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Teaming
Up (190710)
In
recent years we have rarely begun a campaign with a nucleus of players
from the previous season. It’s the same this time around, but there are
signs that the problem will be solved. Training and August friendlies
will bond the players and we know the spirit is already high on and off
the field. Last Saturday’s ‘bash’ at the clubhouse was the first of
its kind and we wonder why someone hadn’t thought of it before. It was
an amazing afternoon that attracted lots of people and left them in happy,
confident mood.
Anyone
can be wise after the event, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but many who
watched our first friendly a year ago came away from Brynmawr unimpressed.
Alex Codling’s Barking, a side in a low division in
England
, beat us 20-5. It wasn’t just the scoreline,
it was the fact that an English side had played on Welsh soil against a
reputable Welsh club and had sauntered to victory. The graffiti was on the
wall before the season even started.
The
writing we see now is copper plate, the players are bonding, the
supporters are too. A host of them had a great party on Saturday and a
local band provided music which was also enjoyed by residents of Garnlydan.
As icing on the cake the players displayed their vocal talent by singing
“Happy Birthday” to a 100 year old lady partying in the club function
room. It was that sort of day.
The
host was Neil Edwards, a character with a mission and it’s not
impossible. There’s a local tinge about the squad, a mix of youth and
experience, and when battle commences they will be a team in every sense.
Unlike other seasons we know who’s in charge so if a spaceship landed on
EXP and a little green man emerged and said “Take me to your leader”
we would direct him straight to Neil Edwards.
Earlier
in the day the All-Blacks beat
South Africa
31-17. The Kiwis, according to a Welsh player are “ready for the
taking,” and he could be right because in two games the Kiwis only
scored 63 points to 29, and 8 tries to 2 against the World Cup holders.
Just how can teams down there run so fast, pass so often and well and keep
up the pace for eighty minutes? Their game is so speedy I often wonder if
I’m pressing the fast-forward button on the remote control.
The
first Test between the old rivals included something novel, a head butt
from behind, and the culprit was duly dealt with, a minor incident
compared to the endless fouls in soccer. The recent
unlamented World Cup Final was described as “excruciating,
pockmarked, foul-filled, an abomination.” One red and fourteen yellow
cards were waved at miscreants and the English referee’s patience and
pen ran dry.
South Africa
spent millions of rand on the show and its people must be wondering if it
was worth it.
Speaking
of money, season tickets are on sale and hopefully will sell like hot
Welsh cakes to supporters many of whom turned up last Saturday from all
points of the compass, i.e. Beaufort, Hilltop, Tyllwyn
and Cwm. Exiles are often the most loyal, one
came from the Swansea Valley and a couple from Hereford and they never,
ever miss a game. People that like make a club a good one.
REL
Fit to
drop (120710)
My
name is not Bond, if it was I would be celebrating the 21st
anniversary of the release of
“Licence To Kill,” a torrid tale of running bad guys
into the ground and saving good girls from a fate worse than death. It’s
nothing new, physical training freaks have been inflicting punishment on
their victims for ages, and they still do. Modern rugby has more than its
share of them.
PTIs
are now part of the army of experts employed to swamp players with advice
on how to cope with mental and physical pressure and deal with problems,
like whose round it is. There are almost as many non-combatants on the
pitch or alongside it than players, perhaps too many. Brian Moore, who got
64 caps without them, wrote that during
England
’s summer tour there was only a handful of Aussies around their team
when they were training but
England
had lots more, each shouting instructions. He described them as
'track-suited Towers of Babel'. Lawyers have a way with words.
Arthur
Lewis, who coached Ebbw Vale in the late 70s, was a Tartar for fitness and
Cae Canol became
as infamous as a Pirbright assault course, but
the game has progressed and only fit players can survive. Gone are the
days of pie and chips and flagons of Webb's,
now it’s pasta and bottled water.
Physical
fitness will be on show at our ground on Saturday when we’ll see the
faces behind the names that have appeared on the club website. Some
players we know, others are new, but it’s an opportunity to see them
warming up for what will be a very important season. There will be a squad
training session at 1030, bit early for some Addicts, and there are
rumours of tyre flipping (what the flipping heck is that?), sprinting,
terrace running and laps around the ground. And that’s just for the
supporters.
It’s
all very healthy I’m sure and I wish those participating
the best of luck. Some will need the kiss of life so lay off garlic at
lunch. To the supporters who might get too excited and want to join in,
remember what Neil Armstrong once said, “I believe every human has a
finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine running
around doing exercises.”
Vitamin
packed burgers and bangers will be on sale throughout the afternoon, the
bar will be open for the handful who imbibe and Neil Edwards has engaged a
band strangely named “The
Boy That Got The Girl.” I still believe a real band should have sixteen
guys in it but hope they will bring very big loud speakers for me to stand
behind. I am assured by Sister Ruth that they are entertaining and
encourage audience participation so the mind is already boggling. When the
recital adjourns for a whiff, players (of rugby not guitars) will be on
hand to answer questions. But ladies beware, don’t ask them for their
‘phone numbers, they are all spoken for.
Followers
of the round ball tell me their viewing of the other World Cup was ruined
by the incessant blowing of vuvuzelas so one
can only imagine what it was like to be in a crowd of them. This ghastly
gimmick has made someone rich and has even penetrated that bastion of
cricket, Edgbaston, but it has been banned by the Tri-Nations, and Ebbw
Vale supporters have also made a stand. While sitting in the clubhouse
they decided on a simple straight to the point clarion call - “No ‘ooters
‘ere.”
REL
Chippy
and Chips off the old block (050710)
When
Richard Hill joined Ebbw Vale as assistant coach to Leigh Jones some of us
wondered if it was a good move. We were prejudiced, being Welsh, and
remembered him as a controversial
England
scrum-half, albeit a very good one with a lot of caps. It didn’t take
long for him to feel at home and the club benefited enormously. A nice
bloke, a very good coach and one destined for the top. When in 2003/04 he
began his first season as
Bristol
coach his squad was mainly composed of the previous season’s Under 21s.
It was a major challenge but Richard and
Bristol
prospered and restored the traditional West of England rugby triangle of
Bath
,
Gloucester
and
Bristol
, clubs we had regular fixtures with in the good old days..
The
high water mark of Hill’s period as
Bristol
coach was 2006/07 when his team only lost once at home and finished third
in the Guinness Premiership. Jason Strange, aka
Chippy, was with
Bristol
over four seasons, played 94 games (17 as replacement) and scored 825
points. He played at the top level of club rugby and is particularly
remembered at the Memorial Ground for two late match winning drop goals
against
Gloucester
in 2007 and 2008. Another feather in his cap was playing in the
Bristol
team that beat the unbeatable Leicester Tigers 15-3 in January 2006.
Born
in Tredegar, he is one of several local lads
in the new Ebbw squad and some are following in father’s footsteps.
Hollywood
made a lot of “Son Of” movies which varied from Son Of
Dracula to Son of Lassie but we have the real thing, Dorian son of
Kingsley (Jones) and Nicky son of Chris (Coughlin) so they know the way to
the ground and what is expected of them. It’s all good news but there
are minefields waiting for us come September which makes the pre-season
welding of new players into a team so important.
Sons
don’t always follow fathers in the positions they play. As a destroyer
in the back-row Kingsley hunted down No.10s and left his mark on many of
them. Son Dorian is a No.10 but he can sleep at night. He will never face
his Dad on the battlefield, but will get a lot of hints on survival and
how to win, the Jones family don’t like
losing. English footballers are used to it but the Celts shouldn’t mock,
their teams never even reached the World Cup Finals. According to crass
tabloids national pride was at stake in
South Africa
but soccer is just a game in which men, and some women, kick a ball
around, occasionally to a team-mate. It’s not a matter Governments
should be involved in, FIFA doesn’t allow politics into the game they
control, but like their players rules are broken more than observed.
Nigeria
had no chance of reaching the last sixteen, being there should have been
enough, but their President thinks differently. He glories in the name of Goodluck
Jonathan (honestly, look it up) and he has suspended the Nigerian squad
and officials for two years. Bad luck for the players that Goodluck
is their President. Or anybody’s for that matter. Little does the
President know but his name has touched a nerve in Ebbw Vale because when
Jonathan Jones of Cefn Coed
leaves home to watch Ebbw play his family say “Good luck Jonathan.”
We
can take heart from a recent declaration that “the All-Blacks are there
for the taking.” There’s
a Churchillian ring about it, a rallying call,
“We shall play on the beaches, throw in tidy at lineouts,
off-load and avoid yellow cards, we will never
surrender.” Especially to Colonials. Winston,
seeking war-time aid from
America
once said, “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job.” We are
supposed to have the tools so all that’s left to do is finish the job
and “take” the All-Blacks. But where do we take them? And will they
mind?
