded the kick at goal and Healey sent it into touch for a throw in 5 metres out. From the throw in the ball was lost; Trebanos hacked it on; the Maesteg scrum half covered and sent a grubber down the touchline the ball hitting Twm Thomas’s boot and careering into touch for a home throw in (cruel).

Then from a lineout in the 30th minute Maesteg won a scrum 20 metres out; they drove the scrum on; the No8 picked up, was tackled on the line; then flanker Williams and Jones drove on; tackled by Twm Thomas and Gareth Lynch then the prop tackled by Rod and Dai Davies; then the scrum half scragged by Declan Bale; then the prop took it on at the open side Amer and Rod Williams tackled him; then they rolled it to the narrow side and other prop Phillips was tackled by Whiteman and Twm Thomas; then they came again with the No7; the ball went loose and Trebanos won a put in at a five metre scrum; at the scrum Trebanos were penalised for offside and Maesteg put the ball into touch for a 5 metre throw in. Everett won ball in the middle of the line and they drove it on wheeling it around the blind side; Williams took the ball and sent a clever pass to the right winger but he knocked on. From the scrum Trebanos were driven off the ball into touch and Maesteg won another throw in. The ball was won in the middle of the line; they drove it on again over the try line; but; the ball was held up; by whom, I know not, but it was Amer Hussain who was the last man up on his feet. From the scrum the No 8 drove on; tackled by Shaun Hamer the ball went loose, re-gathered; the both props drove on 10 metres; the blind side drove on; the ball was then sent out to outside half Healy; Shaun Hamer tackled him on the try line, the ball came back and scrum half Paget sent it out to winger Mullaly; but the winger grounded it but was in touch; Mr Buckland had seen an infringement and awarded a penalty to Maesteg. From the eventual throw in by Maesteg at the lineout the ball was won at the front by the prop Lent; he drove on around the front of the line; was tackled right on the line by Rhys Thomas, Cerith Edwards and Kris Jones; recycled the ball went out to Healy; to centre Sainsbury; he was tackled by Hopkins, back the ball went to Healy ; he put a big kick downfield were Cerith Edwards caught it and sent a kick up to the half way line. Chased by Edwards it eventually went into touch on the Maesteg 22 metre line. Trebanos flirted briefly with some attacks from a combination of Shaun Hamer and Rod Thomas; but eventually the ball was lost and Healy again sent Trebanos back into the doldrums corner before Mr Buckland blew for half time. This first half performance by Trebanos was unbelievable it was like a rowing boat taking on a Destroyer and you had to be there to witness this event.

Half time: Maesteg Celtic 6 Trebanos 0

The second half started in fading light and it was difficult at times to see what exactly was happening across the other side of the pitch; so if I get it wrong bear with me. From the start Shaun Hamer put Trebanos in the ascendancy with some big kicks pinning Maesteg in 'doldrums corner'. Within two minutes Rhys Thomas threw in at a lineout 22 metres from the home try line; won by Declan Bale; Kristian Jones sent it to Hamer to Thomas who went bursting down the middle; tackled, the ball was recycled Jones; to Hamer and the outside half from 30 metres gave Trebanos their first points with a smartly taken drop goal.

Then after 6 minutes of the second half Matthew Edwards had a 20 metre run down the right hand touchline, beating two men, but eventually getting tackled into touch. As the game progressed Trebanos got more into the game and on several occasions drove the big Maesteg pack off the ball at some of the scrummages.

Then Healy sent up a kick on to the Trebanos 22 metre line but Matthew Edwards covered and from 5 metres in field sent a 60 metre special downfield finding touch on the Maesteg ten metre line and giving them work to do. On 50 minutes all action Whiteman intercepted a pass on his 30 metre line and sprinted away like a scalded cat; with the line at his mercy; it was the right wing that spoilt the party; he covered across the field and made a magnificent tackle on Whiteman after a lung bursting 65 metre dash and thus prevented a try in the corner for the visitors. From the lineout Trebanos attacked the Maesteg line; first Rod Thomas, tackled twenty metres out, then Hopkins tackled under the posts; then the forwards took it on with pick up and go's; Kristian Jones sniped around the fringe and was held up on the line; Mr Buckland penalised the home scrum half for coming in from the side and Rod Thomas from 20 metres made no mistake with the kick; making the score 6 – 6. Trebanos were now in this game and Maesteg were taken aback with the tenacity of the Trebanos XV.

Trebanos now took the initiative in this game, Kristian Jones and Shaun Hamer kicking the Banos down into doldrums corner, on one occasion it was ball from the front won by Declan Bale and driven on by Rhys Thomas; Rod Davies and Damien Blake only for Rhys Thomas to be tackled into touch on the try line. It was Trebanos that showed up; but the conditions deteriorated and handling errors from both sides made continuity difficult. This was not a game for purists but it was a battle mostly of the forwards, with no quarter given or taken. After 62 minutes on came Chris Balfe, replacing Gareth Lynch. Shaun Hamer chased his own kick ahead and gathered the ball sending a pass to Rod Willuiams some 30 metres out; in came the forwards and on went the rolling maul; they drove it on for ten metres then loose head prop Chris Balfe emerged on the open side and made a fantastic charging run to the line; only to be pulled down inches from the try line by a despairing tackle. Within minutes a kick ahead and a hack on by Maesteg gave them a position 10 metres from the Trebanos line. From the scrum they drove Trebanos back; the scrum half and No8 drove to the try line and a crucial decision by Mr Buckland sent Kristian Jones to the sin bin for ten minutes for offside. From the ensuing scrum Maesteg scored a try; the scrum half just managing to reach out and score on the blind side. The conversion attempt was missed.

Within two minutes of this score Trebanos attacked under the Maesteg posts; Rhoss Jones now playing scrum half and directing operations sent Hamer away; then Thomas; then Cerith Edwards made a run down the touchline; an inside pass to Hamer; he was tackled under the posts the forwards took it on again with a rolling maul, Rhoss Jones was tackled short of the line under the posts; a Maesteg player came in from the wrong side played and the ball on the ground; but referee Mr Buckland gave no penalty; even after initial protests of all the Trebanos players close to the incident. Trebanos kept on battling away but could find no way through the defence to score and Mr Buckland called full time.

Phew! What a game; Trebanos thouroughly deserving of a point; but it can be a cruel game!

Full time: Maesteg Celtic 11 Trebanos 6

Trebanos RFC
15 Rhoss Jones
14 Matthew Edwards
13 Rhodri Thomas (Capt.)
12 Jordan Hopkins
11 Cerith Edwards
10 Shaun Hamer
9 Kristian Jones
1 Dai Davies
2 Rhys Thomas
3 Gareth Lynch
4 Declan Bale
5 Rhodri Davies
6 Malcolm Whiteman
8 Amer Hussain
7 Rhodri Williams
   
Replacements: Damien Blake for Dai Davies (53 mins)
  Rhys Carney
  Chris Balfe for Gareth Lynch (62 mins)
   
Referee: Mr. Ian Buckland, Cardiff.

Today's other SWALEC League Division 4 SW Results (unconfirmed):

Birchgrove 7 Glyncorrwg 18
Briton Ferry 20 Abercrave 20
Neath Athletic 18 Nantyffyllon 13
Pyle 57 Pontardawe 16
Resolven 23 Cwmavon 16