Fixture

Beddau RFC | 1st Team 14 - 22 Rhydyfelin RFC | 1st Team
Ross Lucas
1 Drop Goal
Rhys Paul Phillips
1 Try
Sam Studley
1 Try
Dale Green
1 Try
DAVID GRATTON
2 Conversion

Match Report
30 October 2017 / Team News

Derby Day Delight For The Village

After the disappointment of losing a game to the weather last week Beddau were eager to pick up where they had left off by entertaining newly promoted Rhydyfelin.  In the event it was the nearest neighbours who appeared to be the more eager and, despite barely posing any kind of a threat in open play, thoroughly deserved to claim the spoils.

A talking point among supporters of both sides was the reluctance of the home side, who were awarded 17 penalties in the game, to take any of the kicks at goal on offer.  Any thought that a penalty is an unseemly way to add to the scoreboard helps, I would suggest, to add steel to the opposition while doing nothing to bolster the confidence of the side with a lead.  This game, for instance, ended with Beddau eight points in arrears when only one success from the tee would have secured a bonus point.

Rhydyfelin had an early shot at goal for a tackle offence but David Gratton`s attempt drifted off-course at the last second but when the quicker Beddau backs won an offside decision the straightforward penalty was spurned in favour of the touchline.  And so it went.  Beddau attack frustrated.  Penalty awarded.  Kick to touch.  Lineout won but possession nullified by the aggressive Rhydyfelin pack.  Perhaps something a little different was called for?  Centres Adam Ashford and Paddy Connelly had combined well when the ball came their way but the default seemed to be, win the lineout and score on the drive.

From a lineout at the 22 scrum half David Francis took affairs into his own hands by selling a huge dummy and piercing the pack to race to the line.  With Hywel Chatham at his shoulder a last gasp tackle dislodged the ball and Rhydyfelin survived.

Survival now, though, became secondary when Rhydyfelin decided to show Beddau just what a lineout drive could produce.  One drive went for about 30 metres and was halted at the cost of a further visit to the touchline and a success when Rhys Phillips scored for Rhydyfelin who had already lost Sam Studley to the bin.

The try was unconverted and from the restart Beddau spread the ball quickly with full back Zac Byard setting Joe Casella away.  The strong-running winger defeated his markers and Zac Byard`s wide-angled conversion simply added to the confusion around the refusal to kick for goal.

Catch and drive?  How do you make that work?  Well, Rhydyfelin knew and from the last move of the first half gave another demonstration with Sam Studley the scorer and David Gratton on the mark with the conversion.  Beddau trailed 7-12 at the interval and were wondering what had hit them.

If Beddau had dominated territory and possession before the interval it became even more pronounced afterward.  Rhydyfelin, though, were not to be shifted and their game plan, from which they never veered, was frustrating the home side at every turn.  When centre Ross Lucas scooped up a loose ball and landed a drop goal the catch-up requirement became wider.  Three points, after all, have a value.

Beddau did mount the chase and plied the touchline.  A penalty in the shadow of the sticks was sent to touch when the three points would have been a safer bet.  This one, though, worked and it was Jack Dando, making his first appearance since a knee operation at the end of last season, on the end of it.  Zac Byard converted and it was game on.

A huge kick from David Gratton put Beddau under pressure and a lineout at the 5 metre line sent shivers through the home support, and rightly so.  Another lineout drive with, this time, prop Dale Green claiming the touchdown and a fine kick from Gratton put the result beyond recall.

Back to the drawing board.

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