REL
A Tale
of two Chunkies (280610)
Picking
a favourite All-Black is a problem as there are so many candidates. Many
will choose Dan Carter whose predecessor was the equally great Carlos
Spencer. But I might pick full-back Bob Scott who played for the New
Zealand Army Division team that toured the
UK
at the end of the war. The history of
New Zealand
rugby is one of almost total success but the 1945/46 Kiwi army team is
forgotten. They had fought in North Africa and
Italy
, suffered heavy casualties yet managed to form a touring team that only
lost twice, to
Scotland
and Monmouthshire at
Pontypool
Park
. That’s
New Zealand
rugby for you, lots of players, bags of skill, bucket loads of
determination and pride.
Bob
Scott was on the first official
New Zealand
tour after the Second World War in 1953/54 and
was the first running, counter-attacking full-back any of us
had seen. My more current choice will
raise a few eyebrows because we have someone of the same mould at Ebbw
Vale. Both are hookers, members of rugby’s equivalent to the SAS. They
get on with the job, cause a lot of damage to the opposition and are seen
but not heard. They suffer more than anyone else in a rugby team, they rub
beards with the enemy but who dares to annoy them never win.Keven
Mealamu first played for
New Zealand
in 1998 and is not only a highly qualified hooker and thrower in of the
ball but a burrower and a Flashman in the
loose. Ebbw’s equivalent is Chunky who is so famous they named a
chocolate bar after him. Vote for Chunky!
Compared to the first test, Wales were better, the All-Blacks not on song
but as usual good enough to win. Our new boys gained experience and repaid
their selection with very good performances.
Wales
faced a formidable side with a star studded bench and to add to European
gloom NZ Maori beat
Ireland
and
England
. Finding a way to beat them seems impossible and we have run out of
options except one, chuck out the non-Welsh in the regions and give more
of our budding youngsters regular rugby.
The
Maori in their centenary year provided the majority of the first NZ
touring team to
Britain
over a hundred years ago. Called the NZ Native Football Representatives
they began their adventure with games in
New Zealand
and
Australia
and then sailed to
Britain
. The tour began in June 1888 and ended in August 1889, 107 games were
played, 78 won, six drawn and 23 lost and the tour party never exceeded
26! And players today say they get tired. The first official All-Black
tour was in 1905 when 35 games were played, 34
won and one lost to
Wales
3-0. It was the start of many visits by
New Zealand
to our shores and to illustrate the might of Kiwi rugby they have lost
only seven international matches in the four Home countries in 105 years.
An
example of
New Zealand
’s endless stock of talent is winger Hosea Gear who would walk into a
European All-Star XV. His Old Testament forename has links with rugby,
Hosea was the son of Beeri (honestly, check
it) and he it was who first warned, “They who sow the wind will reap the
whirlwind.” Since the first Kiwi invasion it’s the Europeans who have
reaped the whirlwind.
During
the Maori/England game an explanation of a penalty was flashed on the
screen – “Player leaving feet.” It didn’t say where he left them,
but poor chap he couldn’t even kick himself for giving a penalty away.
If you think that’s corny be thankful
Ireland
didn’t beat
Australia
through goal-kicks by their No. 10 otherwise the headline would read
“Sexton Buries Wallabies.”
REL
Still
All Black (200610)
At
the end of May Scott Johnson, who has coached everywhere but Beaufort
Welfare, said, “Wales have probably got
South Africa
at the best time we can get them.” The answer to that is, that’s
another fine hope you got us into Aussie, but he went further, “After
looking at the Super 14 this year it’s probably the most vulnerable
I’ve seen
New Zealand
rugby for a very, very long time.” The answer to that is if the Kiwis
are vulnerable at the moment heaven help us
when they become invulnerable.
From
the first All-Black tour to Europe in 1905 to last Saturday
New Zealand
have always been better and
England
and
France
are the only European nations to beat them down there.
Ireland
and
Scotland
haven’t beaten them anywhere. The captain of the Irish Under
20s, son of a Welshman, was as shattered as any by the humiliation of
Ireland
’s 66-28 defeat by the All-Blacks but there was some compensation when
he was flown from
Argentina
to fill the gap left by suspended No. 8 Heaslip.
It’s a giant leap up the Irish ladder but Rhys Ruddock will grasp the
opportunity. When he is capped by
Ireland
all Blaina will rejoice and so will we.
Back at the ranch we’ll soon be player spotting and once again
there’ll be lots of new faces. If as some believe the clubs we play next
season rarely change in personnel our task will be harder, but we have
some old hands at the helm and can rely on them to prepare for some stern
challenges. Every visiting club will go flat out to win on a ground some
have never played on before, and one local
Derby
, against Newbridge, will be a mini-Cup Final.
What a pity though that Tredegar were
relegated.
Neil
Edwards comes from Porth, a hotbed of the game
and a nursery for future internationals. He played for Mountain Ash which
is officially a feeder club for Cardiff Blues. Before
regions
Mountain
Ash, alias The Old Firm, always bred players
for
Cardiff
and between 1896 and 1939 seven were directly capped from the club. With
24 caps between them they appeared in 20 winning Welsh teams, losing only
four. The last directly capped player was back-rower Les Manfield
capped twice in 1939. After a very active war he was capped five times
from
Cardiff
.
Neil
joined Ebbw when Mike Ruddock was coach and later came under the expert
eye of Alex Codling who will be checking our results next season closely.
That solid club background at Mountain Ash has counted, and when we play
them in a friendly in August we can expect a warm welcome and a tough
game. They play in Division Two East and finished fourth last season.
With
respect to what the military would call the General Staff it’s the voice
of Neil that will
encourage interest and financial support at a time when
morale is high but we are not joyful, we would prefer planning for another
Premier season. Watching rugby via TV passes the time before our game
comes alive again but during this period the signings of foreign players
by the regions continues which is not in the national interest. The
regions were formed to boost Welsh teams not to be employment agencies for
retired test players from far and wide..
The
final judgement of the current
Wales
tour should be made when it’s over but the hype in what used to be a
good rugby press should be ignored. We are playing arguably the greatest
of all rugby nations on their home grounds and even if we could boost our
strength with all-Welsh regions and the players spoke the Mother tongue
Kiwi polish would still shine.
REL
Island in the sun -
in red, white and green (130610)
With
the new squad filling up to bursting point with young bloods and ageless
veterans, and having done my bit for the moment by sending a postal order
to the club fund, it was time to leave the country, so I did. But 72 hours
after surviving Gatwick Transit Camp I was back among red, white and green
clad genuine supporters of the game.
The
volcanic ash that spouted from
Iceland
had turned Thomas Cook in his grave but it didn’t dare upset my plans.
As the ground crew obeyed the order to pull the chocks away and swing the
propellers I wondered how one of nature’s wonders could wreak so much
damage with a name like Evjafjallajokkull
which, roughly translated, means Evjafjallajokkull.
Madeira
, which roughly translated means Shangri-La, is not a Costa where sun,
sand and Strongbow reigns supreme. There are
no home-from-home bars owned by Ted and Maggie, Glad and Joe et al where
you can watch Villa play
Sunderland
after a Sunday roast like wot your mam
cooked. It’s
Paradise
Island
and in its capital Funchal is an oasis called
The Prince Albert.
Highly regarded by a guide book, it is owned by a Welshman and where
there’s an exiled Welshman
there’s Sky Sport tuned into the channel showing our beloved game. By sheer
coincidence, two Ebbw Addicts found it just in time to watch
one of the best games of the season in
Britain
and
Ireland
– Leicester Tigers v Saracens.
There
were soccer types therein but after explaining that the Saracens came from
London
not
Jerusalem
they were soon converted. I must admit that John Smith doesn’t travel
well but Tiger supporters do. Suitably rigged out in Ebbw Vale colours
they made one feel briefly homesick. But emerging into the sunshine I
experienced a singular thought and a lot of envy. The Tigers faithful
support a club playing first class rugby and just one step below
international level, just as top Welsh clubs used to do. They and members
of the other dozen clubs in the Guinness Premiership fill big stadiums at
the drop of a bobble hat and they invariably do. Lucky
them.
Returning
after a camping holiday in Gatwick’s South Terminal we arrived at 10 am
in the self-styled capital of the world’s greatest and most successful
rugby nation. The streets were already full of scarlet replica gear, there
were a few no-hopers in green but they were heading for a beating with
their big names back home in the
Transvaal
.
The
local rag headlined optimistically “It’s time to relive the magic of
1999,” and “Coach points to new Golden Era.” The former because our
only win against the Springboks in 104 years was in 1999, the latter
because the Blues had won the Amlin Cup and
the Ospreys beat
Leinster
in the Magner’s League Play-off final. As
thirteen of the Welsh starting lineup came
from those two teams there was reason for optimism. It was in some
people’s opinion a No-No game so why did
South Africa
bother to play it? Because they got £650,000 from the WRU and they wanted
to try out some of their borderline candidates for the Tri-Nations where
there are no No-No games.
Helping
to swell the coffers of both Unions were supporters of
Wales, very few of whom are supporters of their local clubs or even
regions.
Ebbw Vale Parkway
was full of them, families out for an exciting day and who can blame them?
Some go to Kerdiff to watch rugby, others to
watch ageing pop stars, none of which has anything to do with rugby or
music. They were disappointed after Wales led 16-3 after 21 minutes then
leaked 28 points in the next 40, but chin up chaps we can change all that
in New Zealand.
