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Mighty Morgan Makes Merry! ...but Cae are edged out in close battle.

We’ve probably played Newbridge more times than any other side, since our formation way back in 2013. The games are always notable for two things: the excellent spirit they are played in and the paper thin difference between the sides when the final whistle blows.

This game was to be no different, it was a superb arm wrestle from start to finish and any connoisseurs of fine forward play in the crowd,  were spoilt rotten.

First half: Newbridge 7-0 Cae

If anyone rolling up at the superb Ystrad Mynach centre of sporting excellence thought that the AstroTurf would lead to a try fest...they were wrong.

There was more chance of Everton holding on to a two goal lead with 94 minutes on the clock, than a Baa Baas style exhibition today.

The first half mostly belonged to Newbridge, but they couldn’t break through.. over the last week our boys have benefitted from a gym fitness session and revitalised training and it showed.  The team that in the last game was blowing out of its ar...urm...bottom after ten minutes and tackled like Englishmen cowering away from Lomu in 1995 were gone.. this was a team determined to make amends and give everything for the cause.

Every Newbridge break was met with a crunching tackle: Jack L hit one lad so hard in the midriff, that we feared the result might be something akin to that old Paul Daniels trick, where he’d cut the lovely Debbie McGee in half.

The forwards didn’t take a backward step all game, and with little Ry marshalling the big boys and sniping from scrum half like Vasily Zaytsev, we controlled ruck time and won a succession of penalties as Newbridge scrambled for possession.

As the half wore on, Newbridge changed tack, finding no luck up front, they spread the ball, but there is no out running our speedster Kai and he closes down his opposing winger, and marches him into touch without any fuss.

Finally, after prolonged pressure and some more excellent tackling from our boys, we can hold out no longer and they go over from short range for a deserved score. They are a very good side.

Second half: Newbridge 7-0 Cae

Our improved fitness really showed second half, the first fifteen minutes we had to spend on the back foot, again showing some incredible resilience.  At various times it looked like Newbridge would score, only for a green clad hero to disabuse them of the idea pretty quickly.  

The rain was pouring down now and we weren’t helping ourselves by spilling the ball whenever possession came our way,  it was tricky in these conditions.

Titanium Tommy showed a flash of brilliance to get us out from under our own sticks, imagine Tom standing at martins farm traffic lights, facing the Newbridge defence....a swivel of his hips and the Newbridge defenders are left running to catch the train at Aber Halt, whilst Tom was elegantly gliding towards Caerphilly station..

We win a penalty on the half way line, Ross puts a beautiful kick into the corner...arghh, we lose the ball at the line out, their winger has it and it about to break free and run the length of the pitch for a game clinching try...until he meets young Morgan, who tackles him not so much into touch, as into next Wednesday afternoon. Ouch!

All the boys rush to pat him on the back and thank him, there is real team spirit here.

From the next lineout,  with time almost up, Big Lew gets the ball and touches down on the line, yes, we’ve done it, it’s going to be a draw...

But, no...the ref has disallowed it, he thinks he’s seen something.  It’s a scrum to the opposition.  Ref thinks there was a knock on somewhere.  

The excitement isn’t over, the boys are giving everything and win the scrum against the head, surely this time, but no, we can’t quite do it. The ball ends up in touch and the ref blows up for time.

What a great game of rugby, the crowd are aware that they have witnessed something special and all rise to acclaim both sides, clapping until their hands fall off, or at least start to hurt a bit.

Man of the match:

Was Morgan, for a superb all round performance, competitive and talented he really made his mark today.

When asked what he put his stunning performance down to, he replied:  “Jim, the six nations is upon us, with Wales surely about to defend their title successfully I wanted to put down a clear marker”. You certainly did that today Morgan! Wise words indeed.

Onwards and upwards for the growing taller by the day green army...