News

03 October 2017 / Team News

Aberavon Away

Aberavon Quins 16  Ammanford 15

Ammanford visit to Aberavon looking for their third win of the season failed as the ball drifted just wide of the upright with the final kick of the game.

Both sides tried to play as much open rugby as they could considering how bad the weather was. At times this was not the best option and in trying to do this from their own half Ammanford gave away an early penalty and went behind 3-0.

Aberavon Quins scored a lovely worked try from a 22m attacking scrum. The ball was moved into midfield and a looping scrum half helped by decoy runners created space for the blind side wing to slice through and put the fullback over, 8-0.

Ammanford came back into the game with some incisive carries by flanker Emyr Price and winger Dafydd Pritchard, who at every opportunity was coming off his wing looking for work. With pressure building the visitors won a penalty which outside half Steffan Roberts, slotted over, 8-3. It was nice to see Steff back after his nasty clash left him with a dozen stitches in a head wound.

The one aspect of the Ammanford’s season to date is the strength of its scrummaging and this was again helped clear the lines when under pressure. However, the home three-quarter were very inventive and from an attacking line out some slick handling and off the ball running saw an inside pass again find the blindside wing take the ball at full tilt, linking with his openside wing for the second try of the game, 13-3.

After half an hour Ammanford finally started to get to grips with the game and pressure on the home side saw the ball charged down by Roberts with wing Pritchard winning the race to ground the ball, Roberts slotted a fine conversion from out wide, 13-10. This was to be the score at the end of the half.

Ammanford as in previous games this season started the second half well and from an attacking 22m lineout the ball was moved into midfield and a strong carry pulled in enough of the home defence, that when scrum half Alex Davies switched play back to the blind he found flanker Price who put second row Liam Baker crashing over in the corner, this gave Ammanford the lead, 13-15.

Both teams played positive attacking rugby although caked in mud, but both sides were guilty of rushing things as they got close to the opponents line and blew several half chances. The scored stayed the same until the last 5 minutes where a strong Ammanford scrum drove the disintegrated home team back 15m, but for some unknown reason the referee penalised Ammanford and from there they worked their way up the touch line to win a penalty wide out. To the surprise of most watching they turned down the chance of an attacking lineout for a difficult touch line kick at goal. This proved to be the correct decision with the home outside half calmly slotting it over to regain the lead, 16-15. With time running out Ammanford came storming back and won a penalty in front of the posts, 40m out. Unfortunately Roberts with his last kick of the game pushed the ball a foot wide and the relieved home side hung on for a win.

Next Saturday the First team travel to Maesteg Celtic for the first round of the WRU Plate competition

There doesn't appear to be any tagged photos.

Upload and Tag Photos

Comment
You must be signed in to add comments
Comments
|