Fixture

Birchgrove RFC | 1st Team 33 - 17 Builth Wells RFC | 1st Team
Luke Myatt
Try 1
Josh Key
Try 1
Lee Harris
Try 1
Nathanial Thomas llewellyn
Try 1
Mathew Edwards
Conversion 4
Try 1

Match Report
13 January 2019 / Team News

ALL’S WELLS THAT ENDS WELLS.

 


 

Builth Wells lying a respectable fourth in the league came to Parc Bedw today and contributed to what must be one of the most enjoyable and exciting games at Birchgrove’s home for  a long  time.

 

It had collective power and poise, individual control and spontaneity, nail biting Drama with a Twist  in the Tale and a happy ending !! Birchgrove eventually running out  33 -17 winners .

 

The game started badly for the home team with a dropped ball from the kick off which gave the visitors the first foothold and an opportunity to show that their forwards were up for the game. The home side also registered intent early though with elusive full back Lee Harris showing the opposition left wing his “Strictly Shuffle” and waltzing past him on the outside instead of taking the easy kicking option to clear his lines.

 

So the scene was set, the away forwards wanted the ball “ up their jumper” from scrum and line out but home enterprise was saying “not likely” !

 

The latter was to prove the first winner as from an attacking position carved out by the equally adept home pack the ball fed to Adam Percival who was able to shift it on to open  side flanker Luke Myatt to go over for his second try of the season with a conversion to follow from utility back  Matthew Edwards, No 10 for the day and a lead of 7 – 0

 

Builth had the next opportunity to get the score board moving as the game was settling in to what looked a pretty even contest but a relatively easy kick was pulled wide of the post by kicker Harry Jenkinson.

 

Birch were straight back on the offensive though as Callum Llewellyn, carrying strongly in loose play set up an enterprising attack carried on by Lewis Cox before the other Llewellyn sibling Nathanial showed his power to get good  position. Matthew Edwards astutely drove play deep in to the opposition half with a tantalising grubber kick and the follow  up produced classic quick ball which was moved crisply through the hands of Rob Scrine and Adam Percival on to Nathaniel Llewellyn to go over for try No 2  converted by Edwards 14 – 0.

 

Builth though were not about to roll over and approaching half time they managed to get themselves encamped near the home line. In this position their training field default is obviously when you have ball it’s a Rolling Maul ! And after two or three drives to the line despite brave defence which the referee on occasions thought was dubious to say the least the Dam broke and open side flanker Ashley Mills narrowed the gap with a try converted by Harry Jenkinson. Half Time 14 – 7 Game On !!

 

From the restart it was Builth this time who showed indecision and dropped the ball for a defence home scrum. What was to follow must surely be one of the best tries seen at this ground and if video evidence is available the BBC will pay handsomely to broadcast it.

 

Winning the tight scrum  where front row Llewellyn, Kyl Thompson, Joseph Davies and now replacement Liam Richards were more than holding their own the ball found its way  to Lee Harris.  Harris having outstripped his defenders on a number of occasions all afternoon again threw caution to the wind and set off on a short mazey run.  After being stopped in his tracks just before the 10 metre  line, Nathaniel Llewellyn, having an energetic afternoon, took on the baton and after doing his shift passed on to the always ready and supportive Leigh Di’luilio.

The crowd were now silenced by the breathtaking speed of the developing attack as scrum half Rob Scrine joined in before  Liam Richards added his powerful dynamism to the move. Nathaniel Llewellyn was next to join the move for the second time and he shipped on to a marauding Josh Key who even had the audacity to cut back inside before  he went over for a glorious try. As one the crowd applauded and I think I heard the phrase Barbarian Rugby more than once around the pitch as the team were given a lengthy round of applause              19 -7(Apologies to anyone left out or who were in the move more than once !)

 

Well what a game , all over , you must be joking we don’t do easy !

 

The Up your jumper rolling maul skills of this Builth team which although not pleasant on the eye to the purists have to be acknowledged as first class. And it was inevitable that they would benefit again from this approach at some time as the only defence effectively is illegal. Sure enough the juggernaught rolled in and designated ball carrier Ashley Mills went over for his second of the day 19 -12.

 

Worse was to follow, the juggernaught was not running out of juice and same tactic, same executioner and same score came again for  Mills to go over for his third touch down 19 . 17 and a conversion to come. The ecstatic talk of “Wow Barbarian Rugby” was now turning to “S..t will settle for a Draw here”  and a  communal sigh of relief went up as the conversion sailed wide.

 

Could we hold on, will we see the ball again ?. Well yes we did have the ball and spurned a simple chance to increase the lead as the belief is strong in this team.In the interests of brevity as this is getting a bit long winded now for which I make no apology I will summarise.

 

 The twist in the Tale and happy ending was to come in the shape of two converted tries in the last ten minutes despite being down to 13 men as a result of trying to defend the rolling maul.

 

 Lee Harris got  himself back on the try trail and capped a great all round performance with the first and Matthew Edwards also rounded off a good day at the office with a try and two conversions. Final Score 33. 17

 

A hell of a game , two good teams and a great advert for Community Rugby. Incredible !!

 

 

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