Trebanos 35 Nantyffyllon 3

Saturday 12th November 2011

SWALEC League Division 4 South West

Back In Form 'Banos Dispatch High Flying Rivals

(match report by Roy Bowen)

Trebanos welcomed Nantyffyllon to the 'Park', for the second time in the club's history. The visitors had won one more game than the Ancient Borough this season and were placed two positions ahead in the league table.

The Trebanos faithful were out in numbers to see this match, the 'hard cases' were stripped to the waist catching the last remaining sun rays of the year; so, on a beautiful unexpectedly sunny November afternoon, Trebanos kicked off playing with the sun at their backs. Shaun Hamer at outside half got the game under way with a long drop kick; Rhoss Jones won ball for Trebanos; out it went to Hamer and along the three quarter line but the last pass to Cerith Edwards was knocked on. It was Nantyffyllon that attacked the Trebanos line; from loose play the visitors second row won ball, came to the narrow side and sent his left wing racing down the touchline but a good covering tackle by man of the match Rod 'Instinct' Williams ended the danger.

From a forward drive by Nantyffyllon, Trebanos were penalised for coming in from the side; from 50 metres the outside half’s penalty attempt fell just under the cross bar. At the next lineout Luke Davies got a good stamping from the Nantyffyllon No 8; referee Mr Davies awarded a penalty and a caution to the player, who may have seen the red card with other officials. Shaun Hamer got Trebanos going forward with a series of good kicks to the corners and centre Gareth Hopkins and Luke Davies made inroads with strong runs down the middle of the field. After 10 minutes of play the Nantyffyllon open side was caught offside and a penalty awarded; up stepped Captain Rod Thomas and from 48 metres gave his side the advantage with three points.

From Trebanos attacking the visitors' try line a pass was intercepted by the Nantyffyllon winger; he chipped ahead and tackled the defender but Trebanos were penalised for not releasing the ball and the visiting outside half kicked the penalty with a superb effort from 50 metres. All action Malcolm Whiteman with two superb tackles, one on the flanker and immediately another on the second row, won a penalty for Trebanos on the halfway line; the player not releasing the ball in a tackle. Some back chat to the referee by the visitors and Trebanos went on another ten yards; the penalty now from 40 metres was sent between the uprights by Rod Thomas. From the kick off it was Luke Davies that tackled the winger; the ball went loose and 'Twm' Thomas won it; the forwards drove on with a combination of Gareth Lynch, Chris Balfe and Rhodri Davies. Matthew Edwards playing scrum half sent a pass out to Shaun Hamer on to Gareth Hopkins a long pass out to Rhodri Thomas, to Declan Bale, to Rhoss Jones on to winger Cerith Edwards who sprinted down the touchline and sent an inside pass to the supporting Declan Bale who dived over; the second row scoring a brilliant try three metres in from the touchline. Rod Thomas narrowly missed the two extra points.  11-3.

It was Hamer again that sent Nantyffyllon back to their 15 metre line with a 50 metre kick; but the visitors' forwards won ball at the line and drove it on to the half way line with a good well rehearsed rolling maul. From the subsequent lineout scrum half Kristian Jones sent up a beauty of a kick chased by Matthew Edwards and Rhodri Thomas but before any tackle had taken place Trebanos were penalised for Gareth Hopkins shouting 'It's my man' (in all my time playing and watching rugby I’ve never seen it before), anyway, rightly according to the rules; the Nantyffyllon winger sent the home side back on their 20 metre line with an enormous touch finder. Then from the lineout the Nantyffyllon pack with an excellent rolling maul drove the 'Ancient Borough' back on to the try line. Three times the visitors were tackled on the line, the second attempt should have been a score with the winger free and nobody to beat; the second row held on and was held up by the defenders on the try line. Nantyffyllon won a scrum on the five metre line; they won ball; the No 8 drove on; Luke Davies tackled him; the scrum half darted down the middle; a superb tackle by Kristian Jones and Rod Williams put him down then 'Warrior' Whiteman won ball and drove forward 10 metres; he recycled the ball and Kristian Jones from under his sticks put in a great kick onto the half way line to relieve the pressure.

Nantyffyllon were prepared to play rugby and, when they won good ball at a lineout on their 22 metre line, off went the scrum half with a sniping run alongside the scrum and sent an inside pass to the winger; on to the centre and the open side wing forward; it spelt danger for the Banos; but good covering and tackling by Rod Williams and Kristian Jones nullified the breakout. From a Trebanos scrum the blind side wing forward was penalised for kicking the ball out and Rhodri Thomas from 40 metres missed, shaving the right hand upright. From a lineout some 30 metres from the Trebanos try line Nantyffyllon executed their rolling maul but Luke Davies was adjudged to have pulled it down and off he went for a ten minute surf and turf. Within one minute Trebanos were down to 13 players; a kick by Rod Thomas to the far touchline was caught by the winger and, tackled, he went to deck; with the ball coming back on the visitors side winger Cerith Edwards played the ball but referee Mr Davies pulled out his yellow card and off he went for offside and not allowing the ball to be played.

