Fixture

Local derby’s are usually full of blood, guts and sweat, bad tempers and passion. Although the passion was there, the tempers were well channelled but the rugby was somewhat lacking as Caerphilly and Senghenydd ground out an unusual draw at Virginia Park last weekend. Despite the home side enjoying a 70-30 share the ball, scoring 2 try’s in the process whilst the visitors did well to utilise their possession to the max, also crossing the whitewash twice.

Caerphilly exerted pressure for the first 15 minutes of the game but came away with nothing to show for their efforts except for an uncharacteristic penalty miss from outside half Matthew Hurley. It was the visitors that took an unexpected lead, as full back Ryan Williams slotted a penalty between the posts during the Saints first excursion into the Caerphilly half.

Minutes later, Senghenydd extended that lead with their second visit in attacking territory, following a penalty, giving themselves a lineout on the 5mtr line. Following the catch and drive, the subsequent maul slowly worked its way over the line, no.8 Nicky Thomas emerging as try scorer, against the run of play, Williams adding the conversion for a 10 point lead.

 Further pressure from Caerphilly eventually paid off. Having underperformed at the scrummage the home side applied immense pressure on a Saints scrum, within the 22, and forced a turnover. Moving the ball out wide the home side faltered by the line, again, but referee Haydn Edwards brought play back to the centre for a simple penalty conversion for Hurley, and some points on the board.

Senghenydd plaid a good game of turnover ball, but sailing close to the rules Edwards eventually relented to persistent infringements and the visitors found themselves down to 14 men, try scorer Thomas rested for 10 minutes, as Caerphilly on attacked. Some good defence eventually saw them escape up field, just before the half time whistle, the home side unable to capitalise with the extra man.

The home side finally crossed the line just before the return of Thomas. Lineout ball from the top, on the 22, the ball through the backs, centre Matthew Nuthall breaking through the defence to score, Hurley adding the spoils to make the score 10-10.

Caerphilly failed to take advantage of their pressure and nearly paid the price as the visitors again got behind the home defence, spilling the ball just short of the line. A Break from deep yielded Caerphilly’s next try, on 55 minutes, this time Connor Kawulock breaking through the defence as the Caerphilly backs injected some pace into their play, the centre crossing the line for a 5 point lead, the try unconverted.

Despite their continued pressure, Senghenydd again rocked the home supporters with a 66 minute try. Following a controversial penalty deep inside the 22, the visitors again attempted the catch and drive. Falling just short, scrum half squirrelled the from the base of the ruck, ran around the home defence to cross the line, Thomas missing the conversion, setting up a tense final quarter.

As true as the rest of the game, Caerphilly, despite the pressure, failed to score again, finding themselves camped on the visiting try line for 7 minutes, the Senghenydd defence eventually clearing the ball as the home side spilled possession again. It was the visitors that nearly stole the game at the end, always looking dangerous on the break, before Edwards finally blew the full-time whistle as another Caerphilly attack broke down. Leaving Even Stevens at the end, 2 points for each side, round 2 to commence at the Welfare field on the 3^rd March 2018.