Fixture

Birchgrove travelled the short distance to local rivals Skewen today and came back with the spoils from a well contested typical local Derby winning  0 -17.

Although it is some time since we were competing in the same league as our hosts there was plenty of cross interest as one or two of our players have previously turned out in the yellow and black and our ex Coach Chris Grimes was renewing acquaintances. Grimsey got his retaliation in first by telling me that the home side were rebuilding with a number of Youth players on show including his son Callum at hooker, who obviously has inherited his rugby prowess from his Grandfather !

So with the scene set and a large crowd eagerly anticipating the action Skewen set the landscape for the first half with a kick off that immediately brought them back to the half way line a white wash mark that they subsequently only managed to breach occasionally in a first half that was totally dominated in possession and territorial terms by the visitors.

These two factors though did anything but detract from the fact that the first 40 minutes of this game was a fascinating and captivating contest between two totally committed sides. For every wave of Birchgrove offensive there was an equally brave and fearless act of home defence. It really did have everything, Scrum battles that were marginally shaded by the home side and contested line outs shaded by the visitors. Running lines from the away backs as half backs Leigh Di’iulio and  Owen Evans with a mixture of passing and tactical kicking tried everything to get the backs moving.  Driving forward movement with captain Scott Beard taking on his first carrier role with some relish assisted by Aled Mogford and backed up by the usual energy of Josh Key, Luke Myatt, Liam Richards and a resolute Joseph Davies who had been singled out it seems for some special tender loving care from the partisan home supporters.

On the home side every away action was matched with steadfast and unswerving vigour with honours going to the home tight scrum and their destructive back row unit in particular who frustratingly managed to disrupt the visitors and were primarily instrumental in restricting Birchgrove to only one score in this gripping and breathless first half, a Matthew Edwards penalty 0 -3.

Would we see the dogged deadlock broken in the second half was the question being asked around the ground. Well it didn’t take long for Birchgrove to provide an answer, from the kick off Birch managed to establish a foothold near the home line. Josh Key picked up Adam Percival and powerful co centre Curtis Davies cut in to the home defence an offload to Rob Scrine looked as if the first try was on but a defensive intervention held things up. The Birchgrove pack swarmed to the breakdown and Adam Percival emerged to go over for try number 1 superbly converted by Edwards from the touchline 0 -10. Surely this was the sign for the visitors to consolidate and see this game safely out.

Well no one told Skewen as they started to come more and more in to the game and for the first time in the game managed to themselves create a bridge head in the Birchgrove 22. It was role reversal now as the home side took on the offensive role and the visiting defence was called upon to stand firm, which they did with some aplomb.

With the game now being much more evenly contested it was looking like the next score was going to be pretty decisive in deciding the result of this enthralling encounter. With some heavy limbs and expunged lungs on both sides a raft of substitutions brought some fresh legs. Kyl Thompson and Callum Llewellyn arrived to steady the away scrum and the experienced head of backs coach Liam Gadd was given the task of steering the ship home.

Something had to give as both sides continued to battle away now equally sharing territory and vital possession and it was a fairly innocuous and curious lapse in concentration that was to finally prove the key to victory. From a steady mid pitch scrum Birchgrove managed to get the ball in to the home danger area but the Skewen defence were able to regain possession. Moving away from their line there seemed to be no immediate danger but they had not counted on the lurking predatory skills of wing Matthew Edwards furtively moving towards them and with one subtle action he had snapped the ball out of the grasping clutches of the home defence and strolled over between the posts for a try he converted and a visiting  0- 17 match winning score.

Well done to both sides for a most entertaining contest, as I already mentioned it really did have everything you would expect from a local Derby, power, skill, energy, occasional handbags, rivalry on and off the pitch that was all washed down with a harmonious pint afterwards.

Another break from league action now , no game next week as Wales take on the Barbarians and the Cup match against Bedlinog taking precedence over the scheduled mouth watering home game against our other close neighbours Bonymaen on December 7^th.