REL
A Sip of the Cup
(300510)
Toulouse
, first winners of the Heineken Cup in 1995/96, won it for the fourth time
in
Paris
in May, an all French party with the ladies of the Folies
Bergere forming a guard of honour as the teams
ran on. It was a typical Parisian touch but the teams had other things on
their mind when they took the field breathing fire and garlic. The pitch
was perfect, unlike Wembley where Cardiff
City
lost on a surface Waunlwyd Nibs would have
scorned.
Eight
Welsh clubs competed in the Cup until regions took over in 2003/04, and
only
Cardiff
and Llanelli made the semi finals. Swansea, Neath,
Pontypridd, Newport, Bridgend and Ebbw Vale did not, but had their moments – read on!.
Only Bridgend failed to win a pool game, in 2001/02, and only one created
a points record, unfortunately against. More
of that shortly when I take a sip of JD and steady my hands. We
shouldn’t compare the attendances at the Heineken Cup Final and the
Welsh Premier Division Play-Off final at Cardiff, 80,000 in the former and 541 in the latter, but was it worth playing?
A
rare bad day at the office for Toulouse
was November 7th 1998 when they came to Ebbw Vale for the
return fixture. Toulouse
or not to lose, that was the question after we were hammered in the first
leg in September but I won’t mention the score except to say it was over
fifty to them and under fifty to us. It was Dai v Goliath, Toulouse
4th largest city of
France
(pop.450,000) versus Ebbw Vale the largest town
in
North Gwent
(pop.19,000). They expected to win and get a home semi with Ulster, but they didn’t and were bad losers. Just as they
were after the Battle of Waterloo. And
Trafalgar.
The
conflict didn’t end when Ed Murray blew no-side. He had sent off
Toulouse
prop Vancheri for kicking and was jostled by
French players. A touch-judge was pushed and then came one of those rare
occasions in rugby, the police stepped in to
protect the match officials. One local Bobby even had his helmet knocked
off. The Entente Cordiale took a thumping and the French who didn’t
expect to lose (!) had to go to Belfast where as usual it rained.
Ulster
beat them 15-13, then won the Final in Dublin, 21-6 over Colomiers. They sent us a Thank
You card.
Our
lone scorer that day was Jason Strange who converted a penalty try and
kicked four penalty goals. He kicked plenty in the Premier Division that
season but there were only eight clubs in it and we came fourth, below Neath,
Pontypridd and leaders Llanelli, but above Caerphilly, Bridgend, Newport
and bottom club Aberavon. 1998/99 was when “that” try was scored by
Scott Gibbs at Wembley but the rest of the Five Nations was varied. We
lost to
Scotland
and
Ireland
but won 34-33 in Paris
when Dai Llewellyn (Ebbw Vale) replaced Robert Howley.
.
We
met the coaches last Thursday and came away full of hope, curry and chips.
A good idea and perhaps, as dear Vera sang, “We’ll Meet Again.” The
pleasant sight of our ground
reminded us of former coaches, including Mike Ruddock and
Richard Hill. Last week
Worcester
appointed Richard as Mike’s replacement, one ex-Steelman
taking over from another. In 1948/49 the ground was re-turfed
so we played all games away. On Good Friday 1949 we played the Royal
Signals at Brynmawr before a crowd a few thousand more than at the
Premiership play-off final.
The attraction was the Signal’s left wing T G H Jackson, a Scots
international of great quality. He became a Brigadier and died aged 88
last week. I remember the game because of the mad dash to get from Penarth
where the BaaBaas had played in the afternoon
to Brynmawr, but it was worth it to watch a very good Ebbw side and a
great Scottish wing. An even greater one played for us a dozen or so years
later, the legendary Arthur Smith. Happy days!
REL
Codling's
Swan Song (230510)
Three
years ago we were basking in the aftermath of a season in which several of those
who have now returned to the fold, played principal roles. April 2007 was the
last time Alex Codling coached Ebbw Vale and he couldn’t have sung a better
swan song. The last game of a happy campaign was home to
Llanelli and at the same time
Newport
were playing Pontypridd at Rodney Parade.
It was a grand finale of
2006/07, we beat Llanelli 19-12, Pontypridd won at
Newport
and we finished runners up.
I
dashed to the nearest cashpoint, drew out a whole
fiver and bought our tallest lock a pint. Coming down to earth took on a new
dimension when Neil Edwards – I hope he wasn’t breathalysed
going home – took to the skies and landed with ball firmly in his grasp. Just
like Alex did on his only appearance for
England
in
Argentina
. Only one cap might not sound much, but A J Codling (Harlequins) had a major
obstacle in his path towards more – M O Johnson (Leicester).
A
newspaper reported “inspired touch-finders by Simon Hunt, Andrew McLaughlin
and Sam Mills”. Props Ian George and Kristian Gay
made their 25th and 24th season’s appearance
respectively, and other favourites then (and now) were Andrew Bevan
(24), John Bowd (25), Sam Mills (20 and almost 200
points) and Neil Edwards (26). It was Neil’s 150th game for us so
he deserved his pint. Neath were champions but it
was close. They won 17, drew 2 and lost 7, we won 16,
drew 3 and lost 7. Neath totalled 53 points to our
51 and to add to the excitement the two fixtures against them were drawn 23-23.
If only there had been play-offs then, we could have met Neath
for the title on a neutral ground, like Cae Canol,
Hilltop or Cwm Betterment.
We
were happy, Wales were not and sank in la Mer. After
the World Cup in
France
so did the man with the paddle. In the Six Nations we beat
England
27-18 at
Cardiff
to avoid the wooden spoon which went to
Scotland
who had beaten
Wales
21-9 at Murrayfield and nobody else. Not a good
omen for the 2007 World Cup, but as usual the optimistic men in charge,
over-paid but never short of spin, held out high hopes. The higher they were,
the lower they fell, but
Fiji
in
Nantes
looked a certain win and a quarter-final place. On that fateful day we played
at Port Talbot and beat Aberavon, always a rare achievement down there, and then
hastened home to watch
Wales
, a bastion of rugby, hammer a tiny island. We lost and within a day or so the
coach lost his job. The funereal comment in the WM said it all, “A hurricane
catastrophe has been hurtling towards Welsh rugby since the beginning of the
year and we finally felt its full devastating force with the final whistle on
Saturday.” Three years later they are still partying in
Fiji
.
In
the three seasons pre-Codling our “success” average was 39% but in his first
full term, 06/07, it leapt to 66%, and the fall-out in 07/08 resulted in a
return of 63%. Sadly our last two seasons have brought us down to earth with a
bump – 29%. The influence of coaches has been disputed ever since the first
one, but Alex Codling’s brief sojourn with Ebbw Vale showed what a good ‘un
can do. Alex came out of the blue and quickly absorbed the atmosphere, in fact
he added to it. He wanted Ebbw Vale to do well, and so does Neil Edwards and his
team.
They won’t have unlimited funds or a huge squad, but to adapt a Churchillian
comment about Generals demanding more men and tanks, “Coaches only enjoy such
comforts in Heaven. And those who demand them do not always get there.” With
our padre behind us I am sure he’ll put a good word in when the time comes.
REL
It's
Comeback time (150510)
I
am not a “villagist” which
is how a former rugby big-wig once described the Russell brothers, but the
news that interested me most lately had nothing to do with eruptions in
Westminster
and
Iceland
. Before proceeding let me explain that Marcus and Paul Russell were
accused of being parochial after standing up for Ebbw Vale against those
in high places. They were anything but local yokels, Paul lived in a
mansion in the Midlands and Marcus had a beach house on
Malibu
,
Southern California
. That beats Radyr anytime.
The
interesting news concerned club rugby, a forgotten element of the national
game, but important to the majority who play and support at grass roots.
First was the announcements that former Steelmen
were following Neil Edwards and Kristian Owen
back home. It’s clear that plans are being formed at great speed and
it’s all due to Neil and the boys in the back room.
The
pessimists will say we’ve heard it all before, particularly last summer
when new signings were announced amid great hope. Not only survival but a
top four place was forecast, but like the weather, that changed. There’s
a different feel about it this time, a Gwent atmosphere perhaps, and more
importantly we know the players, and they know what the club is about.
Another
bit of news concerned a
Cardiff
based Division One club which has gone west. The saying “east is east
and west is west and ne’er the twain shall meet” means nothing to UWIC
– the C stands for
Cardiff
– who have set up a partnership with the Scarlets.
The suspicious who wondered why the perennial winners of Division One East
were palling up with a western outfit who believe “West Is Best,” were
answered by Gareth Jenkins. Because
of the Fijians he is a former Welsh coach and is back with the Scarlets.
He explained thus, “The partnership will produce a development pathway
between the Scarlets academy and the UWIC
School of Sport. It will give our academy players the best opportunity to
expand their rugby development and studies.” Big words, but what do they
really mean?
We
also note the Ospreys' links with London Welsh who play at Old Deer Park
in
Surrey
, a long way from the Liberty Stadium. What does that mean? Is there an
elite being formed? Surely the WRU will disapprove because they introduced
Leagues to end the “elitism” of the Merit Table. Or so they said at
the time.
