10:55am Thursday 13th September 2007
FAIRWATER 9 PENARTH 21 THE SECOND examination in the Penarth acclimatisation to Division 3 was passed satisfactorily last Saturday.
The test was going to be a sterner one.
The home side are well drilled, not given to generosity and on their own patch have given Penarth problems in the past.
As it turned out, despite the home side having a dynamic number 8 in Ryan Crimmings who frequently linked with captain and number 9, Rhys McCarthy to put dents into the Penarth defence plus the boot of outside half, Michael Foley, the visitors put on a solid defensive performance to deny the home side even a glimpse of the try line.
Sadly on a perfect running rugby day the home priority was to restrict opportunities for a Penarth back division that looked a threat from the start. So there was a solid rather than free flowing Penarth on view.
A lovely exception to this was our first snapshot of young number 10 Jack Davies' feel for the game when after a half hour which had produced only two home penalties Penarth mounted a serious attack.
James Cosslett created the danger with a charge into the home defence and a release to Davies who held the ball for the exact number of micro-seconds to allow flyer Mathew O'Neill to take the ball at unstoppable pace and angle.
It was a minor rugby gem.
Once Penarth had nudged ahead 6-7 they never sacrificed the lead. Their second try came shortly after half time from a powerful line out drive finished off by busy hooker Rhys Blake who was straight away rested and Peter Bennett took the field.
Penarth gave their travelling support a period of anxiety by spurning an easy penalty for a two score lead and then failing to force a determined home side back over their line.
But there were further substitutions with James Crothers on for Lloyd Davey, James Docherty for Davies and Gary Power for injured Dai Morgan and with their fresh legs and general team stamina Penarth started to dominate a tiring home side, especially up front with the Penarth tight five shoving the home pack all over.
In the line out Richard Ball was offering a steady alternative receiver to Paul Gooding Fairwater's only answer to this dominant possession was to up the infringement rate which only allowed a demonstration of accurate place kicking from Docherty.
The tempo did rise with a last gasp home effort in the last 5 minutes but Penarth by then had a stranglehold. So some aerial ping-pong nonsense was put to bed by the delightful sight of momentary, temporary, acting full-back Peter Bennett leaning back into a delicate long range touch finder.
At last knockings James Docherty set the seal on a sound Penarth victory with 3 points worth of in-off the post.
Penarth rest next week. They can do so well content with their sound start to the season.
Penarth: Steve Roberts; Mathew O'Neill; Liam Bevan; Rhys Lakin; Lloyd Davey (James Crothers); Jack Davies (James Docherty); Andrew Edwards; Jason Allen; Barry Esterhuizen; James Cosslett; Paul Gooding; Richard Ball; Dai Morgan (Gary Power); Rhys Blake (Peter Bennett); Richard Merrett.
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