Fixture

Brecon RFC | 1st Team 36 - 21 St Josephs RFC | 1st Team
Jake Mitchell Newman
Try 2
Richie Elliott
Try 1
Gari Davies
Conversion 3
Liam Fahlman
Try 1
Andrew Nicholl
Try 1

Match Report
26 October 2014 / Team News

Brecon 36 - St Joseph's 21

As a break from the intensity of the league programme Brecon entered Saturday’s second round Plate tie against St Joseph’s with the expectation that they could secure passage to Round 3. The expectation was based on their outstanding 100% record to date and the fact that St Joseph’s record was not of that same high standard. While they have recorded three wins from their six league matches only one of those came away from home. Therefore, with a far superior record and the advantage of playing at home, Brecon’s expectations were justified and were fulfilled as they achieved the victory they desired while at the same time extended their winning run to eight matches.

While the end result was satisfying the manner of achieving it left something to be desired. After an early try put them five points down Brecon appeared to be cruising to a very comfortable victory. By half time they had scored five tries, two converted, with the only replies from their opponents being two penalties. So with the score standing at 29 points to 8 at half time everything seemed to be working to plan.

During that first half they had the advantage of a stiff breeze but with conditions almost perfect for running rugby there was an expectation that they would put their opponents to the sword in the 40 remaining minutes. Allied to a dominant scrum the Brecon backs looked sharp and at times during the first 40 minutes had cut their opponents apart. What transpired during the second half, therefore, was something of a let-down for their supporters.

The half started brightly enough for the home side but as opposed to the first, Brecon suddenly started to find it difficult to maintain their continuity and where they were previously scoring at regular intervals they now found breaking the visitors defence a much harder task. They did score a converted try in the 50th minute to extend their lead and post a comfortable score of 36 points to 11. At this point, with the game won, it was only to be expected that Brecon’s play would lack the same intensity but the dramatic fall away came as a shock. During the last 30 minutes St Joseph’s scored two tries without reply and while they never looked like winning they turned the game completely on its head.

The reasons for the dramatic change in fortune were varied. Certainly Brecon eased off and once they had done that found it difficult to reassert themselves. They also suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of the referee’s interpretation of the breakdown. At one point they conceded 10 consecutive penalties and this alone kept them on the back foot. This, however, was not the only factor affecting the change. To their credit St Joseph’s lifted their game and battled hard to the final whistle. At the same time that St Joseph’s were dragging themselves back into the game Brecon were committing major errors. They couldn’t adjust their play at the breakdown to placate the referee and they tended to overcommit individually. Spaces out wide, which were exploited in the first half, were now scorned as players went it alone only to find that they were isolated in the tackle. Thus the game meandered to its close with the result never in doubt but with disappointment at the second half performance.

While the last 30 minutes needs to be reflected upon to ensure that in tighter games the same mistakes are not made, the quality of the earlier phases of play should not be ignored either. Brecon did score six outstanding tries based both on the quality of the pack and the pace and movement of the backs. In that pack Danny Howe, Davey Herdman and Andy Nicholl had excellent games and the scrum was a huge weapon. Three of Brecon’s tries came through their pack. Andy Nicholl claimed a try following an effective drive off a line out take. Hooker Liam Fahlman also drove over after Dafydd Thomas stole a line out and the third was credited to the whole of the pack when the scrum drove St Joseph's back onto their line where it was deliberately collapsed thus giving the referee no alternative other than to award a penalty try.

The remaining three tries came through the backs with each being an outstanding score. For the first Eifion Jones and Dafydd Thomas made inroads into the mid-field defence before the ball was swung wide for Jake Crockett to put wing Lucas Jones in at the corner. The second came from a brilliant counterattack started in their 22. Full back Crockett broke initially and then when in opposition territory put wing Richie Elliot in space. Taking the ball at pace he scythed through to score under the posts. The final try came when Dan Edwards made a great tackle on his ten metre line. He dislodged the ball and Jake Newman swept it up and broke away to score under the posts.

While during next week everyone will be looking to see who their next opponents in the Plate will be the main focus of attention will switch back to the League. Brecon face a stiff challenge as they try to maintain their position as league leaders. Their opponents Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd are close on their heels, just three points adrift. Having already faced one another in the Plate, Brecon are well aware of the quality of their opponents. That away encounter was won by the narrowest of margins but with the sides being evenly matched Brecon will be looking to make both home advantage and the lesson learned on Saturday to count in their favour.

 

 

Players
|