Fixture

Following the frustration of the previous week where opponents, Risca, failed to raise a team, Brecon were eager to get back into action at Parc de Pugh. There had been some anxiety following a particularly wet week and heavy rain over Friday night and early Saturday morning. With eleven league games to play the last thing Brecon wanted was to lose another fixture. That anxiety proved to be unfounded as the weather improved throughout the day and by the time of the kick off the pitch was in remarkably good condition. While the improving weather helped, much credit must also be given to groundsman, Norman Williams, for the way he has maintained and presented the pitch in preparation for the match. Not only could Brecon not afford to have another match postponed, they also needed to build some momentum after what has been a disappointing start to the year. Up until the long Christmas and New Year break, Brecon’s record had been very impressive, with nine wins from nine matches in the League and Cup. Since the start of the New Year, however, form has been very patchy. They narrowly lost in the last sixteen of the Cup and recorded just two wins, a draw and two defeats in their five league matches. With an ambition of winning promotion this year, the match against Nelson was of particular importance. Although Brecon won the away match at Nelson by 22 points to 8 the home side made Brecon fight hard for the victory. The pressure was, therefore, on the home side not just to see off their opponents, but also to make a statement in order to show that they were back on track and to build confidence for the congested end of the season run.

With these questions hanging over the team, Brecon responded in the best way possible. They produced one of their most complete and clinical performances. Strategies and patterns that have been laid out by the coaching team of Dale McIntosh, Gavin Dacey and Owen Sheppeard were, for the most part, implemented effectively and efficiently and to such an extent that the battling Nelson side were blown away by the pace and power of Brecon’s game. The final score of 76 points to 5 said it all but behind that simple statistic there was an impressive set of stats. Brecon scored twelve tries, eight of which were converted. Nine players scored a try, four forwards and five backs, with centre Tom Richards claiming a hat trick. While it was an outstanding result, it wasn’t perfect. With Brecon 41 points to 5 up after just five minutes of the second half they appeared to lose focus and allowed themselves to be dragged into a more attritional battle. Accuracy was lost and the game became a far scrappier affair. With no further score in this period of fifteen minutes the game entered the final quarter and Brecon suddenly sprang back into life. A further five tries were scored, many from long range, and the team impressively took its first step back into consistency as they move on to face a tough schedule of ten games in just seven weeks.

Brecon started the match well. They dominated possession and territory but for ten minutes Nelson showed determination and resilience. Brecon threatened particularly when they managed to get the ball wide. Darran Harris, with his power and pace on the left wing, caused problems for the visitors defence each time he had the ball and it was Darran who posted Brecon’s first score. After ten minutes of almost all Brecon pressure, Harris gathered a Nelson clearing kick on halfway. He cut infield and beat opponent after opponent before scoring under the posts. Dion McIntosh converted.

It wasn’t long before Brecon scored the next. After one Driving maul was held up over the line Brecon returned into the visitors 22 and this time a repeated driving maul which provided the platform for Man of the match Alwyn Lee to score. Almost immediately Brecon added the next. This time the try was created with some wonderful hands. Scrum half Carl Blacker picked out Logan McIntosh with an accurate long pass. McIntosh took the contact and popped out a superb pass from the back of his hand to put Tom Richards over in the corner.

From the kick off Nelson won a penalty and kicked the ball into touch for their first visit into the Brecon 22. Any threat was extinguished when Alwyn Lee won the line out off the Nelson throw. Brecon were soon again on the offensive and some great work by prop Richie Davies, who was again outstanding, provided ball for Darran Harris who linked with Ben Griffin and Andy Nicholl who finished the move with an unstoppable charge. Dion McIntosh converted. Almost immediately Brecon scored again from another line out drive with Logan McIntosh this time claiming the touch down. Nelson responded to this further set back with a try of their own but Brecon left them deflated at half time when Tom Richards scored his second try, created with a lovely loop move in mid-field. McIntosh added the conversion.

The second half started with another Brecon try. The try started from deep in the Brecon half. Alwyn Lee broke near the touchline and hooker Dewi Edwards continued the move with a great run before feeding Jake Crockett who scored in the corner. Brecon then went off the boil for a period before re-finding their accuracy in the final quarter. Ben Griffin created the space and Tom Richards showed his pace as he ran in for his third. McIntosh converted and then scored and converted the next try after Ben Griffin again caused problems on the right wing.

Second row Sam Prosser scored the tenth try after Matthew Williams stole the ball at a breakdown and Chris Davies showed great hands to pop up the scoring pass. McIntosh converted this try as he did the eleventh when Eifion Jones scored after he and Crockett exchanged passes in a move that started in the Brecon half. The final score came when Jake Crockett gathered a kick on half way. He broke and the gave a lovely behind the back switch pass to Ben Griffin, who cut clean through the remnants of the Nelson defence. McIntosh kicked his eighth conversion to bring an end to an emphatic win which should give Brecon confidence for their next test when they face Monmouth at Parc de Pugh next Saturday.