Maybe
this is a trend we should follow and set up a partnership with someone. If
it wasn’t for the fact that we would have to visit there to check them
out I would recommend
Biarritz
. After all we wear the same colours.
REL
Maximising
Resources (080510)
At a time of
uncertainty nothing was more certain than Rhys Williams would be named
Player of the Year for the second season running, rather like an actor
getting an Oscar and a Golden Globe in one go. That was the good news, the
bad news is that Rhys won’t get it a year from now because he’s going
south to play for Cross Keys. That’s what relegation really means.
He
goes with our best wishes and admiration so now we have to find not only a
powerful forward but a motivator and inspirer. Maybe we have one already
but Rhys will be a hard act to follow. Having signed on players in the
past whose former clubs were relegated we have no cause for complaint, but
Rhys was an icon and there aren’t many of those around.
I
have always admired Clubmen of the Year, their contribution is different
and affects a club on and off the field. The 2010 winner, Andrew Bevan, is
typical, an experienced player, a great character and above all a loyal
Steelman over several years. Not as fast as he was? No-one is of course,
but his try against
Pontypool
was no fluke. He was the perfect choice this year and I don’t say that
because his biggest fan, a nine year old, thinks he’s the best thing
since ice lollies.
The
heading of this sermon is a modern expression I would rather avoid but
after the appeal made at the recent general meeting for support, financial
and practical, it’s apposite because there are resources waiting to be
tapped within the club family. Unless there’s a supporter who has won
the National Lottery but is keeping mum about it, the financial resources
are small, tenners not tens of thousands. But every little helps and money
might be needed now and not later so why not ask us to buy season tickets
earlier this year?
On
a more optimistic note I have the answer to success in the 1st Division
and it’s based on comments by Jeremy Guscott who played his first game
for
Bath
at Ebbw Vale, and if you find evidence that contradicts that keep it to
yourself.
Talking
about the success of the French clubs in the Heineken Cup Guscott put it
down to the absence of a salary cap in
France
which means the clubs have more quality players on their books allowing
them to rest and rotate which keeps the best players fresh for the big
games. As there is no salary cap in the 1st Division we have the answer.
It might cost a million or so but what the heck, it’s only money.
REL
Neil back
(300410)
This
is not an article on the Leicester,
England
and Lions marauder who masterminded Leeds Carnegie’s survival in the Guinness
Premiership which is clearly much tougher, more competitive and attracts more
crowds than the Magner’s League.
Leeds
were favourites for the drop but defied the critics, a great example of saving
a club from relegation.
I
couldn’t resist the temptation of another frivolous headline and regular
readers, who will hold their end of season bash in an old air raid shelter on Llangynidr
Moor, will be relieved to know that nothing will change, the corn will always be
as high as an elephant’s eye whatever Division we play in. We’ll have rugby
to watch on Saturdays and the after effects on Sundays will still be
insufferable.
Our
Neil was, and perhaps still is, a great lineout expert for Ebbw Vale,
some will say the best since Fred Smit who benefited
so much from playing for us in the late 80s that he was capped for
South Africa
in 1992 in their first Test match AM – After Mandela. The combination of Neil
and his guru Alex Codling two years ago was one reason we finished second in the
Premiership table, and although coach Codling is barking away in Essex, Neil
Edwards has returned as player-coach and that’s very good news.
We
also welcome back Kristian Owen as Neil’s ADC
after his sojourn at Bedwas, a former captain of the
club who was also in the cracking side of 2006/07. In the final game of that
season against Llanelli, won 19-12, we clinched runners-up spot to finish ahead
of
Newport
and just below champions Neath. Neil played his 150th
game for Ebbw Vale that day and it was Alex Codling’s last. He had obtained an
appointment at
Trinity
School
, Croydon and was described in the last match
programme as “an honest man, when he spoke to the media he made sense, unusual
in days of sound bites and spin. Most importantly he taught us belief and how to
win.”
The
special club meeting last Thursday drew a huge crowd. The club was full to
bursting and there was hardly room to stand which was difficult for those
clutching jugs of ale. There was no spin from those at the helm, we were told
the financial situation which would be a problem for a Chancellor of the
Exchequer, but which will be dealt with more honestly. The difference in Premier
and Division One funding by the WRU doesn’t bear thinking about. So I won’t.
It’s a problem only the members can solve, it’s their club, there’s no
magic wand waved by a rich Merlin. The response by the huge crowd of supporters
was positive and we all realise that the funds required must come from us and
others we can rope in, or in too many cases, rope back. Everybody needs to give
and some did just that when the meeting ended.
The final paragraph of one of the articles in the Llanelli match programme
three years ago, repeated below, is even more topical now than it was in April
2007 when we were celebrating second place. In April 2010 we were contemplating
relegation.
“The
future of the game in our area is in our hands, but it’s not easy to run a
club these days. It depends on the goodwill of those who give financial support
and the enthusiasm and dedication of others who carry out the daily tasks and
ensure that their team is supported wherever they play. These are people who
give and ask nothing in return. To quote a world leader, ‘Ask not what your
country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.’ Substitute
‘club’ for ‘country’ and John Kennedy’s message seems very
appropriate.”
REL
Human
Resources (180410)
That’s
management-speak for people. We don’t have a lot of financial resources
but we do have a lot of humans, a hard core of supporters who believe
abandoning ship when it’s floundering is not an option. They may have
lost a few ship-mates as the season trundled on, but the loyalists stood
by their team in the last two games of the campaign and set an example to
the absentees.
On
a sunny Saturday the Wanderers led 17-0 then 22-3 but we hit back to 36-30
to show what might have been in similar circumstances this season. Aaron Coundley
scored three tries proving
that he is destined for Welsh honours and is the first Ebbw
prop to get a try hat-trick since Robert Padgett. Or was it Paul Knapp?
Answers on a beer mat please.
The ancients, like Alan Morgan i/c officer’s
bicycle sheds in the Royal Flying Corps, will know the words of a Johnny
Mercer song which begins, “That ol’ black
magic has me in its spell, that ol’ black
magic that I know so well,“ which describes
our final fixture with good friends and perennial champions Neath
who had scored a century of points against Bedwas
a few days before. They were fast, clever, well organised and highly
professional but we hit back and despite losing 21-48 emerged with some
honour after a spirited second half when both teams scored 14 points..
It was top of the tree versus the bottom and we were without some key
players through injury and regional commitments, including Rhys Williams
and Aaron Coundley who to no-one’s surprise
were named Player and Most Improved Player of the Year respectively.
Aaron, Rhys Jenkins and James Thomas were training with the Dragons
Academy XV who play in
North Wales
on Saturday. We wish them well and look forward to seeing them in
(national) scarlet.
Despite
relegation, the sun has lifted the spirits of our loyalists but
there’s always something to make us grind teeth, clench fists and mutter
naughty words. The Ospreys Elite Performance Director, whatever all that
means, is a New Zealander. His name is A. Hore
and it appears he has made unfavourable comments about us and our ground.
Long
before we had a new stand we were good enough to host All-Blacks,
Springboks and Wallabies but his unnecessary, unkind and unfair comments
have been answered by our great friends and long time allies Neath,
allies because both of us were almost thrown out of the top flight by the
Gang of Six. Their coach Patrick Horgan, who
also coached the Steelmen, a few years ago
responded perfectly and after reading his response I shall refer to him in
future as Saint Patrick.
He
said, “We are very much looking forward to visiting a great club. Other
people in the game may voice different opinions but we at Neath
totally respect Ebbw Vale and their facilities and you won’t hear us
kicking them when they are down.” So much for A. Hore,
but Heigh Ho what a nice thing for Patrick to
say. Only a Welshman, with an Irish name, can understand Welsh
rugby.
We
next gather in Holy Communion at EXP on Wednesday the 28th,
when East Wales A & B Schools Juniors play their West Wales
counter-parts, the first of two games kicking off at 5pm. Future Welsh
stars will be on view, all of them the genuine article unlike some of the
country’s coaches, and it will be worth watching and supporting. We
enjoy each other’s company so it will be an hour out of the house as
well.
REL
The
Force was with us (110410)
A
win at last, a good performance and the biggest crowd for two seasons.
On the whole a pleasant Saturday afternoon in the
sunshine. The terrace was dominated by an army of Pooler supporters
who were in fine voice but went away disappointed. Ebbw Vale ended their
side’s recent run of success and try-fest and it was such a relief to
win, a feeling we had forgotten. If only we had played
like that in just a few more matches!
It
wasn’t a giant leap for mankind as Ebbw Valians
know it, it wasn’t a jump from the Stone to the Space Age but clearly
our Three Wise Men From The West did the
Obi-Wan Kenobi bit and the players responded. It was a typical
Derby
that might have lacked style but made up for it in endeavour and
knife-edged moments. In Star Wars mood we can say that the Empire struck
back, or in Ebbw Vale’s case, the Plaza because not one of our five
cinemas was an Empire..
