Fixture

Match Report

Gilfach Goch RFC 21  Rhiwbina RFC 15

Saturday 2^nd March 2019

Gowch determination wins the day for bottom team

Rhiwbina had the opportunity to gain ground on leaders Glamorgan Wanderers, but came away from Gilfach Goch with just a solitary bonus point.  The home team, fighting for their Div One lives, put in a determined performance against a much-changed Rhiwbina.  The Squirrels even had a last- minute change as in-form Ben Shariff pulled up in the warm up. The game started with the floodlights on and with the wind behind Gowch. Gowch took an early lead in the eighth minute as a forward drive saw them cross for a converted try.  Rhiwbina finally got into the opposition half and Lewis Pearce kicked a penalty to reduce the arrears. A deliberate knock-on prevented Rhiwbina from possibly scoring and then Gowch were penalised for a no-arms tackle and the guilty flanker was shown a yellow card. A high tackle on Olly then led to a line out 5 metres out and a clean catch by Dave Ponting saw the forwards drive over with Rhys Morgans scoring the try.  Lewis’s conversion seemed successful but the wind blew it backwards!

A drone was spotted overhead – a pity it didn’t have a camera to help the ref spot the offsides! As it was, there were no more scores in the first half, so Rhiwbina took a 7-8 lead into the break.

Gowch started off the second half on the front foot and this led to a major argy-bargy in the far corner, and the captains were warned.  Gowch stayed in the Rhiwbina 22 and eventually scored through another forward drive and the conversion was successful to make it 14-8 to the home team.  With Sion Parry now on, Rhiwbina finally got themselves into the Gowch 22 and another home player was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. There was an interesting few minutes as the locals disagreed with the Rhiwbina touch-judge and finally, after an extended period of possession, Olly stormed through for a superb individual try under the posts and Lewis converted to put the Squirrels ahead 14-15.

But the kick off was dropped and Gowch retained possession which led to a try under the posts which was converted to make it 21-15.  That’s the way it stayed to give the home team a valuable and deserved victory and send the restless locals off happily to the bar.