Rumney v Brynmawr 29.11.03

Rumney : 15.M.Miller 14.A.N.Other 13.P.Niblett (Capt) 12.A.Jones 11.J.Offside 10.P.Carlton 9.L.Miller  1.P.Douglas  2.M.Feneck  3.C.Gale  4.T.Gee 5.M.Kelly 6.R.Sutton 7.R.Fenton 8.S.Coles  Replacements : N.Ritchie K.O'Connor E.James C.Miller

Referee : Nigel Jones, Chepstow

Scorers for Rumney : P.Niblett try, P.Carlton try and penalty and 2 conversions, S.Coles try

Scorers for Brynmawr : D.Preece try, R.Dennington try, S.Lang 2 conversions

Quick off themark, Rumney started the game by moving the ball wide, using flanker Ryan Sutton to dominate the lineout and setting up a solid defence with centre Anthony Jones in particular snuffing out attacks, but in the seventeenth minute Brynmawr produced a sweeping movement, initiated by centre Steve Lang and finished off with a corner try by wing Daniel Preece. Lang was to prove to be the home side's most influential player and his excellent touchline conversion put Brynmawr into a 7 - 0 lead. There followed a period when Rumney gave away penalties in attacking positions, allowing Brynmawr to keep play in the visitors' half, but accurate line kicking by outside half Phil Carlton, good ballcarrying by prop Charlie Gale and No8 Stuart Coles and breaks by full back Matthew Miller prevented more threats to the tryline. After half an hour's play Rumney started to click and from a lineout on half way Sutton took clean ball, setting up Coles for another of his powerful drives upfield, supported by Gale and fellow prop Paul Douglas, with the ball switching back and forth across the threequarters and winger Joey Offside and flanker Ryan Fenton keeping up the momentum. As play moved into the twenty two, second row Terry Gee showed the impressive aggressive form which has characterised his play, to power forward and set up second phase from which captain Paul Niblett jinked gracefully between grasping defenders to finish off the magnificent try under the posts. Rumney continued to spin the ball but also conceded more penalties and were lucky to stop a drive by Brynmawr flanker Manu Tuipulotu just short of the line, but in the fortieth minute the home side succeeded in completing a forward drive with a try by Ritchie Dennington and conversion by Lang.

14 - 7 up at the interval, Brynmawr restarted in lively mood but solid defending and quick counterattacking took Rumney back upfield. In the sixtieth minute Sutton again claimed the lineout and Douglas broke forward once more before play switched wide and a dummy run by Jones gave Carlton just the space he needed to sidestep through the opposition for another superb try. The fly half converted his own try and levelled the scores at 14 - 14, but was immediately back in action in defence where his clearance kicking stopped a rapid Brynmawr response. Visiting second row Michael Kelly, flanker Fenton and hooker Michael Feneck were now clearly creating plenty of space from which to attack, and with Jones causing problems in midfield, Rumney secured a scrum ten metres from the Brynmawr line. Coles picked up from the base and cleverly spun inwards, brushing off tacklers to score a fine try to cap an outstanding personal performance, but the home side was not finished and launched a series of attacks which were only stopped by determined, positive defence, Sutton in particular bringing off a certain try saving tackle to keep his side ahead. In the closing minutes the visitors succeeded in taking play back to the home twenty two where Kelly came very close to scoring and hooker Neal Ritchie ensured possession was retained and the game kept tight, but the match was sealed in the seventy eighth minute when Carlton slotted a decisive penalty, Rumney running out winners by 14 - 22 in a very hard fought and gripping contest.

Steve Ford, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "It was a six pointer today, there was a lot of pressure on us, and I told the boys that it was a massive game and I wasn't too concerned about style. We weren't in the game for the first twenty five minutes and playing uphill and against the wind, we couldn't string phases together, but there was no excuse and we eventually got some phase play going and made some first time tackles. At half time I was panicking, with the scrum under pressure and our general play not up to scratch, our body language was not right and I knew we were up against it. Brynmawr kept it close and took us on but I always knew that if we had possession, we could come through. We played a bit of rugby and scored some nice tries, but we did pick up some injuries and we still have seven games left. In the second half Phil Carlton at No10 did particularly well and scored a good try, we tackled well and without any doubt the vital three points were desperately needed. It is pleasing to go into the changing room with a smile, having got those three points. Paul Douglas, Phil Carlton and Stuart Coles had very good games today and the Man of the Match was Anthony Jones."

Lee Miller, scrum half Rumney 1st XV : "It was a scrappy game but hard fought and a well deserved win for the boys, long overdue really. Paul Douglas, Stuart Coles and Emyr James did well, we just stuck it out against the wind in the first half and were unfortunate to let Brynmawr score, but Phil Carlton then used the wind well in the second half and we knew the points would eventually come, it was a stepping stone really."

Lotu Ngungatau, Army Rugby, prop Rumney 1st XV 2001-2002, : "It was a good game, Rumney were very strong in the ruck and they were hard to stop, the scrum was fantastic as well, especially Stuart Coles. I am enjoying playing rugby in the Army but I miss Rumney, and I still owe them a sock !"

Above, left to right : Phil Carlton, Lee Miller, Lotu Ngungatau