Fixture

The Old Firm showed great spirit to fight back and score two tries in the last 10 minutes of this all-action game at St Joseph’s to win this Division 1 East Central encounter. What a game it proved to be for both sets of supporters - certainly worth the admission fee – with each of them experiencing highs and lows at different times throughout, as their team looked to have won it. In the end, a sustained Mount attack from a lineout on the St Jo’s 22 in the last play of the match ended with Mount wing Will Holley capping his best performance in a black and amber shirt this season by scoring a dramatic try to put his team 30-27 up and win it for the Old Firm.

Mount went in front after just 6 minutes with a 20 metre penalty by Holley to make it 3-0.

Minutes later, scrum Ross Davies dummied his way through from a maul just outside the home 22, skilfully chipped over the full back, and looked to be over from 15 metres out but a last-ditch tackle dislodged the ball and gave the home team a scrum.

The Mount pressure continued but determined defence by St Jo’s kept the Old Firm out. In the 25^th minute, after a couple of drives near the home line, outside half Liam Jones ghosted through midfield to score near the posts without a hand being laid on him. Holley converted to make it 10-0 to Mount.

Home outside half Jacob Chilcott had a good afternoon with the boot, restarting the game with high, hanging drop-outs, kicking the penalties on offer, and kicking well out of hand, with some of his kicks for position being top rate. From one such restart at 10-0, St Jo’s won the ball and got a penalty 25 metres out which Chilcott had no problem converting to make it 10-3.

Mount went back on the attack and a long pass out to Holley near the touchline saw the left wing get away and take play to 5 metres out. Another attack saw second row Jarrod Parfitt make a break which was taken on by scrum half Davies, prop Thomas Harper and centre Alex Hughes to take play to 5 metres out. Excellent defence from St Jo’s kept Mount out but a penalty award to the Old Firm saw outside half Jones catch the home defence knapping as he took it quickly to run in unopposed for his second try under the posts. Holley converted to take Mount into half time 17-3 up and well on top.

The home team, encouraged by the use of the sloping pitch in the second half, immediately went on the attack. Mount No.8 Kriss Sanders made a superb tackle in midfield in the Mount 22 on the home centre who made a strong run for the line. After five minutes of pressure, scrum half Ross Davies was yellow carded and from a 5 metre scrum, the referee run under the posts and awarded a 7 point penalty try, which reduced the Old Firm’s lead to 17-10.

A good run out of defence by wing Holley started Mount’s first attack of the second half, with the ball taken through several phases and centre Alex Hughes bouncing one home would-be tackler off on the St Jo’s 22. A penalty award just 15 metres out was converted by Holley to give Mount a 20-10 lead after 51 minutes.

Both sides were testing each other’s defence with play becoming frantic on times. Chilcott was kicking into space and pinned Mount back on a number of occasions with well-placed kicks. Flanker Matthew Rees put in a lot of work in defence throughout the game as did Chris Edmunds.

From pressure close-in against the 14 men of the Old Firm, St Jo’s moved the ball to the blindside where an attempted interception by wing Nathan Treharne 5 metres out knocked the ball on, and led to him being yellow carded, which reduced the Old Firm to 13. From the 5 metre scrum, the home side got over for a try which Chilcott converted to make it 20-17 after 56 minutes.

Mount were still one man short when a well-placed diagonal kick by Chilcott took play into the Old Firm’s 22. From a scrum 10 metres out, home No.8 Olly Young picked up, and although tackled on the Mount line, a St Jo’s forward was quickly in to pick up and dive over. Chilcott converted to put his side 24-20 in front for the first time after 66 minutes.

The hosts had their tails up, and from another attack two minutes later, Chilcott kicked a 20 metre penalty to make it 27-20.

The Old Firm were far from finished. Wing Will Holley once again run strongly out of the Mount 22, beating several players to take play to halfway where a penalty award saw him kick into the St Jo’s 22.

A catch and drive at the lineout saw the Mount forwards take play to 5 metres out, and when the ball came out to scrum half Ross Davies, he run square and foxed the home defence by giving a well-timed backward pass to centre Alex Hughes who crashed over for a well worked try. The conversion went just wide, leaving the Old Firm 27-25 behind after 73 minutes.

The home side took play up to the Mount 22 with 80 minutes up on the clock. The Old Firm won a lineout and moved the ball wide to take play up to halfway where a penalty award was fired into the home 22 by Holley. A catch and drive at the lineout was followed by the ball being moved across the park patiently, looking for gaps. Centre Alex Hughes run strongly and broke a few tackles but it was good handling by forwards and backs that took play through half a dozen phases and up to the St Jo’s line, where wing Holley run hard to drive over and score the winning try – which was a bonus point try and took his personal tally up to 15 - to the great delight of the Mount support. The conversion missed but it made no difference as the referee – who also contributed to a pulsating game – blew up, leaving the Old Firm winners of a game they looked likely to lose 10 minutes earlier.

Dinas Powys are the visitors to Duffryn Pennar Park this Saturday, 12 January for a Division 1 East Central game, kick off 2:30pm.