Fixture

Why do we always make it so hard for ourselves, especially at Porth, who are never going to let you off the hook with their annoying  never say die attitude. Rhiwbina got back into the lead with just a few minutes on the clock, but somehow one sensed that the game wasn’t over, and indeed it wasn’t as Porth fought back to snatch the result with virtually the last kick of the game.  Having said that, and not wanting to criticise referees as we wouldn’t have a game without them, two very questionable decisions in those closing seconds considerably influenced the home team victory.

The opening quarter was littered with wild passes, loose balls and poor decision making from both sides. Porth would steal the ball only to loose it at the breakdown, and then Rhiwbina would do the same! There was good tackling from both sides, and the two Chrises in the Rhiwbina second row stole some good line out ball.  Porth were under pressure in the scrums after loosing their first put in, but Rhiwbina didn’t make the most of any situation. But the game woke up after some 22 minutes as Josh Davies was bundled int touch by the clubhouse, which lead to a lively argy-bargy. It became a real ding-ding battle after that and Rhiwbina took the lead as Kane T_B finally got the ball and sped down the wing.  He cut inside and threw a clever pass inside to Lewis Pearce who scored the try and converted. A chip through by Josh which Kane chased almost led to a second try, but then Rhiwbina shot themselves in the foot. Smithy stole the ball but a loose pass was intercepted by the lively Daniel Hitchings, who raced away from the half way line to score under the posts, and Josh Waughington converted to bring the scores level, and that’s the way it stayed at the break.

Rhiwbina immediately pushed Porth off their scrum ball, but then a series of loose passes gifted Porth attacking possession. The two Chrises continued to provide great line out ball, and then a Porth prop was shown a yellow card for trampling at the ruck.  Lauren Quick made several strong runs, taking a lot of defenders to pull him down. But Porth took the lead after a line out and drive in the clubhouse corner, as Robert Downes crossed for the try.  Rory, who had only come on some 5 minutes before, was then sent to the naughty step, and Porth increased their lead through a Woughington penalty, to take the game into the final 15 minutes. Rhiwbina finally got into an attacking position inside the Porth 20m line, and Porth were penalised and Lewis slotted over the penalty to make it 15-10.  Josh put Rhiwbina into the corner, but the drive was halted and then Porth were penalised again in front of their posts some 20 metres out.  Smithy chose the scrum and Josh Trewartha picked up and broke through tackle after tackle to score a great individual try under the posts worthy of winning any game, which Lewis converted to make it 15-17 to Rhiwbina. Rhiwbina got themselves into the Porth corner thanks to a kick from Josh, but they were penalised at the breakdown.  Porth made ground to the middle of the field and then came a questionable penalty for a high tackle, and Waughington slotted the kick over to snatch a win for the home side.