When
Picture Houses showed pictures they were part of the town’s social life
as was Ebbw Vale Rugby Club. Sadly very few citizens take an interest in
us now, and they are the losers because the social side of the club is
still most enjoyable. After watching Ebbw Vale win almost every home game
in the golden years the crowds would disperse and go home, to the pictures
or Tamplin’s which was a watering hole in
old James Street. The more genteel would end a happy afternoon watching
first class rugby by going to the Plaza,
Astoria
, Palace or White House to watch first class movies. If they lived in Cwm
they would go to the Colosseum. Last Saturday,
after the usual refreshers the majority went home to watch Heineken rugby
which is played on a different planet and, currently, with a French accent..
Among
former players at the game was Terry Cobner
who looked at the terrace and said it was like the old days, similar
perhaps but on a smaller scale, because 10,000 at an Ebbw-Pooler game when
he played was the norm. Two other stalwarts who played for both clubs also
enjoyed the occasion, scrum-half Nigel Osborne who set up a seasonal try
scoring record for
Pontypool
and full-back Mostyn Richards who was the
second man in Ebbw’s “Arthur Move.” Arthur Lewis would time his pass
to Mostyn perfectly, Mostyn
would put Neil Collins away and a try always followed. Always.
Our
match programme is superbly produced by Dover & Co of Abergavenny
and featured a front page photograph rated as the best ever of our game.
It shows the great Clive Burgess, ball-carrier par
excellence, charging at Gareth Edwards in a 1978 Cup tie. Iain
Swanson chose that to inspire the players and obviously it worked.
It
was also a big day for the mascots, Chloe and Andrew Lines, whose
favourite players are Andrew Bevan and Mathew
Williams, alias Bev and Chunky, and the boys
returned the compliment by scoring a try each.
On
Saturday we are home to Glamorgan Wanderers who have lost their last
eleven matches which begs the question, why aren’t they in the
relegation battle? Because they won seven of their
first fourteen and had points ready for a rainy day. On the Tuesday
following we play the most successful Premier Division club of all, the
Welsh All-Blacks. It will be our final game of the season and it could be
the most important.
REL
They
think it's all over (070410)
And
they are right. Only a miracle of biblical proportions will keep us in the
Premier Division and it’s no wonder if we look at the results of
ourselves and
Pontypool
over the last five games. We lost all five and scored three tries,
Pontypool
won all five and scored seventeen. The last lap of a disappointing, nay
awful, season was crucial but while we came close against the ‘Quins,
Newport
and Cross Keys, Pooler waltzed through everyone except
Keys. They were lucky
to beat them, we were unlucky to lose against
them.
The
writing was on the wall in the autumn and when we left
Pontypool
Park
on December 5th all eyes were on the return in April because we
felt even then it could be the crucial decider. That
Derby
will be run on Saturday and while it is still important, for pride if
nothing else, sadly it won’t be as decisive as we thought.
It
has been a two horse race to stay up unlike last year when there were a
few more in the danger zone. There is more chance to escape the drop if
more than two are fighting for survival and we got away with it last April
when Pooler lost at St. Helen’s. In turn they stayed up when Bridgend,
despite disgracefully loading their side with Ospreys, lost to Aberavon.
Three
wins in 23 games tell the story, a paucity of tries has proved fatal but
the forwards have been great, Rhys Williams and others showing the way.
Without them we would have been out of the race months ago.It looks as if
we will enter another race next September and the implications of that
must be considered now. Funding will drop dramatically, support from the
true Steelmen who have turned up to cheer the
lads on will not.
It’s
a very strange and melancholy feeling to realise that one’s club will be
relegated and it’s a new and unwelcome experience for Ebbw Valians
because it hasn’t happened before. Due to our poor record in the last
three seasons of the Merit Table we played in the second division of the
League but were promoted in 1995 and despite some dodgy seasons we stayed
there.
Maybe
it is all over and miracles don’t happen, but it’s not the end of the
world even if it feels like it. Preparations for 2010/11 must begin now,
on and off the field, because we must do what other relegated clubs have
not and that is to return to the top flight, so fasten your seat belts.
REL
One
tiny crumb of comfort (210310)
One point could make a difference on Judgement Day, but it could have been
better after we led 13-6 at half-time at a ground where Ebbw wins are as
rare as Ebbw tries.
Pandy
Park
has never been a happy hunting ground for Ebbw Vale but at this crucial
stage of a forgettable season a crumb, while not staving off hunger, is
better than nothing at all. Frustrating? Yes, but what’s new? But E for
Effort and that’s something we can take into the next round of the
survival battle we are engaged in.
It’s
not like surviving an SAS exercise on the Brecon Beacons and what we are
going through is not the talk of the town in Ebbw Vale. Not many citizens
care and most don’t know what it’s like to practically support their
local team. Thousands flocked to
Westgate Street
,
Croke
Park
and a suburb of
Paris
over the week-end but dozens clicked the turnstiles at Cross Keys to watch
a Gwent Valley Derby which once pulled in a lot of genuine rugby people.
At
least the weather was kind, unlike last Friday when rain fell and the
Pooler-Newport game was postponed because of “water on the pitch.”
Other Premier games were played but not that one, a disappointment to the
home club and to punters just getting back into the habit of watching live
rugby.
Pressure
is the in-word. We are monotonously told that international coaches are
under pressure but not how much money they are paid. In soccer they are
called managers and even winners like those graduates from charm schools,
Ferguson
and Wenger, are under it.
A
headline last week blared, “Gatland Admits
Coaching Pressure,” and another article closer to home quoted Rowland
Phillips, who doesn’t complain, who said there’s always pressure and
it was no different when he was at the top of the table with Neath.
The point being made is that winning or losing can be equally worrying but
I’ll take winning anytime even though our memories of such a luxury are
fading fast.
But
why you might ask talk about pressure? Because I am finding it
increasingly difficult to write something positive with both fingers
crossed.
REL
Derby
games will decide (140310)
In
Merit Table days the emphasis was on winning, playing good rugby, which
attracted big crowds, and producing talent for
Wales
. A defeat brought gloom but not despondency because there was no
relegation. There was however a sort of promotion and over the years
new clubs were brought in, finally there were eighteen and seven of them
were from Gwent. Games between the seven meant that local Derbies were
many and meaningful, but at the tail-end of what has been a dismal season
for Ebbw Vale games against other Gwent clubs are now even more crucial
and will decide what division we play in next season.
There’s no need to mention our form and that of
Pontypool
over the last two weeks, the results tell the story and the lack of tries
have moved Pooler above us in the table. If the two bottom clubs finish
level we won’t stay up on try count, our total (ten at the moment) will
be easily trumped.
Newport
and Cross Keys are involved in the Derbies coming up, but both are in the
comfort zone. On Friday Pooler are home to
Newport
– a traditional Gwent Derby – and on Sunday we play at
Pandy
Park
. Four days later we are home to
Newport
. We have to rise to both occasions. In a good season it was never easy to
turn over Keys and
Newport
, this time with ammunition running low and tries a rarity it will be much
harder, but it can and must be done.
Will
Greenwood
commenting on
Sale
’s precarious position at the bottom of the Guinness Premiership said
they were struggling to score tries and were not picking up wins. That
sums up our predicament but we can still survive if we revive a custom
Ebbw Vale sides once took for granted – WINNING.
As
for the Six Nations – yawn, yawn – I have a solution to
Wales
’s problem. Downgrade club rugby and form regions. That should do it.
REL
Fasten your
seat belts (070310)
Post-match
emotions ran high and low after both of our games last week. We had waited
patiently for a home League fixture and got two in five days. Unfortunately
injuries blunted our efforts once again and all we ended up with were two bonus
points.
Freak
bounces of the ball helped the Wizards to a 19-15 win and what has been
described as a “makeshift” side battled against the ‘Quins
– five props in the pack must have created history. Missed kicks at goal
didn’t help but it was close and the bonus point eased the pain.
Then
the ache returned with the news that Pontypool had beaten
Swansea
, their second win of the season and the All-White’s second defeat of the
week in Gwent. Form flies out of the window at this time of
the campaign and Pooler’s win was a warning. They made a late comeback
last season and survived. The gap between the two occupants of the basement has
closed.
Every
point counts now and the supporters can’t help. It’s entirely on the
shoulders of the players who realise what’s at stake. The summer of content
when a strong squad was announced has turned into a winter of disappointment not
helped by a run of injuries when the season began. All is by no means lost but
we need some wins in the final lap.
It
has never been wise to prophesy results at the end of a season, too many sure
fire winners have fielded below strength teams when their chances of the title
have gone and possibly clubs making certain of play-off places for entry to next
season’s British/Irish Cup will concentrate on that. It’s all on us, if we
win some games it doesn’t matter what others do.
Prop
forwards can frighten or charm, they are a breed who still decide games, but
five in a pack with one of them at No.8 is unusual. Bearing that in mind and
allowing for three serious injuries early last week we did better than we
initially thought against the ‘Quins whose 13-8
victory was their third in a week.
From
now on it’s going to be a bumpy ride. We desperately want wins,
equally we don’t want any more injuries as we face
Newport
, Neath, Pontypool and Glamorgan Wanderers at home
and
Cardiff
, Cross Keys, Pontypridd and
Swansea
away.
