Fixture

With eight 1^st team players unavailable plus a host missing from the bench, Coach Axel Rees was forced to rejig the team with a number of players playing out of position in the backs and only three forwards from last week’s starting line-up. This was an opportunity for the squad to step up against a Llandaff North side which had pushed Taff’s Well all the way in the home fixture in a game which proved to be one of the most entertaining matches of the season. With the 2^nd XV’s game against Cardiff Quin’s dissapointedly called off by The Quins at the last minute, all roads led to Hailey Park with a good sized travelling crowd making the short journey to Llandaff North and the stomping ground of ex-Taff’s Well RFC coach Dai Smith, now the coach of the home side.

The first signs were that the visitors pack was quickly gelling and it gave youth centre Jack Shaddick the early chance to get his hands on the ball and show his promise but with their first incursion into the Taff’s Well half, it was Llandaff who were to take an early lead with a sweetly struck penalty from the aptly named Rob Sweetman at outside-half from a full 40m. The riposte was to be instantaneous for as Llandaff received the kick-off, flanker Rhys Watkins arrived at the scene to superbly pillage the ball and send it along the backline to centre Justin Jones who needed no second invitation to take advantage of the hesitation of the defence and ghost through from 30m out to score close to the posts for second-row Daryl Mota to add the extras and a 7-3 lead.

Props Lloyd James & Ben Atkin have lately been playing the part of impact players off the bench with impressive effect this season but this was a chance to show what they could do from the start and along with hooker Matthew Desmier, they put in a great shift around the park as the Taff’s Well pack set about bossing the breakdown area against a good North back-row who tried their best to make it as difficult as possible for scrum-half Ashley Bonetto. From his own half, Outside-half Rhys Lott was able to nurse Taff’s Well into the North 22 with a superb kick and with Mota and second-row partner Jonathan Barry making pests of themselves in the lineout, the ball was pinched to set off an attack which was to earn the visitors a penalty on the 22m line for Mota to add another three points and pretty impressive opening period as Taff’s Well started to ramp up the pressure.

After a sustained period of recycled possession and the back-row of skipper Rhys Watkins, Lewis Edwards and first half stand-out Lee Jones in his make-shift position of No8 calling the shots, Rhys Lott produce an exquisite chip off the outside of his boot which completely wrong-footed the covering defence and enabled the fleet footed Ronan Barrett to scorch in from the wing to reach the ball first and add another five points as Mota took the score to 17-3 and an impressive start from the visitors. Llandaff were both competitive and abrasive with standouts flanker Dominic Scoble and No8 Josh Edwards giving everything to the club shirt but life was to become more difficult in the scrum as an injury in the front row was to become more telling as the game wore on especially with hooker Josh Edwards already engaged as a prop.

The home side were struggling to get either enough quality ball or good position to seriously threaten the Taff’s Well line apart from a subtle chip which saw winger Gwilym Edwards scrambling to take the ball over his own line but some in-your-face defence from the resultant attacking scrum saw the danger cleared with another monstrous Lott kick. To cap a productive half, North were adjudged to have transgressed in an offside position from a Taff’s Well attacking scrum on the home 22 and Mota duly obliged with another kick to take his first-half tally to ten and a change around score of 20-3.

                  First half score:  Llandaff North 1^st XV 3 v 20 Taff’s Well 1^st XV

                                                        Second Half

Although Taff’s Well were managing to make the North lineout a difficult affair, the scrums had been fairly even with the visitors probably just shading that area but given the hosts problems, the second half saw something of more committed approach from the North as they started to put together some phases which meant that they were able to bring their backs into the game early doors with a sweeping movement only to see the Taff’s Well defence apply enough pressure to force a forward pass 10m from the visitors line. There then followed a period of aerial ping-pong as the North probed for any weakness at the back but stand-in full-back Chris Kidley-Burgwyn did a sterling job in defence by looking safe as houses under the high ball and clearing his lines under siege.

With both defences holding sway, the game entered a stalemate phase with North centre Daniel Thomas given glimmers of hope as he took the ball up and probed on the crash ball but it was too little in the wider context of things as the Taff’s Well pack started to gain the ascendancy in the scrum and turn the screw with 20 minutes to go. After a series of drives, Taff’s Well were awarded a scrum from which flanker Watkins broke to feed centre Shaddick who strode away to outpace the defence and cross under the sticks to break the hearts of the home crowd and essentially seal the game with another conversion by Mota and the opportunity to go for a bonus pint at 27-3.

