A New Bridge Sank'd
Caerphilly kept their top spot with two tries by Steffan Sankala earning
a bonus point win against Newbridge last weekend. Newbridge travelled
to Virginia Park on the back of two heavy defeats but refused to lie
down as they counteracted the league leaders, never allowing Caerphilly
to get more than 10 points ahead, and indeed almost piped them at
the post, a knock on in centre field as they chased the win, coming
away with a well deserved losing bonus point.
The game started well as Caerphilly won the starting kick, taking
play up to the 5mtr line before Newbridge stole ruck ball to relieve
to the 22. Dean Watkins opened up the home side’s tally, converting
a penalty on 10 minutes, Newbridge guilty of taking a player out off
the ball as Caerphilly pressurised the line.
Newbridge drew level on 18 minutes, Sean Thomas converting a penalty
midway between the 10 and 22mtr lines. Breaking out of defence, Newbridge
took play into Caerphilly territory, before the home side were found
guilty of entering the ruck offside.
A yellow card for outside half Gavin Ashman on 25 minutes gave the
home side the edge as they made best use of increased numbers on 28
minutes. Ashman was guilty of deliberately knocking the ball on whilst
attempting an interception on the 5mtr line as Caerphilly pressurised
the line. In fact Newbridge did well to soak the pressure for three
minutes, until a 5mtr scrum was released wide, for winger Steffan
Sankala to cross virtually unopposed.
Newbridge were unlucky not to get a score back on 31 minutes, taking
play up to the Caerphilly 5mtr line with a series of penalties, only
for the home side to steal the ball at the last and relieve to touch.
Caerphilly edged 10 points ahead on the stroke of half time, taking
the ball right, sucking in the defence, before recycling the ball
through the centres. Finding himself out wide, flanker Rhys Thomas
cut inside the Newbridge defence before releasing a well timed, underhanded
pass off the floor, to release speedy full back Nathan Gittings, to
score in the corner.
Newbridge got a dream start to the second half, prop Stuart McGuire
pounced on lose ball from the kick off and giving the visitors the
advantage as they forced a lineout on the right deep into Caerphilly
territory. Winning lineout ball, the visitors drove through some weak
talking, and up to the 5tr line. Recycling a number of times, No.8
David Ford finally broke through some more poor tackling, before crossing
the try line, Thomas converting the conversion.
Newbridge again found themselves reduced to 14, as try scorer Ford
found himself walking from the field after deliberately knocking the
ball from Scrum half Alun Ford’s hands, from an offside position.
Celyn Ashton, replacement for Dean Watkins, stepping up to convert.
The Bridge replied four minutes later, Caerphilly guilty of deliberately
wheeling the scrum midway between the 10 and 22mtr line. Thomas again
adding the penalty.
A mistake by Ashton from the restart gave the visitors the chance
to attack again, a scum on the centre spot. The Caerphilly pack redeemed
Ashton, however, steeling the ball against the head with a powerful
drive. With Newbridge on the back foot, Sankala gathered the ball
out wide and made serious yards down the left wing, before being forced
to pass inside. The forwards set up the platform, driving the hard
yards, before the ball finally found its way back into Sankala’s
hands to cross in the corner.
Newbridge matched the home sides scoring for the remainder as scrum
half Tom Edwards crossing for two tries, the first a magnificent solo
effort. Collecting the lineout ball on the 22, Edwards sold the dummy
at the extremity of the line, and found the parting of the waves,
as the defence moved wide, Thomas going under the posts for Thomas
to add the spoils.
3 minutes later right wing Chris Thomas crossed under the posts. Newbridge
knocking on at the restart, the Caerphilly forwards taking play up
to the 22. Some stout defence from the visitors blocked efforts by
the Caerphilly backs, before the powerful Thomas burst his way through
some tough tackling to score just to the right of the posts. Ashton
added the extra’s to give the home side some breathing space.
Three minutes into injury time, Newbridge still weren’t finished,
as nippy scrum half Edwards darted up field through some more weak
tackling, to score under the posts, converted by Thomas, bringing
the visitors within a point.
Referee Hugh Watkins decided there was enough time for another play,
forcing the home side to kick off and attempt to force a mistake out
of the visitors, which came 1 minute later through a knock on in centre
field as the Cheesesmen defended bitterly, breaking down the attack
on the half way line.
Caerphilly face the Pontypool at Virginia Park next week in the Top
Billed Top of the Table clash which could decide the championship
and promotion to the Premier division. A win for Pooler would see
them leapfrog the Virginia Park outfit with two games in hand. Kick
off at Virginia Park being 2.30pm
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