Quins power to easy win
Maesteg Quins 32
Wanderers 12
“Rugby’s fundamentals haven’t changed a bit” commented rugby chairman Tony Murphy “If you don’t have the ball, you cannot win the game.
“When you are under pressure you’re decision making becomes affected. The “fog of war” as it’s called. Clearly, we are struggling at the moment but we can all see the potential in this squad and it’s up to the management and coaching staff to get back on track. The buck stops with us” added Manager Mark Gould.
On a bright breezy day at the head of the Llynfi valley the dye was set early on. The Quins showed a clear strength up front and it became obvious that there was likely to be a long afternoon for the visitor’s pack. An early penalty gave the home side field position and a well-executed driving maul set up the first score of the game 7-0. Behind the steady stream of possession and a clear territorial advantage the Quins were able to continue to build pressure without gaining the decisive scoring strike. The Wanderers struggled to gain any foothold in the game, unable to get the game on the move with the lack of ball, although with some dogged defence they managed to get the first quarter of the game over without slipping further behind. Out of the blue the visitors then struck. The home side were on the attack but the ball was spilled on halfway. Evan Lloyd picked up in the loose and broke clear. He fed Mackenzie Martin who then put wing Amir Saleh away. He was caught on the home side 22 but after recycling the ball wide Tom Richards crossed for a try. Tom Francis’s conversion hit both bar and post but fell short 7-5. The visitors enjoyed a brief period of parity showing what was possible with ball in hand. A possession in midfield was moved back blind and Max Wootton provided a neat offload to Richards who raced away to score his second try. Francis converted and the Wanderers were ahead 7-12. That was probably to be the last moment of cheer for the Wanderers faithful. From the kick off a clash of heads left Martin requiring a visit to the hospital for attention to a cut and the home side gained a penalty 10-12. As the Wanderers reorganised, they were rocked back as the forward dominance returned and provided the home side with a second converted try 17-12. As the half drew to a close the Wanderers had a late rally. Another spilled ball allowed a kick chase deep into the Quins 22 and the clearance left the Wanderers with a 5-metre lineout. Sadly, the set piece let them down (twice) and when they were awarded a kickable penalty, they chose another lineout as the last play of the half! The Quins won the ball and sent the teams into the changing rooms at 17-12.
The second half saw the Quins extend their lead early on with a penalty 20-12 and the confidence of the home side started to grow. Bringing their backs more and more into the game behind their solid platform the visitors were forced into fighting a major rear-guard action. Play was camped in the Wanderers half and control was fully in the home sides half. A third try following a neat kick behind the visitors’ defence well gathered by the Quins wing and the game was out of sight at 27-12. The Wanderers emptied their bench in an attempt to change the course of proceedings but there was little change to be had from the dominance of the home side. A fourth and bonus point try was added to make it 32-12. As the game ambled to its inevitable conclusion the Visitors threw caution to the wind trying to move the ball from deep whenever they had the ball but apart from one break downfield by Fergus Hodgson and Steffan Williams (ended by a forward pass) there was little to cheer the travelling support. Final score 32-12 a well-deserved win for the Quins.
Wanderers’ scorers
Tries: Tom Richards (2)
Cons: Tom Francis
Management Man of the match: Evan Lloyd
Massiv Man of the Match: Tom Richards
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