Fixture

Rhiwbina’s Gherkin Shines in the Rain to Get the Squirrels out of a Pickle

In the absence of the regular 9, 10 and 12 axis, it was up to Neal, Davies and Casella to try to control the game in very difficult conditions against the Zebras from Treorchy.  The pitch held up reasonably well in the circumstances but the unrelenting rain made it a battle of attrition with the ball spending more time in the air or on the floor than in a safe pair of hands.

The message from the coaches was clear.  Play the conditions.  Play to our strengths and be patient.  Gerwyn Neal, or Gherkin as he’s known to the boys, followed the orders to the letter and produced an intelligent, experienced performance that helped secure another league win for the Squirrels.

Rhiwbina dominated territory and possession in the first quarter but had no points to show for it.  There was already a feeling on the touchline that narrow margins would win or lose the game and after some infractions at the breakdown and a couple of high tackles from both sides, the Zebras were ahead 3-6.  Rhiwbina’s successful kick at goal came after a great steal by Sean Monaghan in the lineout and a line break from Dylan Casella.  If it were not for the high tackle, we might have seen the first try of the game from some running rugby.  

As the end of the first half approached, the rain got heavier and the temptation to put ball to boot got stronger.  It’s a tough gig for a fullback in those conditions but Josh Moscardini handled the high ball well and kicked to safety when he found himself under pressure as the last line of defence.  And speaking of defence, when the pack found themselves camped on their own try line late in the half, it was a show of defiance to concede any points that Shaun Edwards would have been proud of.

The second half saw more of the same and the errors were nearly as frequent as the mistakes made by the club’s ‘Twitter Man’.  There were some flashes of quality though, like Ben Shariff’s tackle and Sean Monaghan’s jackal to win a penalty just inside the Zebras’ half. The effort was rewarded with an accurate kick to touch by Josh Davies, a clean catch and drive and a determined run to the line by Josh Trewartha for the only try of the game.

The sun eventually broke through the dreary grey clouds on what could have been a very gloomy day.  But Squirrels know how to find nuts and the boys that have worn the jersey this season sure know how to find a win, even when it looks unlikely.