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Match Report: Cardiff Quins 24 Taff's Well 32

Callum Wheeler hit a personal 22 point haul as Taff's Well Firsts dug out a great win away against the impressive Cardiff Quins in their Division 2 East Central clash, to extend their recent run of form.

Travelling the short distance South along the Taff, the 'Well arrived at the Diamond Ground in good form, but would have been wary of the hosts' great start in the league, having been promoted this year from Div 3. The skies were blue and conditions were great for rugby as Taff's struck first, a period of pressure from the kick off resulting in a penalty kick that Outside Half Callum Wheeler converted. 0-3 to the visitors. 

It didn't take the hosts long to show why they were flying high in the league, and after some eye-catching rugby, the fine interplay between forwards and backs was finished with a try in the corner. A tough kick for the Quins out half - a recurring theme of the afternoon - was missed.  Quins 5 - Taff's 3. This marked a period where the hosts were very much on top, comfortable with ball in hand and kicking sensibly to put Taff's under pressure. A further Quins attack drew a penalty, which they converted easily in front of the posts. Quins 8 - Taff's 3.

Halfway through the first half and a moment that arguably swung the game in Taff's favour. The Quins' tight-head prop, who had been having a fantastic game in the set piece and in the loose, was injured and needed to be replaced. Up to this point, there had been parity at scrum time but this unfortunate incident turned the tide toward Taff's Well. We wish their player well.

Very soon after, Taff's Well got their first try of the day. Playing some neat rugby, showing good handling and strong running, and with great patience, they made their way into their hosts' 22 and then the five metres. Taff's Well's number 8 and skipper Calyde Mullock picked up from the ruck and carried strongly over the line from close quarters. Wheeler converted from between the posts. Quins 8 - Taff's 10

Momentum soon shifted back to Quins however, whose back three were comfortable fielding ball in the deep and making good kicking/running decisions to keep Taff's defence guessing. After some good drives up the park, Taff's were caught in successive penalties, and broke the referee's patience with a deliberate infringement defending their 22. A yellow card for the visitors, and an easy three pointer for the hosts. Quins 11 - Taff's 10

Taff's rallied well with a man in the sin-bin and, with the forwards certainly getting on top at set piece time, scored their second try of the match on the stroke of half time. This time, a rare decision making error from the Quins saw them spin two speculative passes wide from very deep, the second going to ground behind their own try line. Taff's Well centre Connor Walsh was sharpest to pounce and got the five-pointer for the Men in Black. Wheeler converted, Quins 11 - Taff's 17 at half time.

The to-and-fro started from the off in the second half, Quins putting a devilish kick in behind Taff's defence, and, with the classic bounce of the rugby ball, they were able to kick ahead and dot down over the try line, much to the chagrin of Taff's centre Matthew Minty who adamantly protested to the referee he got to the ball first. Another tough conversion attempt narrowly missed by Quins 10, and the score was 16 - 17.

Taff's struck next with another fine penalty conversion from Callum Wheeler, but early second half momentum was with Quins and they scored their third try of the game with some sublime handling out the back to get a score in the corner. The Quins 10 would've loved the five-pointer, but been keen for a simpler conversion! Ten mins gone in the second half, a slender lead for the hosts, 21-20.

Taff's Well President Phil Steele attended the game and remarked afterwards "the piano movers of Taff's beat the piano players of Quins". Indeed, the Taff's forwards had now become fairly dominant at scrum time, the evergreen front row centurions Gareth Gibbs and Matthew Desmier ably assisted by Jacob A in the first half and Robin Sellwood in the second. It would be unfair to single out any forwards - in the first or second half-  as a pack they were collectively immense.

As the half wore on, this forward dominance paid, and as Quins' defence suffered, the magician and Man of the Match Callum Wheeler made them pay. First he converted a penalty, then a drop goal, then another penalty in a ten minute spell that took the visitors out beyond two scores to 21 - 29.

Into the final 10 mins and the Quins weren't done; from a restart they regathered the ball and slotted a penalty of their own to bring the game within a score, 24-29 . But Taff's were dogged and undeterred, and after yet another crushing scrum for the away side, pressure told on the Quins defence and they conceded a penalty out wide. It wasn't a surprise to see the confident Wheeler step up and slot the score - 24-32 and the match was done. Taff's up to a season-high 3rd in the table, Quins close behind in 5th.

A fantastic game of contrasting styles, the first in a trilogy this season with Taff's at the Diamond again next week to face Quins in the Cup. You'd be a fool to miss it!

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