Fixture

Pontrhydyfen RFC welcomed South Gower RFC to the Oakwood playing fields on a cold but sunny Wednesday evening for the re-arranged league game. The kick-off was delayed by 30mins as South Gower was waiting on a couple players to arrive before they would agree to start the game.

The game turned out to be a pulsating thrilling game of rugby with the lead changing hands no less than 7 times in what turned out to be real tussle for superiority, as a win would promote the winning team several places up the league table.

Playing into the wind Ponty opened the scoring with a beautiful struck penalty kick by fly-half Aaron Jones just inside the Gower half, 3-0 with 10mins played.

Gower struck back with a converted try when a poor kick chase and a missed tackle allowed the Gower backs run back at us, scoring after several pic and go’s on the Ponty line, score 3-7.

The lead changed again when fly-half Arron Jones made a line break from the halfway line and was too powerful for the covering Gower fullback and crossed for a try in front of the Gower posts, converted by himself, score 10-7.

This wouldn’t be the last score of the half as Gower broke out of their own half to run in a try down the touchline which went unconverted.

Half-time Pontrhydyfen 10 South Gower 12

Ponty were now playing the second half with the wind at their backs and were hoping to use the elements to gain possession and territory.  Ponty was awarded a penalty just in the Gower half and up stepped Arron Jones to convert to give Ponty back the lead 13-12.

Ponty were using the elements well and were keeping Gower deep in their own half for long periods but unfortunately weren’t able to convert the pressure into points.

In fact, against the run of play, Gower were next to score, a converted try, when the Gower backs exploited a Ponty dog leg defensive line and cut through to score close to the Ponty posts, score now 13-19 with 10mins left on the clock.

But as had been all through the game, the score was going to change lead again, this time for the last and decisive moment.  And it was fitting that it was fly-half and man of the match Arron Jones to clinch the final try, an excellent individual try when he sliced through the Gower backline and scored in front of the Gower posts with only 2mins of the game left.

There was one final twist and unsporting act by South Gower when the Gower touch judge kept his flag down, trying to convince the referee that he had in fact missed the conversion, luckily the referee had positioned himself directly behind the kick and overruled the touch judge to award Ponty the two points and the lead.

Gower with the final play of the game restarted the game but the Ponty forwards secured the kick-off and with time up kicked the ball dead to win the game 20-19.

This wasn’t vintage Ponty but was an excellent win, in an exciting game which could have gone either way, when the result was more important than the performance.

It’s then with great regret that I have to mention the total lack of respect and courtesy shown to Pontrhydyfen RFC by South Gower RFC when not ONE single player, supporter or committee member had the decency to go back to the Ponty rugby club where food had been prepared for them and where they would’ve had a warm hospitable welcome.

One the many reasons I love and play the game of rugby is that for 80mins players smash into each other but when the final whistle goes you go and share a pint with your opposite number and this when and where friendships are made from many clubs that last many years…this has obviously escaped South Gower, when grass root clubs are struggling to survive and we see many great clubs closing, this when we should all be supporting each other.

South Gower hang your heads in shame………

Full-time Pontrhydyfen 20 South Gower 19