Wanderers prey on Zebras

Treorchy 26
Wanderers 55

“Excellent result away from home against a Treorchy side that played nothing like a team near the foot of the table” commented Forwards coach Huw Dowden “Struggled with some of our set piece play but very good in the contact area. The forwards made several big carries during the game and when chances arose we took them.”

“With players out of position fronting up really well and losing our only back sub in the warm up made life hard, but the players stuck to their task and came through with a good win” added Manager Mark Gould

On a dry extremely hard and dusty Oval reminiscent of the Serengeti in the dry season the Wanderers hunted down the Zebras and gained a well deserved win on the road. The early exchanges were very even as both sides strived for an advantage. An early scrum penalty gave the home side field position and they set up their first attack. Driving from the lineout they moved into midfield but solid defence caused a spilled ball and the Wanderers cleared their decks. Soon it was the visitors who were on the attack. Gruff John-Morris gained a good jackal penalty and from the lineout the Wanderers struck. A front of the lineout move saw Cai Ifans go close and when the ball was recycled a couple of forward drives took play close to the line and John-Morris grabbed a ball to crash over. Ceri Morris converted 0-7. Treorchy struck back almost immediately. Once again a well worked driving lineout in which several backs joined in saw them crash over for their first converted try 7-7. The Zebras had a chance to take the lead soon afterwards. A quick penalty from their 22 saw them break downfield but with the line beckoning a little grubber kick went too far and the Visitors were able to reset with a drop out 22. With the game evenly poised the Wanderers broke the deadlock. A great jackal turnover by Anthony Cox deep in enemy territory put the visitors on the attack and when the ball went wide Ed Thomas broke through the would be tacklers to score in the corner 7-12. The Wanderers confidence grew and they soon increased their lead. From a Treorchy kick Ceri Morris chipped ahead and regathered. He put in a cross kick which landed kindly for AJ Walji. He went close and when the ball was recycled Morris was on hand to cross for the third try 7-17. The half entered its final quarter with the Wanderers ahead albeit without being totally convincing. Zak Fifield, playing in the centre put in a nice through kick which resulted in a Wanderers lineout deep in Treorchy territory. The lineout wasn’t convincing but Finn Davies gathered the ball and Ifans took on the drive. When he was hauled down near the line John-Morris was there again to snaffle the ball and force his way over for his second try. The “Older” Morris converted 7-24. On the brink of the half time whistle the visitors struck again for their 5th try. With Treorchy chasing the game a little they moved the ball wide and when Rhys Meredith and Walji combined to turn them over Meredith took the ball and raced 50 metres to score. Morris “a minute older than the previous conversion” added the extras and the sides went into the break at 7-31.

Early second half pressure came from the Wanderers but the Treorchy defence was solid and they were soon on the attack. Mounting pressure on the visitors scrum a penalty gave them good field position. From the lineout they drove into midfield and crossed for their second converted try 14-31. As usual the Wanderers Massiv looked for fingernails to chew as fears of an opposition revival evolved (mind you this season only head of content Emyr has any fingernails left as he has his manicured). The visitors task became even more challenging when AJ Walji was yellow carded by the referee when the official realised he was the only person on the field not to have been invited to AJ’s stag do next weekend! Despite being a man short the Wanderers responded well. Good carries from Shaun O’Rourke and John-Morris set up play and when a driving lineout allowed O’Rourke to carry again the ball was recycled to Finn Davies who crashed over 14-36. Both sides started to look for fresh legs and Treorchy had their best spell. From a maul deep in Wanderers territory a nice break by the scrum half saw him round the defence for a third try 19-36 and very soon afterwards Jac Williams (once at the Wanderers now at No.8 for the Zebras) crossed after a lovely dummy flat footed the visitors defence 26-36. The game entered its final quarter and the Wanderers managed to suffocate the Zebras to kill off their prey. A neat break from scrum half Cai Harries got the game moving and when Thomas collected another grubber from Fifield, he fed Meredith who raced away for his second try. Morris converted 26-41. The home side now had to throw caution to the wind and when they were turned over on the halfway Meredith was on hand to race away for his third try of the afternoon. Morris the elder superbly converted from the touchline 26-48. The scoring for the afternoon was finished off when Walji picked up a loose ball from another Zebras attack and he trotted away to score the ninth try. Morris converted. Final score 26-55.

Wanderers Scorers

Tries: Gruff John Morris (2), Ceri Morris, Ed Thomas, Rhys Meredith (3), Finn Davies,
AJ Walji
Cons: Ceri Morris (5)

Massiv MOM: Gruff John Morris
Management MOM: Rhys Meredith

Match Pics: https://flic.kr/ps/c7gzd