Fixture

Ynysybwl RFC | 1st Team 14 - 22 Brecon RFC | 1st Team
Jake Mitchell Newman
1 Try
Ryan Price
1 Try
Jake Crockett
1 Try
Dean Gunter
2 Conversion
1 Penalty

Match Report
04 April 2019 / Team News

Ynysybwl 14 - Brecon 22

There is no doubt that Wednesday’s re-arranged League match at Ynysybwl was an, “After the Lord Mayor’s Show,” affair. The match didn’t have the glamour of the Plate semi-final. The floodlights, which barely penetrated the gloom of a dark cold evening, didn’t help and Brecon, perhaps understandably, suffered from the exertions of the previous weekend and the short turn around. There was also a certain disruption to the team in an effort to protect players and yet as far as League ambitions were concerned this, and every match from now on, bears immense significance. Brecon have designs on a League/Cup double but the demands this puts on the team are enormous. One slip up could be disastrous and the match at Ynysybwl certainly was a potential banana skin. Against a very competent team whose performance belied their lowly league position, Brecon had to dig deep to emerge victorious. For the first time this season, Brecon trailed their opponents at half time. Twice after taking the lead they were overhauled and it was only in the final quarter that they showed mental determination and physical strength to pull away to a very important victory.

The game started positively for the visitors. Will Prosser and scrum half Dan Hiscocks, on his 1st XV debut, made impressive breaks which should have led to scores. This was followed by an outstanding run along the touch line by second row Darren Witcomb but, uncharacteristically, Brecon made errors and failed to capitalise. Handling was not as secure as normal and kicks often failed to find their intended spaces. After 20 minutes Brecon finally registered a score. From a scrum in centre field on the 22 Brecon moved the ball left and full back Jake Newman broke through to score out wide.

This score should have lifted Brecon to a higher level of performance.  Unfortunately this didn’t materialise as ambitious passes failed to reach their target. As Ynysybwl benefitted from Brecon’s mistakes, so their confidence grew and they showed that they would not easily be brushed aside. When they earned a penalty from a turn-over they went for a line out in the corner. The first attempted driving maul was resisted but they maintained possession and after a series of drives towards the line they took the lead with a deserved converted try.

The remainder of the half was fairly evenly balanced with both sides finding it difficult to maintain continuity on a distinctly gloomy evening.

Brecon’s coaching team of Andy Powell, Matthew Lewis and Matthew J Watkins certainly harangued their charges at half time and Brecon emerged after the break with a positive approach. Jake Newman made the first decisive break and although no score resulted it set the tone for the next period. When Eifion Jones broke in his own half he found support on the wide outside and his pass to Ryan Price gave the wing the opportunity to display his pace. He raced away from the home defence to score under the posts. Dean Gunter converted.

Having restored their lead, all be it by a small margin, there was hope that Brecon would forge ahead towards a bonus point. That was to ignore the strength and capabilities of their opponents and they were soon in deficit once again when the home scrum half made the most of a mix up at the base of a Brecon scrum. The conversion restored Ynysbwl’s lead and Brecon faced an uphill fight if they were to pull off the necessary victory.

Brecon pressed hard but failed to cross the line and Ynysybwl claimed a couple of excellent turn overs to relieve the pressure. Finally Brecon won a kickable penalty and Dean Gunter did what was needed to put Brecon ahead by a single point.

Youth prop Josh Hamilton joined the fray from the bench and at his first scrum demonstrated his promise as the Ynysybwl scrum was rolled back. James Hellard made a nice break but with time running out Brecon found it hard to put their opponents away. When that did eventually happen it came from a mistake. The excellent home full back for once failed to gather a rolling ball amidst the gloom of the evening. Jake Crockett pounced, claimed the ball and raced away to score. Dean Gunter converted beautifully from the touch line to give Brecon a two score lead which they held to the final whistle.

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