Fixture

Like The Rolling Stones ‘Winning Ugly’

 

Homer’s The Iliad, Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Plato’s Republic all classics but this performance, unfortunately, doesn’t sit with them.

On paper this was arguably the one of the best squad we have had all season, alas the game was played on grass. 

Llanharan RFC has a proud tradition and has produced many age group and senior Welsh team players, as the photographs in the bar attest. They have, however, fallen on hard times and were relegated last season. 

They sit bottom of the table and with Llanishen only a few places above them this was going to be vital fixture for each team’s chances of staying up.

The focused warm up didn’t marry with the error strewn opening and in the first minute an interception almost brought Llanharan a try. The scramble defence prevented this but a few phases later Llanishen conceded a penalty. 3-0 down in the first few minutes the omens were not good and this was further reinforced by the number of knock-ons and poor execution when passing.

One area of supremacy was the scrum and this was to prove vital as the game went on. A penalty, conceded at a ruck, gave Tom the chance to level the scores. He duly kicked it and then converted a further penalty a few moments later to put the Lions ahead.

Time for the lads to settle, perhaps? Regrettably this wasn’t the case as line breaks were scuppered by lax, and at times, over ambitious passing. 

The Llanharan side stepped up their intensity and over a five minute period exerted pressure to gain a successful penalty kick. Llanishen responded with a penalty of their own to re-establish a three point lead (9-6).

The resulting kick off led to the best passage of play in the first half. A blindside break and good inter-passing saw Llanharan score near the posts. The conversion was missed meaning the team went in only two points down.

 

Half Time: Llanharan  11  Llanishen 9

 

Hairdresser time as short back and sides, coupled with perms and demi-waves, along with a lot of shouting then emanated from the Lions changing room. Things were surely going to be better in the second half.

Both props were changed at half time but, aside from a more powerful scrum, little changed. The line-out functioned reasonably well and good drives were set up a number of times only for an error to bring play to a halt.

The saving grace was that knock-ons and forward passes resulted in a scrum, which Llanishen were able to win by pushing Llanharan off the ball. The dominant scrum led to two penalties in a five minute window but meant the side only held a four point lead going into the final quarter.

An injury to his brother allowed Ross onto the field and he injected a desire to go forward. Running hard and retaining the ball. In the final ten minutes Llanishen were encamped in Llanharan’s 22 but it wasn’t until a few minutes from the end that a powerful scrum allowed Alex B to pick up and score under the posts.

A collective sigh of relief but the side will need to pick up their game in the remaining five league fixtures.

Full Time: Llanharan  11  Llanishen 22

With other results, along with the win, Llanishen jumped two places in the League. Their next game, Home to Taff’s Well, could well decide how squeaky the remainder of the season will be.