It’s
time we sprung a surprise against those above us.
REL
Honour
in Defeat (270210)
Long
ago, Battle Honours were awarded to British regiments after a victory.
Then common-sense prevailed and bravery in defeat was recognised as being
just as honourable. So it is in sport, and rugby being a physical game, in
which sheer determination and hwyl is a
factor, many teams have left a field defeated but unbowed. It doesn’t
help as far as League points are concerned but it must be recognised and
applauded by supporters which is the norm for
Ebbw Addicts.
Mind
you, they have had plenty of practice in salvaging something from a defeat
but how different they are to the rabble who
fill the Millennium Stadium and believe that a
win for
Wales
is God given. How sad that the Welsh coach has had to criticise the
minority, which in a stadium as big as ours means a lot of people, who
cheered when Cooper was replaced against
Scotland
.
A
Gwent valley boy who should know better reported it in the
Wales
on Funday, sorry Sunday,
saying that it would raise eyebrows
“among the world’s most fanatical and passionate fans.” Wrong Andy,
most of them wouldn’t know a ruck from a
maul.
International
matches are being decided in the final minutes these days. Way down
rugby’s pecking order in the Welsh Premier Division it’s not like
that, especially when Ebbw Vale play in West Wales. Promising scorelines
at half-time disappear with fatal results and the Scarlet’s
region is not a happy hunting ground for us. There are only three clubs in
it which means their squads have strength in depth, a very useful asset
when fixtures pile up and there are two games a week.
We
lost all three games in West Wales this season, at
Carmarthen
, Llanelli and Llandovery, conceding a total
of 117 points while scoring six. The half-time scores looked hopeful but
then floodgates opened. The results, look away if you don’t want to
recall them, were 36-0 at Llandovery (8-0 at
half-time) 40-3 at Llanelli (18-0) and
Carmarthen
‘Quins 41-3 (3-3).
A
neutral observer at Llandovery wrote, “It
was the red carding of Vale prop Marc Jones in the 58th minute
that was the key moment in the game. Up to then Llandovery
had found it difficult to break down a well-organised defence.” Three of
the Drover’s five tries came in the last eight minutes, Rhys Jenkins was
outstanding, and it takes a real good ‘un to stand out in a defeated
side.
It’s
not easy to turn out a strong team for every game in the middle of a
fixture backlog. When we left Gwent last Saturday we had played twice in
twenty-two days but then faced four games in eleven, against the Drovers,
the Wizards, the ‘Quins and Premier Division
title holders Cardiff where we won last season.
There
was a brief moment of pleasure on Saturday evening watching the recording
of
Italy
v
Scotland
whose flowers of the forest are clearly artificial. All those red, white
and green flags waving in
Rome
lifted the spirit, but what with
Wales
losing it was a week-end to forget not remember.
But
my greatest sadness came with the exit of the Great Britain Curling team
at the Winter Olympics. It’s a sort of Strictly Bowling On
Ice and if you have seen it you’ll know what I mean when I say that GB
got the brush off.
REL
Too
much white, not enough red and green
(220210)
On Saturday morning the soccer goal-posts were up at frozen EXP. Early
Saturday afternoon they were replaced by rugby posts. It had something to
do with the weather which could be described as tropical in Cwm,
liveable in
Victoria
and Siberian in Beaufort. The result was no result, another game was
wintered off and we kicked heels, the cat and filled up our diaries with
dates of matches hitherto postponed.
Conditions
varied considerably. The prevalent colour in Blaenau Gwent was white,
in west
Wales
it was green. Our sheep searched for grass, in Llandovery
their sheep munched away happily. The Drovers of yore took sheep to
market, the Drovers of here and now take opposing teams to the cleaners so
it’s time we stemmed the flow, do what we did last season and win on
their ground next Saturday.
We
first played Llandovery during the Wilderness
Years in the 2nd Division. There were some emphatic wins for
both sides, we got a double in 1992/3, won easily at home 29-0 and lost
equally easy away 25-0 in 1993/94 with honours even in 1994/95. Then we
parted company when promoted to the Premier Division in 1995/96.
The
Drovers Return sounds like the name of a pub but return they did when they
got promoted in 2003/04 since when we have won six and Llandovery
seven fixtures. The overall picture since 1992 is that we won ten and the
Drovers nine games which shows how close the
encounters have been. The last was October 31st 2009 at Ebbw
when they won 24-22, our tenth game of the season and our ninth defeat. It
was Nightmare In Pontygof
but that’s the past and good riddance to it.
We
now face the longest list of re-arranged matches ever which affects our
on-going battle to retain the status hard won in 1995, but it’s the same
for everyone with six Premier clubs also engaged in the British/Irish and Swalec
Cup competitions. Our scoreboard operator, the venerable Alan Morgan, is
temporarily unemployed but another of his profession has been busier than
ever totting up an incredible 72-65 at the Lions v Waikato
Chiefs Super 14 game. Nine tries each, a bonanza of attacking rugby but
awful defending which adds to the opinion of envious Europeans that
the competition is contrived for TV viewing.
Not
so exciting, and very worrying to those who follow the fortunes of former Steelmen
in foreign parts, is the basement battle in the Guinness Premiership. Mike
Ruddock at Worcester, Kingsley Jones and Byron Hayward at
Sale
are struggling. The bottom three in
England
are
Sale
(23 points),
Worcester
(20)
Leeds
, coached by former Tigers (19). There’s a lot at stake over the
border and with respect to the Tykes we hope our lads come through.
It
might seem irrelevant discussing English club rugby in a Welsh club’s
website instead of modestly reporting a win over Neath,
but the weather will improve. I have that from a spy in the Met Office who
says it will not snow in Ebbw Vale - in August.
REL
A
rather nice Valentine's Day
(150210)
It
wasn’t a lovely game of rugby, no-one expected it would be, but it was a
lovely result which was as welcome as getting a Valentines card from
Sophia Loren, or whoever fits your age group. Love and affection is what
St. Valentines Day is about, we loved to win and our affection for our
squad almost led supporters to buy them several rounds of beer, but it was
the Sabbath and we didn’t want to lead them into the paths of
unrighteousness. The after match atmosphere was slightly muted because it
was after all only our third League win in fifteen games and tough ones
are on the horizon, but it was most acceptable and well deserved..
The
result was all important and the attitude and performance of the players
lifted the spirits of the faithful who braved a chilly afternoon. Not
every Ebbw Valian turned up but the
ultra-loyalists did and were witnesses to a huge effort from the forwards,
a solid defence by everybody and some spot on place-kicking by Gareth
James. An even greater effort will be called for on Sunday when perennial
Premier champs Neath come to town. Playing on
a Sunday was once considered a sin even greater than missing chapel or
watching soccer. One of the first Sunday fixtures was in the 1973/74
season against Neath Athletic in the Cup.
They were inspired and managed by Welsh and Lions lock Rees Stephens and
we struggled to win 14-3. I am reliably informed that the post-match party
was out of this world. I was there, but suffered a memory lapse and so I
have to take everyone’s word for it..
Neath
sprang a surprise last season, they didn’t win the Premiership and to
add salt to their wounded pride they finished sixth. We got the double
over them in 2008/09, 29-10 at home in October and 20-15 at Neath
in April, but in our next meeting at The Gnoll
we lost 41-7 last September. Over countless seasons our games with them
have been special and on Sunday there will an added flavour when a former
Vale coach Patrick Horgan opposes a former Neath
coach Rowland Phillips.
The
Welsh games against
England
and
Scotland
were affected by the binning of sinners and after Twickenham the comment
from the
Wales
camp was that being reduced to fourteen men and conceding 17 points in
that period “probably” lost us the game. As far as I know no-one has
said that a similar situation, but with two not just one in the sin-bin,
“probably” lost
Scotland
the game. It’s too much to expect rugby’s highly paid to give credit
to their opponents but they could take a lesson from the losing Bedwas
coach who said, “All credit to Vale for their first-half performance and
later for their sound defence.”
Some
pundits say that top rugby has become a cheating game and international
coaches rival those at football clubs in whinging after defeat. Brian
Moore’s comments on Monday expressed the opinion of many – “If we
are to have any more transparent management-speak rubbish post-match then
we should do away with the interviews and press conferences altogether
because they only produce incredulity if not downright hostility from the
watching public.” Amen to that.
Referees
are under enormous strain, if they yellow carded every offence there would
be no-one left on the field, but ancient Ebbw Valians
will recall a local Derby in the late 1940s when a whole team did leave
the field, some say they were sent off, others that they walked off in
disgust at the referee’s decisions. Wouldn’t it be a lark if that
happened on one of the big stages of the current game? It might clear the
air as well as the field. Wives of referees no longer say “Have a nice
day” when their men folk go to a match because
they know they won’t have one, and it is not advisable to wish players
en route to a major game to “Have a nice trip,” because they might
take it literally..
REL
Oh!
Those mornings after... (070210)
There
are hangovers and hangovers. Most are self-inflicted after too many
the night before, and some are experienced by supporters when their
team has conceded too many points the night before, a malady even alka-seltzer
can’t remedy.
