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01 March 2015 / Team News

Tenby inflict third defeat o Emlyn

TENBY 23    NEWCASTLE EMLYN 18

On a wet windy Saturday Emlyn’s hopes of winning this League were given a real jolt by a spirited and determined Tenby side.  The home side have had an inconsistent season but showed on Saturday what a force they can be in this Division when all their players with Premiership and Championship experience are available to them. They not only outscored Emlyn by three tries to two but showed a determination and organisation in defence which Emlyn have not encountered too often this season.

Having said that, the visitors did not do themselves any favours by some poor discipline and terrible decision making in open play. Emlyn played nearly half the game with only fourteen men on the field as Swansea referee Greg Morgan was nothing if not quick in handing out cards. Centre Alun Howells received the first yellow for a ruck infringement just before half time, followed at the start of the second half by lock Arwel Davies for repeated line out offences. No sooner were Emlyn back to fifteen men than replacement second row Bleddyn Davies received a red card, having only been on the field for a minute, for allegedly kicking an opponent.

As often happens in tight games the fifty-fifty calls did not go the way of the visitors, and the normally excellent Morgan did not enjoy one of his better games. The home side got away with continually slowing down Emlyn ball at the ruck and on two occasions in the first half both of Emlyn’s Dan Davies’ looked to be tackled early when receiving try scoring passes. The referee ruling a knock-on on both occasions.

Playing with the strong wind at their backs Emlyn got off to an excellent start with Shaun Leonard opening the scoring after just two minutes with a penalty from the halfway line. This was quickly followed by a try from a scrum inside the Tenby twenty two when the ball was moved wide to allow winger Dan Davies to cross for a try in the corner. Two minutes later Davies extended Emlyn’s lead with another penalty as the visitors, using the wind well, camped in Tenby’s twenty two.

But Tenby prompted by their scrumhalf Jonathan Rogers were not going to lie down and let Emlyn dominate the game as they had done in the previous fixture. The scrum half began to get his forwards running on to the ball and retaining possession very well into the wind. Led by their powerful number eight Rob Weston they managed to place the Emlyn defence under a great deal of pressure. Emlyn did not help their own cause by falling off tackles and instead of using the big boot downfield to gain territory preferred the chip over the top, a tactic that seemed to play into the home teams hands.

Probably, bearing in mind the final score, the crucial score of the game came around the twenty minute mark when Emlyn were penalised at a ruck on the halfway line. Rogers took a quick tap, Tenby moved the ball wide and then back infield to the supporting Rogers who crossed for an excellent try in the corner.   

With time running out in the half and Emlyn down to fourteen men they showed tremendous character by raising their game and encamping in the Tenby half. Their second try was somewhat fortuitous when it came, an attack down the right wing saw full back Leonard chip into the visitors twenty two. The ball was gathered by the Tenby outside half Toby Smith whose attempted clearance kick into the strengthening wind was charged down by Leonard. The full back had the presence of mind to pick the ball up and fed supporting winger Dan Davies who crossed for his second try and ran around behind the posts to make his conversion relatively simple.

The question on the minds of everyone at half time was – would thirteen points be enough of a lead? With the wind strengthening and rain starting to fall a Rogers penalty for the home side after two minutes soon answered that question in the negative. The Tenby half backs Rogers and Smith used the wind effectively and then brought powerful centre Jack Guerreiro into the game with some strong runs. The Emlyn defence began to creak and after some ten minutes play a run by the centre back into the Emlyn forwards saw him create enough room for right wing Jordan Asparassa to cross for Tenby’s second try.

Down to fourteen men for the rest of the game Emlyn showed a great deal of character and came back at the home side. Some strong runs by flanker Gareth Patterson and Arwel Davies took play into the Tenby half but a number of attacking situations went begging when either the ball was lost in contact or the wrong option was taken out wide. Patterson and co-flanker Owain Powell were outstanding in the work they did in the loose, but too often they were greatly outnumbered at the breakdown.

 Emlyn’s talented back line were guilty of over doing the kicking game especially when playing into the wind. Twice the chip ahead was employed in the Tenby twenty two instead of the player accepting the tackle and recycling the ball. When Tenby cleared their lines with huge kicks downfield, their kick chase was not great but instead of using supporting players to play two versus one, the backs opted to go on their own and were easily closed down.

A feature of the game was the sometimes ferocious tackling of the home side. When Emlyn looked to use their forwards to carry close to the rucks they often found themselves driven backwards by three/four tacklers. They eventually did manage to put a series of rucks together and looked to have scored a try only for scrum half Mike Jones to be ruled to have knocked the ball on as he dived for the line.

Tenby came back at Emlyn and with five minutes to go scored their third try. After a series of rucks in the Emlyn twenty two the ball was moved wide by the home side and number eight Rob Weston appeared on the left wing and had enough pace and strength to cross in the corner. Preston then stepped up and allowed for the wind to convert the try from the touchline to give the home side the lead for the first time.

Roared on by their enthusiastic supporters there was no way Tenby were going to allow Emlyn back into the game. Strong runs by props Gethin and Emrys Davies, gained some ground for the red and whites who were then awarded a penalty on the half way line. Instead of going for touch and the catch and drive Emlyn went for the posts and Leonard’s effort unfortunately was well wide of the mark. From the long clearance kick Emlyn’s attempt to run back saw a chip ahead catch all the forwards offside and Rogers duly kicked another penalty to seal the home sides deserved victory.  

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