With 45 minutes played Trebanos won a scrum 30 metres from their line; Kristian Jones to Shaun Hamer who kicked down inside the visitors 22 metre line; the fullback caught the ball and sped off down the touchline; Hamer following up his kick tackled him; the ball went to the outside half, to the centre but Hopkins, with a big tackle, dislodged the ball; Declan Bale (having a stormer) was on it in a flash and sent out a long pass to Matthew Edwards; the speedster with room to manoeuvre sprinted away on the outside, handed off his marker and sent a pass inside to the ever present  poacher of tries, Kristian 'Hatman' Jones who ran in under the posts to score. Rod Thomas added the extra points.

Half time: Trebanos 18 Nantyffyllon 3

Trebanos very nearly scored from the kick off; the ball was kicked ahead, the full back missed the catch and winger Matthew Edwards followed up, won the chase, hacked the ball on 30 metres and won the chase again; with the ball five metres short of the try line a little kick on by the winger saw the ball cruelly bend away from him and a pile up occurred on the try line; Trebanos won a 5 metre scrum. From the scrum the ball went along the three quarters; Kristian Jones to Hamer to Hopkins to Thomas he straightened up; went down the middle and was tackled; back came the ball; Hamer playing scrum half sent it out to winger Edwards and the quick man ran in for a good try. Thomas from 24 metres kicked over the conversion. With eight minutes of the second half gone Nantyffyllon threw away a great chance to score; the big second row burst clear in the lineout and ran down the narrow side; 10 metres from the home line he sent a pass to the blind side wing forward but he knocked on with the line at his mercy. Then Mr Davies adjudged a forward pass from Hamer to Edwards; with the winger totally free and a stroll to the line.

The game was opening up and Trebanos, now back to a full complement, attacked the Nantyffyllon line but good defence by the visitors kept Trebanos out. They won a penalty and the centre put in another huge kick sending them up to the home 22 metre line. Luke Davies won ball at the tail of the line out; as ever, Malcolm Whiteman and Chris Balfe went charging on: then Rod Davies went down the middle; but mishandling gave the visitors a put in at the scrum. Then Trebanos won a scrum under the posts on the 5 metre line; from the scrum the forwards drove it on; but the ball was lost and the scrum reset; again the forwards drove on but it was lost and Nantyffyllon cleared up field. Matthew Edwards caught the ball; out it went to Cerith Edwards to Shaun Hamer to Declan Bale he was tackled but the ball was sent back; Rhoss Jones now in the scrum half position sent out a pass to Chris Balfe; down the middle he went; tackled, the ball was sent out by Kristian Jones to Luke Davies; he went down the middle; was tackled 20 metres out under the posts; the Nantyfyfllon forwards were penalised for driving over from the wrong side and Rod Thomas had a simple kick to add three points making the score 28-3.

With 21 minutes of the game left on came Lee Danton for Rhodri Davies and Damien Blake for Gareth Lynch; both players receiving applause from the Trebanos faithful for a whole hearted forward performance. There was a period of play for ten minutes between the both 22 metre lines were neither side had the ascendancy; then Trebanos won ball in the shape of Chris Balfe off he went and was tackled by the Nantyffyllon open side who did not roll away in the tackle, stopped the ball being played in the red zone and off he went for a ten minute surf and turf. From the throw in, Luke Davies won ball and the forwards drove it on; Chris Balfe emerged with the ball and made a dash for the line but good cover put him down; a pile up occurred and Trebanos got a put in on the 5 metre line. The forwards drove it on over the line but the inside half kicked the ball out of the scrum and the ref had no alternative but to give a penalty try. Thomas now blindfolded kicked it over to add the two points.

Amer Hussain and Daniel Docherty replaced Malcolm Whiteman and Rhodri Thomas with 9 minutes left. Nantyffyllon never gave in and back they came through their forwards with some slick interpassing between both props and second rows but a dropped pass was eagerly seized on by Kristian Jones who booted it down on to the half way line. Back came the visitors again with the famous driving maul from the 22 metre line on to the home try line but good defence drove the Nantyffyllon forwards into touch 5 metres out. Luke Davies won ball at the lineout, Kristian Jones kicked to touch but the centre took a good catch; young Daniel Docherty, following up, put in a good tackle on him, the ball went amiss and the ref called time.

Full time: Trebanos 35 Nantyffyllon 3

Trebanos RFC
15 Rhoss Jones
14 Matthew Edwards
13 Rhodri Thomas (Capt.)
12 Gareth Hopkins
11 Cerith Edwards
10 Shaun Hamer
9 Kristian Jones
1 Chris Balfe
2 Rhys Thomas
3 Gareth Lynch
4 Declan Bale
5 Rhodri Davies
6 Malcolm Whiteman
8 Luke Davies
7 Rhodri Williams
   
Replacements: Damien Blake for Gareth Lynch
  Lee Danton for Rhodri Davies
  Amer Hussain for Malcolm Whiteman
  Daniel Docherty for Rhodri Thomas
 
Referee: Mr. Tony Davies

Today's other SWALEC League Division 4 SW Results:

Birchgrove 10 Cwmavon 37
Briton Ferry 25 Pontardawe 23
Maesteg Celtic 10 Glyncorrwg 3
Neath Athletic 98 Abercrave 7
Pyle 24 Resolven 19