Fixture

Brecon travelled west to Ammanford for their rearranged Cup match with the hope that they could keep their Cup journey on track. With the tempting prospect of a home match in the Quarter Finals there was a huge opportunity for the side that would emerge as victors. With the weather calm and ground conditions good the stage was set for a classic Cup match and that was the way it played out. The match, between two very competent teams, had everything. Seven tries were scored and the lead changed hands no fewer than seven times. At the final whistle the teams could only be separated by a single point, 25 to 24. Understandably the contrast in emotions at the final whistle could not have been greater. Ammanford’s players and supporters were ecstatic both at the victory and the prospect of continuing their journey towards the Principality Stadium. For Brecon the result was heart breaking. They had dominated the second half and scored four tries to their opponents three and yet their dreams of future glory had been ripped from their grasp.

When emotions and the disappointment are put behind them and the coaching team review the game with the players there will be a lot of positives but also critical negatives. On the positive side the forwards played very well in the set pieces. The scrum was strong throughout and caused the home eight problems on a number of occasions. The line out functioned well with a number of steals against the throw and just one loss with it. From these solid bases Brecon were able to build. Two tries came at the end of well set driving mauls, a third was created when a maul sucked in the defence and the ball was then spread wide and the final try came off an attacking and advancing scrum. A number of forwards also showed up well in many phases. In the back row Ioan Edwards led the side by example with great work rate that was rewarded with two tries. Alwyn Lee in the second row was immense in so many facets of the game. His line out work was excellent and both his defensive tackling and offensive runs showed great power while the collection of the ball at the kick off, when under great pressure, was exceptional. Richie Davies, Aneurin James and Logan McIntosh ran powerfully and consistently gained good ground. With those positives Brecon should have been able to control the game and control the scoreboard. However, there was lack of accuracy enough and their handling errors allowed their sharp and clinical opponents to profit. This combined with an excellent display of goal kicking dby outside half Ryan Williams condemned Brecon to the narrow but disappointing defeat.

There could be no doubt that Ammanford, on their home turf, started the better of the two teams. For the first ten minutes they controlled possession of the ball and looked creative and willing to use the width of the pitch. Although short of possession Brecon’s defence looked sound and there were no real threats within the Brecon 22. Gradually Brecon worked their way back into the game. Tom Richards combined with Sam Hellard to threaten and Carl Blacker sparked another good attack when he took a quick tap penalty. Sam Prosser was held just short but Brecon won a penalty and had the first opportunity to open the scoring. That attempt just sailed wide and other Brecon attacks either stalled against a strong defence or were wasted as a result of some poor handling in tight situations. Working off Brecon mistakes, Ammanford looked dangerous and for periods exerted their own pressure in this evenly balanced contest.

Finally, the equilibrium was broken and it was Brecon who reaped the reward. A penalty kick towards the corner gave Brecon an attacking line out 10 metres from the line. They threatened to rumble over and sucked the Ammanford players in to defend the maul. The ball was then spread wide and Will Prosser neatly switched the ball back inside to Ioan Edwards who burst through the final remnants of the defence to score and Morgan Price added the conversion.

Brecon’s lead was short lived. Brecon surrendered a penalty on half way and Ammanford put the ball into touch on the Brecon 22. Ammanford tried to drive the maul but Brecon held firm only for lively home scrum half Alex Davies to spot that Brecon had left the blind side short of defenders. He broke into the space with left wing Ellis Lewis on his shoulder. The pass to the wing was timed to perfection and Lewis crossed unopposed to make the conversion simple.

To make matters worse for Brecon they then conceded a soft try. Brecon worked their way into the home 22 and looked threatening. However, not for the first time, a pass under pressure went astray. Ammanford picked up the loose ball and moved it quickly and accurately wide to wing Lewis who although still in his 22 was in space. He showed great pace to leave the cover stranded and scored in the corner to give Ammanford the lead.

Brecon’s response with time running out in the first half was just what was needed. Blacker sparked another attacked which was carried on effectively by Logan McIntosh and Lewis Smout. Brecon finally earned a line out on 5 metres. A short throw to Sam Prosser and a good set provided the base for a try scoring maul, with Ioan Edwards claiming his second. Brecon finished the half on the offensive with both Blacker and Sam Prosser getting close but the score didn’t come and at half time the teams were tied.

For the first fifteen minutes of the second half Brecon camped themselves deep in home territory. Off the back of good scrums and from line outs Brecon came close to taking the lead but the resilient home defence resisted and it was Ammanford who scored next. Brecon were attacking when it appeared that Ammanford knocked a pass on but it wasn’t seen and they took advantage of the loose ball as wing Lewis hacked it upfield. Finally, the ball was killed on the 22 and a penalty was awarded. Williams kicked the penalty virtually from the touchline.

Brecon promptly hit back. A great Turn Over executed by Andy Nicholl set up the position and from a line out Brecon drove over for Alwyn Lee to score. Morgan Price added the conversion to give Brecon a four-point lead. Brecon looked to extend the narrow lead into a winning one but in spite of some promising runs in which Sam Hellard, Ollie Lewis and Tom Richards were prominent Brecon had to settle for a penalty wide out on the 22 and with ten minutes to play. A big decision was now needed to be made. Do they go for goal from wide out on the touchline and the wrong side of the field for a right footed kicker or do they go for the corner and try to put the game beyond Ammanford’s reach? The decision was to go for goal. The attempt sailed just wide and Ammanford lifted the siege. They benefitted to an even greater extent when Brecon dropped the ball while trying to open up on their ten-metre line. From the scrum Ammanford probed down the blind. When held, they moved the ball amongst the forwards, drawing in the Brecon defence. They then delivered quick ball and moved it sweetly to outside centre Harrison Griffiths who just managed to squeeze over for a try which Williams converted. As was the pattern of the game Brecon hit back. They reverted back to the strength of the pack. They forced a scrum deep in the 22 and as it advanced so Logan McIntosh broke and fed Blacker who scored in the corner.

With two minutes left Brecon had a two point lead but a really poor kick ahead was gathered by Ammanford on half way. They attacked first right and then left but seemed to have been held when Sam Hellard made a good tackle on the 22 near the touchline and Brecon appeared to win the ball on the floor but they were penalised and Williams lined up the winning kick. He struck it beautifully through the middle of the posts. From the kick off, Brecon had one play to turn the result in their favour. They won the ball but after two more phases they lost possession and the game. The dream was over as they fell at the home of a very good side which will relish the prospect of a second home tie.