Fixture

Bargoed RFC | 1st Team 10 - 13 Neath RFC | 1st Team
Sam Withers
Try 1
Conversion 1
Penalty 1
Alec Jenkins
1 Try
Iwan Evans
1 Conversion
2 Penalty

Match Report
04 September 2016 / Team News

Bargoed 10 Neath 13

Bargoed's long-awaited debut in the Principality Premiership was played in appalling conditions at Bargoed Park with driving rain dictating the tactics.  Predictably it was a low scoring affair with Neath taking the spoils late in the match with a 79th minute penalty from the boot of outside half Iwan Evans.

Neath missed the opportunity to take an early lead with two penalty attempts missing the target but Bargoed outside half Sam Withers made no mistake in securing the Bulls' first Premiership points with a penalty from 35 metres - referee Craig Evans having no hesitation in penalising the All Black eight for breaking up under pressure having lost the game's first scrum against the head. This was an early indication that the Bargoed scrum was going to prove difficult for the away team to handle. 3-0 after 9 minutes.

Neath had the territorial advantage for much of the first quarter but didn't threaten the Bargoed line but the Bulls found it difficult to gain ground again and establish field position with Neath organising well in midfield and being well marshalled by scrum half Chris Morgan.

The score was levelled on 24 minutes with an easy kick for Evans slotting over a penalty on the twenty-two in front of the posts after Bargoed infringed at a ruck.

Bargoed picked up the pace from the restart and drove at the Neath defence with prop Kieron Brown, revelling in the physicality, causing mayhem in the loose with number eight Ross Coombes doing likewse.  The resilient Neath back line held out well when Bargoed started moving the ball wide and just when it looked as if the Bulls were gaining some momentum, wing Aaron Grabham, popped out of the line to latch on to an interception and sprint away from the half way with wing David Evans and full back Jordan Purcell in pursuit. Grabham was caught on the line but did enough to touch down. Evans added the extras and Neath were ahead by 3-10.

Bargoed responded well and went close from a scrum five metre out but were denied by a knock on and referee Craig Evans brought the half to a close with the home side trailing at 3-10.

The second half started in similar fashion with defences on top but with Bargoed looking stronger up front and Neath maintaining a good defensive pattern behind. Bargoed used the bench well with experienced prop Anthony Lott coming on for Rhys Morgan suffering a dead leg and second row Gavin McDonald making an immediate impact with an abrasive aproach in both attack and defence.

Neath were reduced to fourteen with 10 minutes to go when prop Geraint James took out a Bargoed player off the ball and referee Evans flashed a yellow card in an otherwise well-disciplined game.

Bargoed piled on the pressure and were rewarded with a penalty which Withers put to the Neath twenty-two. Unfortunately, Bargoed's reliability at the lineout all afternoon deserted them and the throw - in was deemed not straight. Neath, still a man down, chose a lineout rather than risk a scrum and made the same mistake with a crooked throw - in. Bargoed called a scrum and predictably down it went. Referee Evans warned the Neath captain and Bargoed called another scrum from the penalty. The drive came on again and Neath collapsed making the decision an easy one for the referee who went under the posts for a penalty try. Withers converted to make it 10-10 with 5 minutes left.

Bargoed held out until a driving maul was brought down on their twenty-two and Iwan Evans stepped up to put over the 79th minute penalty which was to prove the final score with the All Blacks squeezing home by 10-13.

Bargoed Chairman Neil Carter was in reflective mood after the game "I thought we were stronger in the scrums and lineouts but Gareth Llewellyn has got them well organised at the breakdown and in midfield. We also seem to have an issue with interceptions with Neath, they scored two interceptions the last time we played them a year ago. It just goes to show that mistakes at this level are harshly punished and we will learn from this as we go forward. There's some work to do before we travel to Llandovery next weekend but overall I'm pleased with our first performance - there's a lot to build on". 

Episode 2 of Bulls-Eye TV now online - http://bargoed.rfc.wales/Web/CustomPage.aspx?p=5560318b-95de-47a3-ac30-4015c3a4b033

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