If
last Friday had been the 13th and not the 5th of
February the scenario would be complete. Waking up with the realisation
that we had conceded eight tries at Llanelli and lost 49-3 was a belated
nightmare. In two games against Llanelli in ten days we scored one try to
their eleven and 10 points to their 78. Try and feel happy after that! According
to one report “slow starts and woeful tackling proved costly” at a
deserted Parc y Scarlets,
so the obvious solution is to start quicker and tackle better. That’s
easier said than done but Llanelli is the last team to face with a paper
thin defence. A sombre fact is that they scored eight tries against us on
Thursday which is all we have scored in fourteen League games this term!
There
were other leaking defences that called for the plumbers on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday and four Gwent clubs conceded 169 points against 34
between them. One of them was Bedwas who come
to Ebbw on Sunday seeking the double while we seek redemption. The better
the day the better the deed and we had better improve against one of our
bogey teams. Many battles have been lost but wars still won and remember,
we haven’t lost a League game at home since November 14th
2009!
Players
wake up on the mornings after a defeat and ponder on what might have been.
If only I had taken that pass, if only I had not knocked-on, if only I
hadn’t been sent off etc., etc. It’s the last one that’s in
everyone’s minds at the moment but let me tell you, or remind you if you
are of a certain age, of two players who were sent off yet woke up next
morning with smiles on their faces.
In
the 1997/98 season we got the double over
Newport
but only after a sensational home battle that shattered nerves and caused
eruptions on the terrace that registered on the Richter Scale.
In two separate incidents late in the first half our full-back Josh Taumalolo
and wing Lennie Woodard were both sent off for
good.
It
was Rorke’s Drift all over again,
out-numbered defenders repelling attack after attack but we survived with
thirteen men, not for ten minutes, but for over forty. The pressure did
influence the scoreline though,
we only won 24-19. With fifteen on the field it could have been more.
REL
Home
again, second again (010210)
It’s
a very strange winter, on Tuesday we could play at Tredegar
but not at lower level Ebbw, on Saturday we could play at Ebbw but they
couldn’t at sea level in
Cardiff
. Still we managed some action at last even though none of it counted in
the League.
The
“friendly” against Carmarthen ‘Quins was
watched by thermal clad loyalists and we are grateful to the
West Walians
for agreeing to the fixture. We longed for action, yearned for a win and
got the first but not the second. Injuries have hit us this season and
after minutes we were hit again which resulted in the longest period of
uncontested scrums in the history of the game.
The
Ebbw pack made up for it by seriously contesting in the loose and we got
more possession than the ‘Quins in the first
half without threatening their line. Kicks at goal were scorned, after all
it was a friendly and the scoreboard would have been blank for ages if it
had been manned. ‘Quins first kickable
penalty was kicked, after all even friendlies
need to be won, and they ran riot in the final quarter.
Who
would have expected yellow cards in a friendly game? The first of two
against us was, according to eye witnesses on and off the park, a 50-50
job but we suffered from it, the ‘Quins ran
at will and romped home. Last week’s games were not encouraging and now
the real battle starts with thirteen League fixtures to play in a much
shorter time than anticipated. It begins on Thursday night at Parc
y Scarlets and there will be no need to get
there early to secure a seat, there never is. It’s a very modern stadium
but not everybody likes them. Nigel Owens has written, “They may well be
great state of the art stadiums but I think they lose a lot of the
atmosphere and passion that one can only connect to the traditional rugby
stadiums. I would much prefer to referee in a rugby stadium packed with
12,000 rugby-mad spectators than a new 22,000 seater
with less than 9,000 at the ground.” How he would have enjoyed
refereeing Gwent v
New Zealand
at Ebbw Vale in 1972 watched by over 20,000.
We
have played Llanelli in the League twenty times this century, winning nine
(eight at home) and losing eleven with only one win at Stradey
Parc in 2007/08 when we got the double. There
hasn’t been much between us despite the difference in resources and
support the Sospans have. In the cup tie at Tredegar
they had an experienced warrior in Vernon Cooper, a recent Scarlet
regional player. We never
know who we’ll face on Thursday but must, simply must,
strive for a point at least. In that
“double” season of 2007/08 the game at Ebbw Vale was played in
December in terrible conditions. It wasn’t snowing, freezing or icing
but raining which led to Chris Kirwan, who
covers Gwent club games very well in the Argus to write, “John McPhail,
Rhys Williams and John Bowd seeing puddles on
the pitch “broke into smiles.”
We
have another free Saturday and a choice of papering the front room,
shopping in Morries or watching
England
v
Wales
on the box, the biggest local
Derby
in the Six Nations. A Welsh win at Twickenham is rare,
in the last fifteen Championship games there we won two and lost the
others so it’s time for a change.
And
the same applies to the Steelmen.
REL
A night
for brass monkeys (270110)
Tuesday
night was not nice at all. We played a home fixture in Tredegar,
the temperature was Siberian, we hadn’t played since December 5th,
we lost and still haven’t beaten Llanelli in
the Cup. Apart from that the Ebbw addicts turned up in force as they would
if the team played in
Mongolia
. Ten weeks have elapsed since we played on our home ground and it’s not
easy to get back in the groove.
The
first half was fairly even, Llanelli led 6-0 at the break, but the third
quarter took some watching. Tackles not made, Scarlet runners given the
freedom of the park and the signs were ominous. A real hammering was on
the cards but confidence returned and as the temperature dropped even
further our spirits rose. We played a very good side, it was the toughest
Cup tie of the round and we were denied the advantage of playing home.
According
to a revised fixture list our next League game will be at Llanelli on
Thursday 4th February two days before
England
v
Wales
and our next League game at home is on Sunday 14th February
against Bedwas, the day after
Wales
play
Scotland
. Which means there
will be a gap of twelve weeks between League games and thirteen between
our last home game against
Swansea
in November and the Bedwas fixture. If my sums
are wrong I won’t be surprised but at least I can count how many players
are on the field.
The
Six Nations games will be attended by millionaires and tycoons but most of
us will see them on TV. The experience of some people I know has made me
realise the danger of going to Big Games, and I don’t mean negotiating
the stairs at the Millie carrying plastic glasses full of beer. Sitting at
home with the family is much safer, nicer and enjoyable than being among
fan-crazed, loud-mouthed, swearing, boorish, booing idiots. That was
experienced recently and I am glad I was not there,
or the young of my family either. Such behaviour has been related to
soccer, an unfair generalisation, but it’s edging its
ugly way into our game. Something else the controllers
of rugby have to sort out before it’s too late.
An
opinion poll recently expressed a majority view that TV presenters are
scruffy and they should look tidy as we Wenglish
say. Sky Sports pundits covering rugby, soccer and cricket are all smartly
attired and would meet with the approval of my grand-mother who believed
in men being “tidy about the neck.” However someone should tell “Dowy”
Morris that one doesn’t wear brown shoes when one is wearing a dark
suit.
If
Tuesday night was a launch of the second half of the League season it
misfired, but it was a strange and difficult encounter in weather brass
monkeys would have shivered in. Spirit returned in the final stages, we
got a good try and confidence will return when the squad starts playing
regularly again.
REL
Back
in our own back yard (170110)
Hibernation
is over, on Saturday we’ll be kicking a ball
around in our own backyard, but is it a dream? Will EXP stage a real game
on Saturday afternoon, or will the snow be followed by that other rugby
scourge, rain? We don’t have thaws in Ebbw Vale,
we have floods, so don’t put the wellies
away yet, and by the way only green ones are allowed in the grandstand.
After
too many inactive weeks it will take some getting used to when normal
service is resumed. Players will be playing, spectators spectating,
club members remembering how to quaff ale from glasses instead of cans
from the fridge. Welcome to Shangri La, and just in case you forgot, Ebbw
Vale is the team in red, white and green.
The
Cup, since it’s inception in its modern guise in 1971/72, has always
taken priority and this season six Welsh clubs play in another competition
known as the British and Irish Cup. Such a conglomeration of contests
needs good weather throughout the season, but the best laid plans of mice,
men and Union bosses count for nothing when it snows, freezes, thaws and
floods.
When
we play on Saturday it will be our first game for seven weeks, and that
must be a record. It hasn’t been easy to get in some proper training and
supporters need reconditioning too, sprawling on sofas in charge of
zappers can be tiring, especially when the kids want to switch channels
from Barnes & Morris to Mickey & Minnie, although sometimes it’s
difficult to tell the difference..
Some
claim the Cup is not as important as it was but it still provides drama
and shocks. Last Saturday Bedlinog were
leading 3-0 well into injury time at
Cardiff
but conceded a penalty try to lose gallantly. At Narberth,
Pontypool
went down 28-8 and the Wanderers won at Cup holders Neath
16-11. We play the Wands at EXP on January 30th, so the Cup
game will be a launching pad for a better second half of the League
season.
Llanelli
have a great Cup history. We have played them five times but never at Ebbw
Vale so there are two “firsts” possible on Saturday, a home tie and a
win. We beat them 25-19 in the League on
October 3rd so no-one should be pessimistic. Fingers that have
been crossed for weeks are uncurling and in case you forgot something
else, Reverend James is a beer not a Baptist.
