Fixture

 

Prior to the game both teams impeccably observed a minutes silence in solidarity and unity with our friends at Newport Saracens RFC after the devastating loss of their player Dale Tucker.

 

The weather and opponents ability to field a team meant that it has been 7 long weeks since “The Mighty Crum” took the field last. Christmas and the New Year have come and gone. It was therefore a pleasure to welcome our friends from Crickhowell RFC to the Kayfield. The last 3 games between our fellow promotees from Div 5 last year and ourselves have been entertaining and tense encounters that went down to the wire. Each of the last season and this seasons games could have gone either way. Crick managed to lower our flag at their place almost exactly a year ago today in a match where the heavens opened and a bad injury to a Crick player couldn’t stop the home team from winning. Thus, the stage was set for another nail biter and with only 19 available Crumlin were expecting the battle that ensued.

 

The team would like to wish Tex Noel an extremely happy birthday. Unfortunately, unavailability meant that both Steele Jones and Taylor Smith missed their first games of the season. However, it was also a pleasure to see Crumlin’s newest and youngest supporter watching (mostly sleeping through) his first ever rugby match. Proud dad Pumpy brought along future Crumlin prop star Alwyn Smith.

 

In the first 5 minutes Crickhowell caused Crumlin no end of problems and it took a while to settle into the game. Cole Jones was starting at scrum half for the first time this season and he was going to have a great afternoon. Speed of thought and tempo from Jones was going to be a big factor throughout the match, as was his faultless distribution. One stand out moment early on saw a burst from Jones who fed to Corey Strickland. Strickland would have fun today on the wing bumping off bigger players. Seriously though Strickland made all the right choices whether it was kick, run or bump today – sign of maturity obviously.

Hooker Jacob “Frankie” Hill threw to flanker Ged Davies at a lineout 10 metres out and the Crumlin eight controlled the drive superbly to send blindside Kian Chess crashing over for the first try.

CRUMLIN 5 Crickhowell 0

Pressure from the Crumlin backline just over the halfway caused Crickhowell to spill the ball and speedster Dylan Foxwell hit the turbo to dribble over and out pace the defence to the touchdown. Centre Scott Barnes converted.

CRUMLIN 12 Crickhowell 0

Having knocked over the extras for the last try, Barnes would turn try scorer less than a minute later. Straight from the kick off Crumlin received and the backs put the ball through hands running left to right for Barnsey to cross and then convert his own try for good measure. Within a quick 10 minute spell Crumlin were moving the scoreboard along very nicely.

CRUMLIN 19 Crickhowell 0

Crickhowell then scored a well worked try of their own and this was impressively converted from out wide. Indeed at this point it was a cause of concern for Crumlin as there were moments of good play from Crick which had it not been for some superb defence could have closed the gap to a single score.

CRUMLIN 19 Crickhowell 7

Frankie was throwing darts at the lineout that Luke Littler would have been proud of. His main target was Euan Lewis in the second row who made some fine 2 handed catches. On one occasion when he could only get a hand to the ball, Lewis brought it slightly backwards and prop Cameron Powell was there to tidy up. Then as Crumlin’s pack powered forward they got to the floor for the ball to hit a stray boot and come out the side of the ruck. Cameron was there to tidy up again and drove forward with his pack once more.

Having his first runout in literally a number of years was flanker Gareth Davies. GED looked like he had never been away and the product of Crumlin’s youth team slotted in perfectly making a number of good tackles. The final member of the back row was Vice captain Kyle Walton who had a great game carrying as usual from eight. Indeed, Kyle managed a couple of visits over the try line himself in the game. A penalty 5m out was taken quickly by Corey Strickland and when the ball came out Jones fed Walton to crash over.

CRUMLIN 24 Crickhowell 7

At another lineout in the Crickhowell 22, Frankie found Lewis and the drive was on again for Frankie to crash over himself this time.

Frankie was huge in defence several times making a tackle, rolling out, and making the next tackle as Crickhowell tried to make ground employing their forwards. Ultimately, it turned out to be a Man of the Match display for the Crumlin hooker.

CRUMLIN 29 Crickhowell 7

HALF TIME: CRUMLIN 29 Crickhowell 7

Unfortunately, Powell left the field after a hit in the shoulder in the second half and was replaced by Joe Tigg who sured up the scrums even when Crumlin conceded a very questionable yellow card mid-way through second half and had to go 7 against 8.

