Fixture

Penallta RFC | 1st Team 29 - 16 Brecon RFC | 1st Team
Matthew Flanagan
Try 1
Matthew Brewer
Try 1
Andrew Jenkins
Try 1
Andre Soroko
Conversion 2
Try 1
Ross Morgan
Try 1
Jake Mitchell Newman
1 Try
Gari Davies
1 Conversion
3 Penalty

Match Report
15 November 2015 / Team News

Penallta 29 - Brecon 16

Brecon travelled to face league leaders Penallta knowing that their opponents would be looking for a big win after they suffered their first defeat of the season in their last league match. With rain being driven on by a strong wind and with the ground saturated it was a relief to know that the match had been switched to the Ystrad Mynach  4G artificial pitch. This meant that, in spite of the wind and the rain, ground conditions would be good and both teams would be encouraged to play. The end result was an excellent game of rugby with Penallta showing why their all round game has served them so well over the past few seasons, while Brecon responded well to the challenge and pushed their opponents hard.

Although Brecon came away with no points they acquitted themselves well and even led by 16 points to 12 with 20 minutes of the game remaining. They fell away a little in that final quarter, conceding three tries under Penallta pressure but will have been hearted by their performance.

Penallta from the outset showed intent to use their pacey backs in the belief that they could use the width of the pitch to outflank Brecon. When Brecon matched them both in defence an attack they employed another weapon in their armoury. Their driving maul and control at the line out caused Brecon problems and led to scores. By contrast when Brecon secured an attacking position deep in the home 22 their driving maul was not as effective and they could not match their opponents efficiency in that area and came away empty handed.

A number of players showed up well for Brecon side which is struggling to climb out of the bottom four. Davey Herdman had his usual dynamic game after his injury lay-off and his back row partner, Ewan Williams was outstanding. Eifion Jones and Rob Price had excellent games both in attack and defence and Gari Davies got his back line working well while, at scrum half, Deri Williams gave a very good account of himself in his first full 80 minute appearance with the 1st XV this season.  

Playing into the wind, Brecon knew that they would face early pressure and were well prepared. An early Penallta attack was halted when Davey Herdman stole the ball and broke away. Brecon immediately showed that they were not going to be intimidated by the pace and confidence of their opponents and carried the game to Penallta. A lovely switch inside from Gari Davies led to an Eifion Jones break, which was halted just short of the line. Brecon did score to take the lead when Gari Davies kicked a penalty but in some ways were disappointed to come away with just the three points.

Stung by this early setback Penallta attacked first through their driving line out which Brecon held up just short of the line and then by sweeping the ball wide. Brecon resisted and cleared to half way but a clumsy tap back in the line out, put Brecon under all sorts of pressure and finally outside half Jonny Wright broke through to score in the corner.

The play that followed was fluent and surprisingly free from errors considering the wet slippery ball. Both sides went for width but defences held firm until Penallta finally found the way around the outside allowing right wing Elliott Keep to score in the corner and Wright kicked the conversion.

This was an anxious moment for the Brecon supporters as they wondered whether Penallta would now break away but the anxiety was unnecessary as Brecon worked their way back into the game. They gained territory and eventually were rewarded with a second Gari Davies penalty.

With Brecon’s front row of Ryan Harris, Elgan Lewis and Gareth Owens matching their opponents in the scrum and with Danny Howe and Daffydd Thomas working hard from the second row Brecon matched their opponents for the remainder of the half to go into the break just six points down.

Starting the second half with the wind at their backs Brecon looked to control territory. The pressure they applied led to a penalty and Davies reduced the arrears to just three points.

With the game beginning to swing in their favour Brecon deservedly took the lead. Andrew Hosie and Ewan Williams combined to steal a turn-over in the Brecon half and Jake Newman put in a high kick. Penallta failed to cover the kick which hung on the wind and Newman was first to the bouncing ball. He hacked through and clear of the defence. With the ball bouning awkwardly in front of him he showed great composure in waiting to collect and dive over for the try. Davies converted and gave Brecon the lead.

For some time Brecon held their lead and threatened but gradually Penallta began to sustain pressure and gain territory. With less than twenty minutes remaining they kicked a penalty to the corner. Their line out drive was halted illegally and from a quick tap penalty prop Andrew Dix drove over to give the home side a slender one point lead.

The build up to that try pointed the way forward for the Penallta team and once they gained a line out on the Brecon 22 there was no doubt about what would ensue. The maul was driven and finally halted on the Brecon line but Penallta were not to be denied and when the ball emerged from the collapsed maul, scrum half Matthew Flanagan darted over and Wright again converted.

Brecon battled back but Penallta were now taking control of the game and scored a final try when left wing Matthew Brewer outflanked the Brecon defence. Now with the game all but decided Brecon spent the final minutes pressing in the home 22. In areas of the game where Penallta had been clinical, Brecon failed to score and the entertaining game ended as Penallta cleared the ball to touch. In spite of the loss Brecon will have been heartened by the performance and will look forward to the challenge that Senghenydd will pose at Parc de Pugh next Saturday 

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