Brecon RFC

63 The Watton
Brecon
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WRU National League Division 3 South East Saturday 19th September 2009

Penarth 25 - Brecon 14

For the third time in as many weeks Brecon worked hard to create a potential match winning position only for them to fail to finally secure the win. In the first half they faced a gale. Their tactics were simple and effective. They held a tight defence, kept the ball in hand with simple short passes and capitalised on every opportunity. Their game plan paid dividends as they led by 14 points to 13 at the break and with what must have been at least a 12 point wind advantage in their favour in the second half, looked in control of the game and their own destiny.

While they had played well in the first half there was just one worry: the Brecon scrum was certainly second best. Although under pressure in the first half No 8 Lewis Smout and scrum half Paul Williams managed to secure possession, albeit on the back foot and off a very unstable platform. The problem was compounded when early in the second half hooker Martyn Jones was forced off with a damaged shoulder. The situation was still not desperate considering the way Brecon coped in the first half and with a good replacement in Jack Herring entering the reshuffled front row. However, once they allowed Penarth an early score Brecon lost their composure and lost control of the game.

The second half had to be played out deep in opposition territory. The easiest way to get there was to have used the wind, which certainly made life difficult for Brecon’s full back Rob Price in the first half. The fact that this didn’t happen was probably down to a number of factors. The far from solid scrum meant Brecon rarely had the luxury of clean ball. Then having conceded the lead, early in the half, it seemed that there was an unnecessary urgency to chase the game and score quickly, rather than showing patience and creating pressure and opportunities. As the half wore on the urgency seemed to reach panic levels and risky long passes were attempted in most unsympathetic conditions. Ultimately the inevitable happened and Brecon failed to earn a single league point for the first time this season.

The start of the game had been fairly predictable. Penarth used the wind to gain territory. Once in position they drove hard through their big forwards and centre Liam Bevan. Brecon’s defence was up to the task and held out comfortably allowing only a Bevan penalty to give the home side a slender lead.

Brecon’s dogged defence and willingness to carry the ball to the opposition earned its reward as they took and opportunist try. Have grafted to work their way up-field they pressurised their opponents who desperately tried to regain ground. Twice kicks were charged down and on the second occasion the ball broke for wing Owen Morgan. With 40 metres to go Owen showed pace and great dribbling skills as he broke clear and finally managed to gather the ball and score. Dan Edwards converted with a kick that was never easy into the teeth of the wind.

Brecon’s lead didn’t last too long. Penarth returned to the attack but again Brecon’s defence was admirable. Time and again attackers were dumped behind the gain line and when a ball broke free, scrum half Owain George was farced to scramble backwards to retrieve the situation with two Brecon players hounding him. He just managed to get to the ball first and spun out of the double hit and then found only empty space between him and the try line. Bevan converted.

Brecon restored their lead when again having worked hard to be on the offensive Dan Edwards attempted a drop goal. The ball held up in the wind and Huw Baldwin was first to the ball to score with Edwards again converting. On the stroke of half time Bevan reduced the lead to 1 point with a penalty but Brecon were certainly the happier of the two teams during the interval.

The second half certainly reversed those emotions. Penarth scored after a quick tap on the ten metre line exposed the defence. Wing James Crothers crossed in the corner and Bevan converted with a remarkable penalty that bent like a boomerang in the wind.

The final nail in the coffin came when a failure to clear their lines led to a period of concerted pressure. Time and again the forwards hammered at the line and inevitably second row Darrol Howden scored.

The lesson for the Brecon team is that they must take advantage of the elements. What seemed to be a minor aberration when they first surrendered a lead with the elements in their favour, some three matches ago, has now become a worrying feature of their play.