The final period saw Taff’s Well apply all the pressure seeking the fourth try bonus point and after several forceful scrums close to the North line and with substitutes Martin Detorres and Corey Phillips on in the backs and Ieuan Rees, Adam French and Conor Barrett on in the pack, the subsequent drive had the Llandaff North pack in full retreat only for referee Gareth Butler to blow up to reset on which he penalised Taff’s Well for a derogatory comment made towards a North player in what can only be described as a frank exchange of personal views! After bringing more pressure to bear close to the whitewash, the ball squirted loose over the North line for Mota to break unmarked and agonisingly miss the ball by inches as it rolled over the dead-ball line into safety.

With the clock ticking and the elusive bonus point still up for grabs, Taff’s Well pinned North back into their own half but even after another Justin Jones break after which he fed the ubiquitous (look it up) Jonathan Barry to cause panic in the North ranks - the home side did well to hold out with some tenacious defence and frustrate Taff’s Well and deny them the fourth try and the bonus point win. With time up, Taff’s Well looked frustrated as even though they had cobbled together a side which had outfought, tackled and more than done the job, their faces told a picture of the bonus point that perhaps frustratingly got away.

                   Final Score:    Llandaff North 1^st XV 3 – 27 Taff’s Well 1st XV

The Verdict

Given the set of circumstances, coach Axel Rees and his coaching team of Rhys Watkins, Gavin Close and Gerry Roberts would be both proud and delighted at not only completing the season's double over a combative North side, but the manner in which the team competed so vigorously in the breakdown area from the off; and with so many tactical decisions to be made in selection, it’s fair to say that team selection paid off so nice one guys!  With so many players missing and playing out of position, Taff’s Well managed to contain a committed home side who may be disappointed at the scoreline but can take heart in the fact that this was a good Taff’s Well performance in which the visitors were clinical in taking their chances and didn’t truthfully look like conceding a try during the match.

For Llandaff North, No8 Josh Edwards and centre Daniel Thomas did the business with Taff’s Well scrum-half Ashley Bonetto describing flanker Dominic Scoble as ‘A right pain in the *rs*’, I think you can take that as a compliment Dominic. The scrums were just about even until the last 20 minutes when the Taff’s Well pack started to get on top in most departments with the front row of James, Desmier and Atkins earning their corn (that’s set off the Llandaff supporters) with the back-row of Watkins, Jones and Edwards frustrating the North pack both in defence and on the floor.

The second row combination of Mota with his kicking boots on and Man-of-the-Match Jonathan Barry were too good for the North on the day with the latter in omnipresent (look it up) mood as he tore up the pitch contributing to almost every facet of the game. A special mention must go to stand-in No8 Lee Jones who was thorn in the side of a good Llandaff back-row and revelled in punching up the middle with some significant bust-ups.

The backs defended well with the two centres of Shaddick and Jones looking solid in both attack and defence aided and abetted by the back three of Barrett, Edwards and Kidley–Burgwyn ensuring that nothing leaked at the side or at the back. Even under pressure, the half-backs of Lott and Bonetto managed to control things when danger loomed with some masterful kicks from Lott who continually knocked Llandaff North back into their own half.

                                Press here for match day photo gallery

For the Record...

So disappointing to hear the remarks from some sections of the Llandaff North support during the game with one gentleman confidently ranting ‘You can’t beat money’, followed by ‘Don't deny it, we’ve had it from the horse’s mouth’, to finally ‘How many players in this side are actually from Taff’s Well, tell me that then?’.

Well, for the record Sir, the facts are as follows:

• Taff’s Well do not pay their players, much in the the same way as we would believe that Llandaff North does not, and a point officially authenticated by the WRU.
• Not sure about the horse but would certainly advise against betting on it.
• 16 of the match day squad of 20 came through the Taff’s Well ranks, that is to say - our Minis, Jnrs, Youth and 2nd XV or they currently live in the Taff’s Well area, something the club is very proud of.

Would respectfully suggest that a touch of due dilligence would go a long way and in answer to the group of gentlemen who commented ‘Looks like Taff’s Well have got the cheque-book out again, I don’t recognise half of these players from the game at Taff’s Well’, then:

• The reason that you didn’t recognise many of them was because there were so many players unavailable for the game which meant that their places were taken by competent and able players from our successful 2nd XV which is made up of mainly local talent, hopefully proving that our development system is really starting to work.
• Taff’s Well has the good grace to concede that Llandaff North had their own problems with injuries and unavailabiliteis, perhaps it would be a good idea to appreciate the issues of both sides and accept them for what they are.
• Both sides displayed the efforts of players who are mainly local to their clubs and we should applaud both their efforts and the fact that that they seek to represent a club which is at the heart of their community.

Good luck to Llandaff North, Dai Smith, Keith Davies (another ex-Taff's Well old boy) and all their supporters for the rest of the season after another expected tough game, look forward to locking horns again next year guys.

Dave Beese    davecbwales@gmail.com

Llandaff North 1st XV 3 v 27 Taff's Well 1st XV -  Press here for match day photo gallery