Ring Rusty

Kidwelly 28 –v- Aberystwyth 20
Due to match postponements and 6-nations internationals, this was Aber’s first game in five weeks, and it showed, as they turned in a well below-par performance. Although their lineout work and scrummaging was generally good their play with ball in hand was predictable and ineffective. The hosts quickly read Aber’s game and snuffed out any opportunities with determined tackling and quick, efficient counterattacking.
Ground conditions were good and a stiff breeze blew downfield. Kidwelly played with this wind at their backs in the first half and they soon exposed Aber’s lack of width with a try after ten minutes play by full-back Gareth Rees on the overlap. He converted his own try to take a 7 – 0 lead.
Aber hit back with a series of powerful scrums, the last of which walked the Kidwelly eight back five yards for Lee ‘Truck’ Evans to touch down. Outside half Steffan Rees converted to draw level. The passing along the visitors’ backs was often fluent and smooth but due to the hosts’ aggressive tackling there was no penetration. Although Aber won a greater share of possession their failure to offload in the tackle meant that promising opportunities came to nothing.
The visitors went into the lead for the first time when Ian Ellis scored a clever try after a phase of good, close inter-passing. The conversion was missed but at 7 – 12 they looked confident. The home side hit back again but gave away too many penalties to establish any fluidity in their game.
It was an Aber error that allowed the hosts to regain the lead. The visitors’ throw-in at a lineout ten metres from their line was carelessly slapped back. Kidwelly capitalised on this mistake to regain possession and spread the ball wide. They again exposed Aber’s lack of width when winger Roger Jones scored a try on the overlap. Gareth Rees converted to enable the hosts to regain the lead at 14 – 12. As half-time approached with the visitors on the attack, Steffan Rees kicked a penalty to put Aber narrowly in front at 14 – 15.
Aber made full use of the wind at the start of the second half and for a full fifteen minutes, play stayed in the Kidwelly half of the field. Aber’s scrum was asserting its superiority with powerful drives. After another huge shove the ball was spread out wide to Llyr Thomas playing on the left wing. His clever grubber kick enabled Ian Ellis to power through to force a lineout five metres from the Kidwelly line. Robbie Parry caught the ball cleanly and the pack drove over the line for flanker Tom Evans to score. The conversion was missed but at 14 – 20 Aber had increased their lead and were looking stronger.
At this point Kidwelly started to redouble their efforts and when Aber again lost their own lineout ball after a mistake, the hosts gradually moved the ball a full 80 metres upfield in a series of rucks and close inter-passing moves for winger Elliot Davies to cut through some weak tackling to score under the posts. Rees again converted and the home side went into a 21 – 20 lead with 20 minutes left on the clock.
After an injury to a Kidwelly prop and the absence of a suitable replacement, scrums were uncontested and so Aber’s strong advantage in that department was nullified. Also, at this stage the visitors seemed to be tiring at the same rate as the hosts were becoming more energised, and after concerted pressure on the Aber line their scrum half Alex Davies broke through to score a decisive try near the posts. Rees added the conversion and Kidwelly had won the match 28 – 20. In doing so they secured their four-try bonus point and deprived Aber of a losing bonus point.
This was a hugely disappointing defeat for Aber; not only because it was a game they could and should have won, but also for the manner in which they lost the tactical battle. They enjoyed most of the possession but failed to use it intelligently. There was far too little variation in approach even when their game was crying out for more initiative. Effective offloading and support running was also a big problem. Ultimately though, Kidwelly won because they were much more aggressive and because they out-thought their opposition.