Fixture

Taffs Well RFC | 1st Team 22 - 20 Abercwmboi RFC | 1st Team
shaun davies
2 Conversion
2 Penalty
Gavin Hay
1 Try
Adam Philip Stacey
1 Try

Match Report
26 January 2020 / Team News

Taff's Well Secure Double Over Rivals Abercwmboi in Tense 22 - 20 Finish

Taff’s Well RFC 22 – 20 v Abercwmboi RFC

Yet another dramatic and full-blooded encounter between these two old adversaries starting with a pre-match blow for the home side as influential outside-half Morgan Hayward pulled out minutes before the start with a leg injury. With full-back Ronan Barrett slotting in at the crucial No. 10 position, it would be Abercwmboi who would make all the early running as they raced into a 10 – 0 lead before left-wing Mike Lindon used his strength to shrug off would-be tacklers and cross under the posts for Barrett to convert. Taff’s Well were struggling with discipline and a 11-1 against first-half penalty count at one point but tenaciously kept themselves in the hunt as the visitors clung onto a 13 – 12 half-time lead as Captain and No. 8 Max Watkins crossed to add to the home try tally.

Both teams were aggressive in defence and you felt that mistakes would be the difference which proved to be the case as a weak tackle attempt in the Abercwmboi defence allowed Barrett to ghost through to convert his own try and give Taff’s Well the lead for the first time in the game at 19 - 13. With the clock ticking down at the business end of the proceedings, a chip through from the visitors saw the ball bounce awkwardly to be re-collected and taken across the whitewash for outside-half Mason Williams to add the extras and seemingly secure the win, much to the delight of the travelling support. But the refusal to lie down would be rewarded with a late penalty award from referee Martyn Jones which held a total hush over the ground as Barrett stepped up as kicker-by-proxy to hold his nerve and calmly convert from 30m out to seal a man-of-the-match performance for him and an eighth win of the campaign for the men in black.

You would expect nothing less from these two sides as they fought to a standstill in a very tight encounter with tries resulting from exerted pressure and the slightest losses of concentration in defence as second-row Ben Atkin continually made hard yards through the 10 channel and flanker Ben Wood once again outstanding, tackling everything that moved. Big crowd and a game played in a good spirit despite the ferociousness of the occasion which eventually saw Taff’s Well take the win and consolidate fifth position in the league and secure the first-ever league double over Abercwmboi.  The next game will be against Caerphilly at the Vetro Recruitment Stadium on Sat. 15th Feb with the boys looking to build on their close earlier season win over the Cheeseman.

What they said…

’ Can I say a big thank you to everyone at Taffs Well Rugby Club for a fantastic welcome and the hospitality you showed me today, it was very much appreciated. Great game of rugby with neither team giving an inch, great advert for grassroots rugby.’ Martyn Jones - Referee

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