Fixture

After a break of seven weeks Brecon 1^st XV finally returned to competitive rugby when they travelled to the Cynon Valley to face Mountain Ash in the Coors Mid District Cup. The ground was still hard after the recent overnight frosts and there was some debate about whether the ground was safe. Eventually it was decided that the game would go ahead. Following the pre match indecision and the lack practice it could quite easily have been assumed that Brecon would get off to a slow start. That hypothesis was immediately blown apart as Brecon scored with the first move of the game.

Jake Newman put in a high, hanging kicked off. Brecon competed for the ball in the air and the ball dropped into the arms of prop Iwan Dowling Jones. He made the most of the early opportunity. He shrugged off the first attempted tackles and broke through the defensive line and then showed a remarkable turn of pace to leave the cover stranded. His score under the posts from thirty metres out gave Brecon a dream start with Jake Newman’s conversion being a formality.

Mountain Ash were visibly taken aback by the score and their problems were compounded when at the first scrum of the game they were unceremoniously driven backwards and conceded a penalty. From the penalty Brecon established an attacking platform deep in Mountain Ash territory. At first they failed to capitalise as Mountain Ash held up an attempted driving maul and then they lost a line out in an attacking position. At the time this seemed like a minor annoying failure particularly as Brecon re-imposed themselves when some great handling gave full back Owen Morgan room. His threatening run was halted but at the break down Mount were penalised. Brecon kicked for the corner but again the line out failed to deliver. Mountain Ash scrambled the ball into touch and the attack started again. Again, the line out failed to deliver good ball but Iwan Dowling Jones picked up the loose ball and made ground. Quick ball was delivered at the ruck and a neat switch between Jake Newman and centre Eifion Jones allowed the latter to crash over under the posts. Once again Newman’s conversion was a formality and within ten minutes Brecon held a fourteen point lead.

This was undoubtedly a great start with Brecon completely outplaying their opponents and so, for the Brecon contingent, it was easy to ignore the failings at the line out. From that point onwards, however, the pattern of the game changed. Mountain Ash began to gain parity and it took a great tackle from wing Ben Griffin to snuff out a dangerous run by accomplished full back Jarrod Cushion. What also became clear was that Brecon were struggling at the line out. Even when a Jake Newman interception earned a line out deep in the home 22 Brecon failed to win the line out and the opportunity was lost. That loss was compounded when Brecon lost another line out on their throw inside their own half. This time they were made to pay for their failings. Lively scrum half Morgan Cartwright triggered a dangerous attack. He drew the defence and off-loaded to supporting second row Daniel Phillips who showed great athleticism in running in for a try before the cover could get to him.

Buoyed by the score Mountain Ash looked a different side. With ample possession at the line out and with their scrum now gaining parity their half back combination of Cartwright and Callum Hall began to effectively orchestrate their attack. Brecon at the same time found it hard to penetrate the mid-field defence. There was a lot of good movement but the usual accuracy of the pass was missing and promising attacks floundered against a well organised defence. As the half wore on so Mountain Ash became more threatening and from a scrum deep in the Brecon 22 the back row drove and from the breakdown second row Mitchell Barnard drove over and Hall converted to trim the deficit to two points.

The remainder of the half was evenly contested with both sides having opportunities but failing to score. Brecon’s best chances came from another Owen Morgan incursion but the final pass could not be taken and then Ewan Williams made a great break off the back of a scrum and earned a penalty. The kick at goal just failed as it struck the upright and the half ended with just two points separating the teams.

The second half started with Mountain Ash quickly taking the lead. Second Row Archie Trevethan took the kick off cleanly and linked with Ewan Williams who made good ground. From the breakdown Brecon tried to move the ball wide but the ball was dropped and Brecon conceded a penalty and Hall’s successful kick gave the home side a slender one-point lead.

With the Mountain Ash pack now imposing themselves at the breakdown and with the line out problems continuing Brecon found it difficult to provide good attacking ball for the backs. This led to frustration and out of that frustration Brecon gifted Mountain Ash a converted try. Trying to move the ball wide in their own 22, a simple pass was dropped and Mountain Ash centre Jamie long pounced to score.

Brecon, now eight points adrift, had to hit back if they were to come away with a victory at the home of a side that has only lost one competitive game this season. They gave it their all and they got close. Owen Morgan almost made the line only to lose the ball at the last moment. Iwan Dowling Jones, who had a great all-round game, was held up just short. Ewan Williams threatened and Ryan Price was just put into touch as he closed in on the try line. However, although the effort could not be faulted the clinical finish was not there as attack after attack floundered on the rock solid home defence and it was the home side that celebrated at the final whistle having come back from an early 14 point deficit to earn their progression into the next round of the Cup.