Crickhowell scored first in the second half to increase the pressure on the Crumlin supporters nerves, but then something special after a long period of excellent defence by the home team.

In their own 22 Crumlin had a scrum and the supporters would have been happy to see Crum clear the ball deep down field. No one would have been expecting the try of the game from here. A bit of pressure saw Kian Chess, now at 8, pick up, make a couple of metres with 2 players on him and offload deftly to Cole Jones. The field opened up and Cole sprinted into the gap. Upto half way where he found Captain Ethan Chess in hot pursiuit. Chess drew one and gave a quality pass to inside centre Ryan Lewis. The centres’ opposite number was alive to this and was lining up a big hit. Lewis caught and passed in one movement to his flying centre partner Scott Barnes. Barnes pace was too much for the defence and he flew forward toward Cricks 22. With the last defender on top of him Barnes drew and delivered into the arms of Foxwell which even at this point meant TRY TIME. Foxy was gone and dived in for his second of the afternoon.

CRUMLIN 34 Crickhowell 7

Crumlin were trying at every opportunity to play rugby but so were Crickhowell who made some fine breaks of their own. Chess looked to bring Joel Witcombe onto the ball as an attacking threat, but the best was when Chess tried a sublime move with centre Lewis which would have seen Fox in for his third if the ball had stuck. Chess had a commanding game at 10 with some superb clearance and line kicking. Chips and grubber kicks mixed in, meant the defence could never be sure what was coming at them.

WItcombe was assured in defence and very difficult to bring down when carrying. As with Chess Witcombe mixed up his normal running game with some telling kicks.

Crick though strived hard and never gave up as they worked some good turnover ball to get another try and converted it well.

CRUMLIN 34 Crickhowell 14

Partnering Euan Lewis in the second row was big Jordan Hughes who continued his great form of the season so far carrying hard and fast always making good ground. Unfortunately, injury prevented Jordan completing the full 80 as he was replaced by Rhys Hipkiss. This replacement brought another dimension to Crumlin’s lineout as Hipkiss soared like a salmon onto Frankies pinpoint throws. It must have been the thought of his birthday celebrations to be had in the club after the game that had Hipkiss flying so high.

These reports normally start with talk of the exploits of the front row but today it has been kept back a little for our most capped forward. As usual Gavin Spencer was doing his job superbly at scrum and lineout but this prop can shift a little too and his defence work can be a thing to behold when he finds himself outnumbered in the middle of the field against the opposition backline. In the middle of the field Spence was in on a tackle and then performed a text book robbery of the man on the floor to produce a wonderful turnover. The importance of this turnover was not lost as the Crumlin players congratulated Spence to a man. Not content with this, late in the game Spence finds himself outnumbered 3 to 1 wide out but deep in Cricks half. The backline threw the pass to take out Spence as the last defender but Spence tips the ball high in the air. Then he jumps under close attention to catch the ball. Now with a tackler all over him Spence manages to twist and get a pass off to supporting Number 8 Kyle Walton. Kyle was gone through the 22 and just to be sure took the try wide out for his second of the game.

CRUMLIN 39 Crickhowell 14

Once again to their credit Crickhowell never gave up and played some great rugby right to the end as the crossed out wide on the left. The conversion wasn’t a million miles away either.

CRUMLIN 39 Crickhowell 19

A very hard fought encounter against a strong Crickhowell outfit. The supporters of both teams were once again well entertained by a quality match and 10 well taken tries. All at Crumlin would like to wish Crickhowell the very best for the rest of this season.

Next Saturday we welcome to the Kayfield the only team in the league with a 100% record, Newport Saracens. This will be a huge game in defining both teams’ seasons. The boys would appreciate your support behind them to drive them on. SO wrap up and get down to the Kayfield for 2:30 next Saturday afternoon. If you are after even more entertainment, Jonathan “Jiffy” Davies will be at the Crumlin clubhouse on Friday even and there may even be a ticket or 2 still available.

#UPPACRUM!

TEAM:

1. G.Spencer

2. J.Hill

3. C.Powell

4. J.Hughes

5. E.Lewis

6. K.Chess

7. G,Davies

8. K.Walton (Vice)

9. C.Jones

10. E.Chess (Capt)

11. C.Strickland

12. R,Lewis

13. S.Barnes

14. D.Foxwell

15. J.Witcombe

16. R.Hipkiss

17. J.Tigg

18. B.Smith

19. D.Lewis