News

CRYMYCH 15   NEWCASTLE EMLYN 15

Everyone expected this SWALEC Plate match to be a close encounter between two sides renowned for playing attractive rugby. With both sides having scored a converted and unconverted try each, the sides found themselves at the end of full time faced with the prospect of twenty minutes extra time during which period both sides created chances but were unable to convert them into points. When referee Andrew Davies eventually blew for full time it was the visitors who were pronounced victors courtesy of the competition rules and now progress to the last sixteen of the competition.

The recent rain had made the playing surface heavy underfoot and coupled with the cold weather and narrow pitch it was not conducive to Emlyn’s free flowing open brand of rugby. Having said that Crymych have rightly gained a reputation for being extremely competitive and a very difficult side to score against, especially on their home ground.

Emlyn started well and were awarded an early penalty wide out which Dan Davies was unable to convert. However all the early pressure was coming from the young red and whites pack who were scrummaging solidly and winning a steady stream of possession at the line out from second row Dyfed Morgan. A lineout ten metres out from the Crymych line saw a front peel move called and massive prop Gethin Davies took the ball around the front of the line and looked certain to deliver a try scoring pass to hooker Bedwyr Davies. Unfortunately the pass went behind Davies and a good chance was lost.

Then slightly against the run of play some poor defending by Emlyn saw Crymych in the Emlyn twenty-two metre area. Outside half Sam Phillips orchestrated things beautifully for the home side bringing forwards on to the ball well to attack the Emlyn line. When he had a dart he found second row Andrew Phillips in support for the big forward to crash over under the posts for the opening try converted by Phillips.

Emlyn came straight back at Crymych from the restart and camped in their twenty two. With the pack supplying scrum half Iwan James with quality ball, outside half Rhidian Harries began to bring his outside backs into play. A cross field run by Harries with a number of dummy runners coming off him totally confused the Crymych defence and centre Dan Davies crossed for a try under the posts without a hand being laid on him. The try was converted by winger Dan Davies to bring the scores level.

Disaster struck a few minutes later when around the twenty minute mark referee Andrew Davies sent both Emlyn flankers Patterson and Powell to the sin bin within four minutes of each other, for offences at the breakdown. Fortunately for the red and whites the home side were unable to capitalise on the situation as the visitors defended with determination and no little skill and organisation. Full back Shaun Leonard, renowned for his attacking prowess showed that he can not only defend but organise the defence from his position at the back. Defensively Leonard had probably his best game to date for the red and whites pulling off at least four try saving tackles as the last line of defence during the game.

The loss of the two flankers disrupted the rhythm of the side and the Emlyn forwards, even when they returned to action, found the going difficult against the spirited, well organised Crymych eight. A period of sustained pressure by Crymych as half time approached led to Crymych’s next score when full back Carwyn Jones entered the line at pace to score an unconverted try wide out on the stroke of half time.

Playing with a breeze at their backs in the second half the Emlyn supporters expected their side to exert some control over proceedings. However some three minutes into the half prop Gethin Davies found himself collecting a yellow card and Emlyn were reduce to fourteen men once more. The introduction of Alex Williams from the bench made a great deal of difference to the visitors as he began to carry the ball powerfully and gave the Emlyn attack some direction.

Winger Dan Davies narrowed the gap to two points with a penalty awarded against Crymych for not rolling away from the tackle, and the red and whites started to look more like a side who are second in the League. Centre Dan Davies made a lovely break from a scrum on the half way line and it took a fine tackle by Carwyn Jones to stop a certain try.

The Crymych line was put under a great deal of pressure as Emlyn launched wave after wave of forward drives from rucks and mauls. Twice they were stopped inches from the line and found themselves conceding penalty kicks enabling Crymych to clear their line. Opting for a scrum five rather than attempting the penalty wide out saw the red and whites penalised when going for the pushover try.

Crymych managed to get out of their half on the half hour mark and full back Carwyn Jones dropped a goal from thirty five metres to increase the hosts lead to five points. With time running out Emlyn became desperate in their attempts to score a try. Shaun Leonard brought off a magnificent try saving tackle on Crymych’s flying winger Nic Bevan when an Emlyn pass was intercepted on the half way line and the winger looked certain to score.

With the last play of the game Emlyn again went through the phases but this time they moved the ball wide and an excellent pass from Harries put flying winger Llyr Jones over in the corner for an unconverted try, to tie the scores.

Extra time arrived and two very tired sets of forwards went at it again and although neither side managed a score it was not without either side creating  opportunities. Llyr Jones was a fingertip away on two occasions from catching Harries cross kicks to score. Winger Bevan for Crymych looked to have scored only to be judged to have been held up over the line by the Emlyn defence.  However despite their efforts the winning score did not arrive and it was left to the rule book to decide who the victors were going to be.