Fixture

Penallta RFC | 1st Team 41 - 6 Brecon RFC | 1st Team
Bleddyn Corns
Conversion 3
Elliott Tasman Keep
Try 1
Ryan Davies
Try 2
Lewis Barnett
Try 2
Ross Morgan
Try 2
Jake Mitchell Newman
2 Penalty

Match Report
30 October 2016 / Team News

Brecon Restore Some Pride

Just one week after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Penallta, Brecon faced the unenviable task of travelling to the Pitmen’s home, at Ystrad Mynach, to face them in the WRU Plate competition. Playing on the unfamiliar, artificial surface, on a calm, dry afternoon and against a side which, just the previous week, scored 14 tries all added to the anxiety of the Brecon support which was thin on the ground. However, for those who braved the journey at least they were rewarded with a far more competitive match in which Brecon restored some pride.

In the opening ten minutes Brecon worked hard and conceded little. The front row of Ryan Harris, Jonathan Bowen and Howell Morgan fronted up to their opponents and acquitted themselves well, both in the tight and with their energy around the field. With the home side not having the same advantage at the scrum as the previous week, Brecon’s defence was far more effective. In fact after ten minutes Brecon took the lead. Eifion Jones put in a great tackle in midfield and some outstanding work from flankers Davey Herdman and Mark Squirrel at the breakdown produced a penalty which resulted in Jake Newman giving Brecon a 3 point lead.

With Mark Squirrel, Rhys Dawe and Andrew Hosie, who worked tirelessly throughout the afternoon, winning ball at the line out, Brecon were able to restrict the ambitions of the confident home side. When they did get the ball, however, they were dangerous and Brecon spent much of the next ten minutes defending but defending well. Craig Davies at Number 8 never shirked a tackle or the opportunity to carry. With the support of his back row and solid mid-field defence Brecon were able to hold out and could have increased their lead if Jake Newman’s penalty kick from half way had crept over the bar rather than just sailing under it.

As the first quarter came to an end Brecon conceded their first points and it came from a source which was all too familiar. A loose kick out of defence was fielded by the outstanding home full back, Ryan Davies. Davies immediately countered at pace. Going left he cut past the first two defenders, drew the last and put wing Elliot Keep in for a try which Bleddyn Corns converted.

At this juncture one wondered how Brecon would respond. To their credit they bounced back almost immediately. They won a penalty on the home 22 and Newman reduced the arrears to a single point. For most of the remainder of the half Brecon found themselves pressed back into their own half. They continued to tackle hard and compete at the breakdown but with the half drawing to a close they conceded two demoralising tries. The first came when a loose pass was snaffled up in midfield and the ball was swept left to Keep who showed the Brecon defence a clean pair of heels. The second on the stroke of half time was something of a gift, although Penallta’s acceptance of the chance was nothing but outstanding. The kick off went straight into touch and a Penallta scrum on half way followed. From a solid base, Number 8 Mark Jones broke and fed scrum half Aeron Bidgood. Bidgood sprinted outside the back row cover and sidestepped past the Brecon midfield. With just the full back to beat, he fed supporting full back Davies who scored under the posts and Corns converted with the last act of the half.

The second half could not have started much more poorly from a Brecon standpoint. Andrew Hosie claimed the ball brilliantly at the kickoff and Brecon won a penalty only for them to see it reversed because of an unnecessary comment. Penallta kicked to the corner and a well worked line out move allowed them to drive over.

In spite of the reverses Brecon battled hard and could have scored themselves when Jake Newman counter attacked from deep. He broke through the first up tackles and reached the home 22 before cover closed him down. His inside pass wasn’t held and the chance was lost.

Brecon were now holding on and resisted until the final 10 minutes when the pressure of almost constant pressure finally told. Penallta hammered home their advantage with three converted tries to comfortably proceed into the third round of the Plate in which they are sure to be a force to be reckoned with. Brecon by contrast have to re-group and prepare for their Mid-district Plate match at Senghenydd on Friday evening.

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