Fixture

Following on from two comfortable home wins, Brecon travelled to Brynmawr to face a much sterner test, and one which could have a major influence on the final league placings of a disrupted season. Certainly, Brecon were under no illusions as they set off on their journey to the home of former Breconshire rivals. This was a clash between the second and third placed teams in the league and with both teams eager to claim one of the three promotion places. Brynmawr, holding second place behind Newbridge, had a fifteen-point advantage over third placed Brecon. They had also travelled to Brecon on 17^th March and held the home side to a 15 points all draw, after having dominated the first half. Now playing at home and with a recent record of just that draw and two losses to Newbridge in their last 14 matches, they were undoubtedly formidable opponents. In spite of the fact that Brecon had played six games less than their opponents this was still a must win game. Games in hand are all very well, but those games have to be won, and with a post New Year record of four wins one draw and three defeats, Brecon could not afford allow their opponents to move further away, or to allow chasing Penallta, just three points adrift, to catch and overtake them. This background put considerable pressure on the playing and coaching team but there were hopeful signs. The two previous emphatic victories helped to build confidence. Training under the direction of Dale McIntosh, Gavin Dacey and Owen Sheppeard had gone well and after a very wet week, the weather had at last relented and turned Spring like.

The game kicked off in balmy conditions. Spring sunshine flooded the ground and there was little or no wind. While the ground was still slightly heavy after recent rains, it generally provided a good surface to play on and in front of a good crowd, with great travelling support, Brynmawr kicked off playing up the slope. Undoubtedly, Brynmawr started the better of the two sides. For the first six minutes Brecon were forced to defend. That defence was effective and it laid a platform for what was to come later in the game. Prominent within this, and the later defensive effort, was flankers Matthew Williams and Ioan Edwards together with prop Richie Davies and hooker Aneurin James. Dwarfed by their opponents they made a huge contribution to Brecon’s game, with their energy and willingness to carry and their nuisance value at the breakdown. It was from a great Matthew Williams tackle and Ioan Edwards counter-ruck that Brecon finally gained good possession and territory, and immediately they started to show that their back line was far the quicker and sharper than their opponents. When Jake Crockett chased and caught Brynmawr full back M Rankine, the home side were forced to scramble to clear their lines and Brecon were offered an attacking line out on the home 22. Ioan Edwards delivered off the top and Dion McIntosh brought brother Logan onto the ball with a short flat pass. The defence just held the McIntosh charge but when Ioan Edwards delivered quick ball off the next phase, there was space out wide. A great Dion McIntosh pass to Crockett and a well-timed pass to Darran Harris was enough. He ran outside his opposite number and stepped inside the full back to score in the corner. Dion McIntosh gave Brecon an early seven-point lead with a great touchline conversion.

Brynmawr attempted to respond by moving the ball to their big strike runners in mid-field but the line speed and tackling of Brecon’s defence including Ollie Lewis, Tom Richards, Jake Crockett and Ben Griffin prevented the home side from making any headway. By contrast when Brecon had ball in hand, they were accurate and dangerous. Another big Dion McIntosh pass gave Darran Harris another opportunity and he again ran past two or three opponents before being brought down just short of the line. Momentum was with Brecon now and they were not to be denied. When the next score came it came as a result of a great individual effort. After a period of continuity, Ioan Edwards was brought down on the Brynmawr ten metre line. Jake Crockett was first in support and he picked and broke past the first line of defence and then stepped past the cover to score under the posts for an easy McIntosh conversion.

While Brynmawr’s attacks continued to struggle to threaten, Brecon continued to look dangerous. Richie Davies made a run that almost took him over and then McIntosh extended the lead with a penalty kick. As the game entered the final minutes of the half, Brecon held a seventeen-point lead and looked comfortable. The final minutes, however, posted a warning. The Brynmawr scrum was beginning to gain the upper hand and when they won a penalty at that phase they kicked to the corner. The position was threatening but Ioan Edwards stole the possession and the half ended with Brecon with a comfortable lead.

The pattern of the game in the second half changed. Brynmawr reverted to their strength. They put pressure on in the scrums, kicked for territory and once there, kept the ball tight, using their bulk to drive on. Their tactics were effective in maintaining pressure in the Brecon half but Brecon’s defence, although stretched, held firm. Sam Prosser, Alwyn Lee, Andy Nicholl and Logan McIntosh played a big part in resisting attempts to set up driving mauls in threatening positions, an area of Brecon’s game that has improved immensely since the early parts of the season. Carl Blacker also contributed with some effective tackles and Ben Griffin and Tom Richards put in a superb double tackle to prevent a score in the corner. Finally, after 25 minutes of the half, Brynmawr scored. Centre and captain J. Amphlett latched on to a chip ahead. He was brought down but from the breakdown close to the Brecon line, scrum half D Croft stole over for a try.

With fifteen minutes still to play there was some anxiety amongst the Brecon faithful but they needn’t have worried. Although Brynmawr continued to play their power game Brecon managed to lift the almost incessant siege and threatened themselves. Now, however, their accuracy wasn’t quite what it had been in the first half. Dion McIntosh missed his first kick at goal from a penalty attempt and then Tom Richards made a brilliant break from near halfway. He beat player after player but with the line in sight he was cut down and the ball was lost. Then Dion McIntosh made a break and Owen Morgan juggled with, and almost held on to a potential scoring pass. Finally, the referee blew for full time, confirming Brecon’s victory which cut Brynmawr’s points advantage over Brecon down to eleven points. Brecon will want to keep up the pressure with another away game at Dowlais next Saturday before facing unbeaten Newbridge at home on 29^th April.