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Division Three East

September 3 2011

TILLERY DENIED DESERVED BONUS
 Abertillery (3) 19 Pontypool United (8) 32

In a highly entertaining season opener, the visitors gained revenge for defeat at the Park at the back end of last season largely through their scrum dominance that provided a strong platform and starved the Green & Whites of good quality possession. A try with the last move of the game ensured United victory, earning them a bonus point whilst cruelly denying Tillery the point that they at least deserved.

Two converted tries early in the second half gave United a critical 22-6 lead, but the home side showed immense character to get within three points with twenty minutes to go and seemingly on course to overturn the visitors’ lead, before a dropped goal and that last gasp converted try secured the away win.

Despite the reversal though, the Green & Whites should take great heart for the season ahead from a competitive display, with some fine performances from seasoned campaigners and newcomers, especially young fly-half, Daniel Haile.

Tillery’s early pressure told as Haile slotted the first competitive points of the season with a penalty after six minutes. United responded almost immediately from the restart as Tillery spilled the ball at a line out and a snap dropped goal by their inside centre levelled matters.

As might be expected in a first game of the season, both sides struggled to find any real fluency before Tillery nearly got the opening try with a magnificent move instigated on his own 22 by Darren Miles whose interplay with Aled Penn, Daniel Haile, and Craig Meredith put Greg Lane clean through only to be brought back for a marginal forward pass. Instead, the visitors took the lead in the 26th minute with a blind-side move that sent over their left wing, who was perilously close to grounding the ball whilst over the dead-ball line.

The conversion failed and the remainder of the half went scoreless although there were some worrying signs for Tillery in the scrum as the United started to press home their advantage.

H-T: 3-8

The opening minutes of the second half were crucial as United opened up what proved to be an insurmountable 16-point lead. Former Green & White, No. 8 Mike Rosser charged from the back of a scrum only to be held up before his blindside, Williams burrowed over for a score added to by full back, Jenkins.

The visitors then quickly capitalised on a poor pass from the base of scrum, gathering the ball before a long miss pass sent wing Carter over his second try, excellently converted by Jenkins.

With the pack dominant in the scrum, the visitors seemed on course for a straightforward bonus point win. But the Green & Whites had other ideas and started to gain more possession and better field position to put pressure on the visitors’ line. Haile landed two huge penalties before Tillery’s scrum held up well on United’s 22 for Kyle Griffiths to pick up and burst over for a try superbly converted by Haile.

Tillery were now in the ascendancy and Haile narrowed the gap to just three points on the hour with another penalty kick. Another forward pass denied Tillery the lead and United on a now-rare foray into home territory extended their advantage with a well taken dropped goal by Jenkins with ten minutes to go.

Tillery went in search of the converted try that would win the game, but United held firm and with the game’s last play, Rosser went over for a try to secure the spoils and snatch away a bonus point from the home side.

Website Abertillery M-o-M: Daniel Haile

Aled Penn on the attack in the second half

Results - 3 September 2011