Fixture

Fairwater RFC | 1st Team 20 - 37 Brecon RFC | 1st Team
Ben Crockett
1 Try
Eifion Jones
1 Try
Gari Davies
1 Try
3 Conversion
2 Drop Goal
Ryan Harris
1 Try
Aaeron Evans
1 Try

Match Report
20 April 2014 / Team News

Fairwater 20 - Brecon 37

Finally, with just three matches remaining, Brecon have lifted the spectre of relegation. Their emphatic bonus point victory at Fairwater allowed them to climb out of the bottom three for the first time this season and ensured their survival in Division 3 or the reorganised Division 2 for next season. It has been a long time in coming but is thoroughly deserved. After a desperately miserable first half to the season in which they lost nine of their eleven matches they have turned things around since Christmas. The second half has brought six wins and just two narrow defeats, with a total of three bonus points earned in those defeats. Now with three games left they can look to push on and target a mid-table finish.

What a remarkable transformation it has been and yet the difference lies in small margins. At the start of the season the scrum was suffering from a lack of depth, so much so that, captain, Ryan Harris was forced to play while carrying and injury. Now fully fit he is enjoying being part of what has become a dominant unit when he has linked up with a combination of young Aaron Horne, who has developed enormously, Mike Chapelle who continues to impress when called upon and with the addition of powerful figures Steve Jackson, Andy Nichol and Josh Davies. From this now stable base the back row can operate more effectively and the likes of Tom Daley, Wyn Davies and Davey Herdman, who had an outstanding game on Saturday, are as effective a unit as any in the league. The second row also started the season in disarray when they lost Darren Witcomb who sustained an early long term injury. For some time his loss was sorely felt but with Berwyn Roderick regularly filling one berth Danny Howe has claimed the other berth with consistently powerful performances as a prime line out target and ball carrier. His change in performance and attitude has been reflected by the whole team and with the forwards working well together the back line is now showing the cutting edge and confidence that has been there throughout but was not evident during the full 80 minutes of matches, particularly in the closing exchanges when so many games were narrowly lost through lack of belief.

Before Christmas the reverse encounter with Fairwater was lost in the closing minutes. Brecon could ill afford to allow that to happen this time. As visitors they started very brightly and looked by far the better of the two sides. They dominated possession and territory and created openings which only stubborn defence repelled. Eifion Jones, at centre, caused all sorts of problems with his strong running. The only negative was that each time a good position was set up Brecon conceded a penalty and were forced to re-build all over again.

Then potential disaster struck. With an overlap on the right Brecon moved the ball quickly only for the home outside half to latch onto a wide pass and sprint unopposed 75 metres down the field. He converted his own try and then immediately kicked a penalty to extend the home lead to 10 points. With Brecon having done all the attacking up to this point it would have been all too easy to lose concentration and focus on what had gone wrong rather on what was to be done. Now the growing maturity of the side showed through as they returned to their earlier successful patterns of play.

They quickly cut back the lead. Davey Herdman created the position with a powerful break on half way. When a penalty was awarded at the breakdown they showed confidence and went for a line out in the 22. Danny Howe then broke towards the line and when brought down the ball was quickly re-cycled and outside half Gari Davies made the most of the half chance as he weaved through a reorganising defence to score under the posts. His conversion was a formality.

Almost from the re-start Brecon took the lead. On one of the few incursions into Brecon territory Fairwater lost possession. Tom Daley gathered and kicked ahead into space. The Fairwater cover reached the ball first but under pressure failed to clear the danger and Daley picked up again and popped the ball to Ryan Harris who celebrated with his first try of the season. Davies again converted.

Right from the kick off Brecon gave away a penalty and the Fairwater No 10 made no mistake. With half time approaching Brecon were eager to consolidate their lead. This was achieved when Josh Davies and Tom Daley combined to create an attacking platform. Fairwater killed the ball and Davies scored with the penalty kick.

One final act was left in the half. On his own ten metre line, Wyn Davies expertly stole the ball at a breakdown. He fed Daley who sprinted away only to be caught just 5 metres short.

The second half could not have started better for the Brecon contingent. They created a lovely try after exerting pressure on a Fairwater defensive scrum. Wyn Davies won the ball which was moved wide. Eifion Jones split the defence initially and Danny Howe carried forward before linking again with Jones and giving him a clear run to the line. Davies again converted. Davies then extended the lead with his second penalty.

The only remaining anxious minutes followed when Brecon allowed Fairwater to gain territory and exert pressure in the left corner. A series of scrum and forward drives kept Brecon pinned down and when the ball was eventually moved right Fairwater outflanked the Brecon defence for their right wing to score a try which their No 10 converted brilliantly from the touchline.

After throwing away a winning lead the previous week there was some anxiety but it was quickly extinguished when Brecon capitalised on the pressure they exerted on the home side. The scrum half’s kick was charged down and Aaron Evans gathered and drove hard for the line, making it at full stretch. The game was now safe and the bonus point in the bag.

The only thing that remained was a final try which emphatically sealed the victory. Davey Herdman started the moved with a great run after catching a loose kick. He created space for Jake Crockett who drew the defence and then put his brother Ben in for the final score.

Now the focus has to quickly switch to the mid-week Mid District Bowl Semi Final against fierce rivals, Gwernyfed on Thursday evening at Builth Wells. With an attractive final at Sardis Road on offer to the victors there is no doubt that this will be a fixture to savour.

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