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St Julians HSOB 24 Rhymney 20

​Well this was a really brave effort at Newport by a Brewers side who barely won a lineout, were heavily outweighed at maul and scrum time and finished - through injuries - with just 13 men.This week, then, rather more for coach Murphy to be proud about. The fixture was switched due to this week's special offer at the Park Pavilion being random electric shocks, and on a grey, chill, wet day on an already-muddy pitch it turned into hard going for Rhymney. However, they stuck to it far more successfully than at Aberbargored and very nearly pinched it against the play and the odds. in fact they were the better side for the first 30 minutes, leading 10-0 through Liam Davies' penalty and his conversion of of another sharp opportunist finish by wing Kyron Moss from Davies' sharp tapped penalty and astute kick. They needed another score then, but instead conceded a big scrum slide and eventual corner pressure. The inevitable home lineout win and driving maul followed, with a converted try the result and 10-7 the interval score.As the mud thickened and the Brewers' tackle count mounted, the writing started to appear on the wall. Still, though, there were solidand spirited displays all round, Mike Green reminding what a match-time force he can become, Callum Ryan fully committed as emergency flanker, Connor Gregory always looking to do the right thing and Daley Morris relishing the contact. Behind, the defence was back up to expectations, Alex Thomaas battled behind a sliding pack, Davies tackled strongly as well as trying to create, Ieuan Breen was not found wanting at 15 and Jack Donegan and Moss carried a wing threat. Moss' knock brought on latecomer and sole sub Joey Buckley, but the hosts' carrying and pressure told as Rhymney could not get behind them, and kicks were run back. Another rolling maul score, then a penalty try at a five metre pushover made it 19-10 and territorially and possession-wise it looked all over. From a short tap, though, Thomas and Ryan went waway, Joey Buckley broke, got centre support from Jamie and regatherd to score. Davies converted and soon after added a long penalty: 20-19 in the lead! 'Five minutes left', said old fans. 'Too long!', and so it was. With one forward already off hurt, another followed and from the last move, after a series of scrums, the hosts just got over for the winning score. The Brewers will have been disappointed: but could hardly complain overall, and at least got a bonus point that their guts deserved. They'll need that and more again at Hafodyrynys next Saturday, but none could fault their short-handed determination. Cheers, Akky.