Fixture

Clwb Rygbi Rhuthun | 1st Team 27 - 28 Pwllheli RFC | 1st Team
Callum Bennett
Conversion 2
Penalty 1
Ben Taylor
Try 1
Deio Llwyd Brunelli
1 Try
Ianto Sion Pari
1 Try
Osian Jones
1 Conversion
2 Penalty
1 Try
Robin Jones
1 Try

Match Report
22 December 2014 / Team News

Ruthin RFC 27 Pwllheli RFC 28

This was a key match  for both clubs and the  teams did not need any motivation for the contest.

As expected tackles came in hard and fast right from the kick off. Ruthin weathered an early Pwllheli attack but came back into the match with a strong run down the left wing which saw Pwllheli's scrambled defence just being  able to hold the ball up from a touchline. Ruthin soon had another opportunity this time from a penalty kick but the ball dropped short. Pwllheli's pack were far the better in the loose and several inter-passing forays took them upfield. Osian Parry's boot gained impressive yardage to keep Ruthin on the back  foot.  Pwllheli lost their captain Harri Parry through  injury after seventeen minutes but only a minute later Pwllheli's first score came from a Ianto Parry try. Getting the ball just in the Ruthin twenty two he took advantage of a drifting defence which let Parry scythe through three would be tacklers to score Osian P. Jones added the two points. Three minutes later Jones added a long  range penalty following an offside call against Ruthin. Pwllheli then made the cardinal error of not taking clean ball from the restart. Ruthin swept the ball left and centre Steffan Morgan swept through to score. Callum Bennett added an excellent conversion. It was now the home side who were the more dangerous and flanker Ben Taylor's twenty seventh minute try gave them a twelve to ten lead. Pwllheli settled and turned the screw.  They edged ahead with another Jones penalty and just before half time full back Deio Brunelli finished off a strong counter to touch down.Half time came with Pwllheli holding an eighteen to twelve lead but they knew they would be under pressure in the second period as Ruthin had the wind in their favour.

Fortuntately for Pwllheli Ruthin decided to run the ball at every opportunity and the perceived aerial threat never materialised. With Ruthin running everything it made it easier  for the Pwllheli  defence to manage the threat. It was from a turnover after five minutes in Ruthin's twenty two that wing Osian P.Jones found a gap in the defence to score. It was now Ruthin's turn to attack and Pwllheli were penalised for going off their feet in a ruck . Callun Bennet obliged with a tenth minute penalty. With Ruthin stronger in the scrum Pwllheli did their utmost to keep the ball live. It was their aggressive defence however which opened up the next score. Ruthin's spilt the ball and Pwllheli's left wing Robin Hughes Jones latched on to it to score from forty metres out. The last seven or eight minutes was Ruthin on the attack.Wing Sion Roberts scored their third try on thirty three minutes to cut the deficit to twenty eight points to twenty. It was in injury  time they they scored their fourth try. Scrum half Ali Mitchelmore crashed over and with Bennett's conversion it was  a one point game. But it was too little too late.

The whistle went with Pwllheli in Ruthin's half but it was  the Lleyn side and its supporters who  were relieved that the game was over. This was  a deserved victory for Pwllheli. They varied their tactics far better than their hosts and unlike Ruthin they used the wind effectively when it was in their favour. The young visiting half backs managed their possession better and their decision making was mature and pragmatic. Pwllheli have now narrowed the League points gap between the two clubs to only one point in Ruthin's favour.

After three games in a week the players are having a break over Christmas. Training resumes on Tuesday 30 December in preparation for the home match against Caernarfon on January the third.

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