Finally
rejoice with Fortress Gwynedd rugby followers whose fledgling team, RGC
1404, has been reinforced by a couple of Blues and nine Canadians some of
them already senior internationals. It’s a boost for Canadian rugby and
they’ll be singing in
Saskatchewan
tonight, but why
couldn’t we fill the ranks of RGC 1404 with Welsh players?
REL
The
Winter's Tale (100110)
William
Shakespeare was the first spin doctor because he re-wrote history to keep
in with his rulers, just as some rugby writers ooze with bias, which I
think is quite disgraceful being totally fair
myself. It’s because of Will that Richard III stands accused of bumping
off two Princes in that bloody Tower on the
Thames
when he was as innocent as the driven slush. Speaking
of which I’m looking forward to seeing slush
again.
Shakespeare
has been quoted more than anyone. If a rugby team is going through a bad
spell they are urged to remember the words of one of his Welsh characters,
“Then imitate the action of the tiger; stiffen the sinews, summon up the
blood.” That’s not a
Leicester
tiger by the way and there’s no record that Henry V played rugby. He may
have been a
North Walian
of course.
A
scrappy game is often referred to as a “Comedy of Errors” and
“All’s Well That Ends Well” perfectly describes a late win for Ebbw
after they had stared defeat in the face. But if you expect some reference
to frozen pitches and postponed games in “The Winter’s Tale”
you’ll be disappointed. It has five acts, the first three are tragic,
the second comic, the message being there’s always a silver lining at
the end of the rainbow and blue skies are around the corner.
Which
begs the question, when will the tragedy of losing four Saturday games in
a row turn into joyous laughter and our brave lads tread the hallowed turf
again? The answer is “don’t know” but this Siberian weather must end
sooner than later. There’s no sign of that at the moment and as that
crazy Dane, Hamlet, said “the air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.”
There are rumours that Dr Zhivago is helping
out local GPs, but keep a stiff, frozen upper lip chaps and maidens, think
how happy we’ll be when the grass of home turns green again.
One
of Will’s characters was Glendower, an
Anglicised version of Glyndwr, which brings me to a momentous decision
made by the WRU that would have puzzled Anglo-Saxons and Outer Mongolians
and did not result in Dai caps being joyfully thrown in the Welsh air
either. You will remember that a fledgling team has been formed in
North Wales
originally called Rygbi Gogledd
Cymru. However our Masters have decided on
something shorter and it’s RGC 1404.
I
sense a pause while you read that, so let me explain. RGC are the initials
of the new outfit, like EVRFC. But why the number?
Because it was in the year 1404 that Owain
Glyndwr crowned himself a Welsh prince and not a lot of people know that.
Welsh history has penetrated Welsh rugby which hitherto had been
restricted to the exploits of Gareth, Gerald, Barry and Phil. It’s
something new in our game, like pink and purple jerseys, and might become
the vogue, for example Hastings RFC might be
Hastings
1066, but the supporters of RGC 1404 have a problem. It’s easy chanting
‘Ebbw, Ebbw’ but how can they urge their lads on with “C’mon RGC
1404?”. It doesn’t trip off the tongue does
it?
That’s
their problem, ours is playing Llanelli for the
fifth time in the Cup on Saturday. It will be our first home game in the
competition against them, having played the original Scarlets
in one final, two semis and two ties at Stradey,
sadly all lost. Fingers crossed then, for a game and a win.
Idling
away my time I read a comment made in 1912/13 about a
Midlands
club on the subject of females and rugby, “The presence of the ladies at
games tends to maintain a high tone and not only in the club itself, but
amongst the spectators generally.” Oh for a thaw and a return to the
clubhouse in the company of high toned ladies!
REL
All
dressed up and nowhere to go (020110)
It
is rumoured that the BBC, alias the Beastly Broadcasting Company, are
introducing Strictly Rugby On Ice, with Torville
& Dean commentating instead of Barnes & Co. We’ll try anything
at the moment and yearn for a return to decent mid-winter weather like ten
years ago when we played eight games in December and January and won the
lot.
Spare
a thought for Pontypridd, we have only lost one home game, they have lost
five. I’m not blaming the fixture fixer at the Kremlin for the present
predicament but even when the sun shone things were going haywire and in Ponty’s
case positively balmy. In their first ten games of the season they were
away six times.
So
it was another week-end keeping the home fires burning and watching the
English threat mounting for the Six Nations showdown at Twickers
on February 6th. A country that stages a club game at its HQ
which attracts nearly 77,000 spectators must be doing something right, but
will they hack it internationally? And for our part will it depend on the
Ospreys? It’s going to be a cracker and seats are already being booked
at that
Mecca
of fair-minded, sporting spirited, teetotal experts, Ebbw’s clubhouse.
Before
then, providing said experts go religious and pray for better weather we
will play three consecutive home games against Glamorgan Wanderers on
Saturday, Llanelli in the Cup a week later and Neath
in the League a week after that. It’s time to kneel, face any direction
you like and ask for help, otherwise it will be
down to mass hot breathing on the pitch.
Read
any good books lately? It’s some time since I read a rugby
autobiography, they seemed to flag when greats like Gerald and Barry hung
up their boots and pens, but Ian McGeechan’s
story is a must, not just for those on the terraces but coaches because he
is the doyen of that profession. He was Mr when he wrote it and Sir when I
read it, and if ever a man deserves a knighthood it’s him.
Refereeing
in the southern hemisphere was always a problem for the Lions until
neutrals replaced local men whose natural inclination was to their blood
brothers. One major controversy is explained in the book and it concerns
the 1974 Lions in
South Africa
. They had won every game up to the final Test which they drew, but
everyone knew that Fergus Slattery scored a try that would have resulted
in an historic 100% record. The South African referee didn’t give it,
asked why he later said, “It’s alright for you lot, you’re
going home. I have to live here.” His name was Baise
and he should have been arrested for bringing the game into disrepute..
A
different sort of book is Tigers Tale, the complete story of
Leicester
from their inception to 1993. It’s difficult to put this book down and
even more difficult to pick it up as it’s weighted literally with
thousands of words and photographs. There is one different refereeing
story in it that is quite amazing even for those Corinthian days. When
Leicester played the Harlequins in 1912 the
London
ref kept penalising the Tigers so Adrian Stoop the Harlequins captain
“went up to his player who was taking the penalty kicks and told him to
put them directly into touch, not to gain any advantage.”
“In
the same match a Tiger player was sent off and no-one knew what it was for
so Stoop sent off one of his own men to level
things up.” It’s no wonder the ‘Quins
named their ground after him.
REL
A white
Christmas? Bah! Humbug! (261209)
It
was all very easy for Irving Berlin to compose “White Christmas” from
his
Beverly Hills
home in sunny
California
, but white yuletides are not popular and turn into nightmares not dreams.
When rugby is called off the brewing industry goes into recession and
habitués of clubhouses have to suffer an entire afternoon at the bar
without the usual 80 minute break in the fresh air. The cash doesn’t
flow, players only have their heels to kick and TV programming hits a new
low. Scrooge was right, there’s a black side to a white Christmas.
I
have the answer to the problem of postponements due to bad weather. It’s
simple, do what football did in the days when the Pools were all the rage
and set up a panel to judge what the results might have been. I even had a
trial run, with me in charge of course, a duty I undertook honestly and
without prejudice which I proved when I decided the results of the
two postponed matches this month, and didn’t award Ebbw
Vale a winning bonus point. One has to be modest, and eight points in
total seemed jolly fair.
The
postponement of the long awaited
Derby
with
Newport
on Boxing Day was a blow to the players, supporters and those who keep our
piggy-bank. A big game on December 26th is traditionally a
money-spinner but losing it also meant that between
November 14th when we beat
Swansea
to January 9th there would be no home game. Hopefully
ground conditions will return to normal for our game at Pontypridd on
Saturday where we won two seasons ago, thereby getting a rare double
- but the latest forecast is not hopeful!
The
unfortunate switch of the Dragons-Biarritz Heineken Cup tie from Rodney
Parade to Parc y Scarlets
reminded us of a similar situation that hit us six years ago. Rob Smith, a
mere lad at the time takes up the story:-
“On
Monday January 13th 2003 we played
Pau
at Rodney Parade in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and won 29-3. We should
have played on Saturday the 11th but our ground was frozen and
we considered playing on Sunday afternoon at
Oxford
, Caerphilly and
Stradey
Park
. All were frozen too. A Sunday evening kick-off at
Cardiff
Arms
Park
proved a non-starter, literally, when
Pau
refused to play.”
The
governing body of the competition, the ERC, took a harsh stand as if we
were responsible for the weather, causing our Chairman Marcus Russell to say
– “Ebbw
Vale RFC made
every conceivable effort to fulfil their European fixture with
Pau
on the week-end of 11/12 January. However Mother Nature can be very
unforgiving at 1300 feet above sea level! Every effort was made, and no
expense spared, to find alternative venues in
Wales
that week-end, and indeed the game was perfectly playable on the Sunday at
Cardiff
Arms
Park
. We believe ERC’s decision, is both
cavalier and destructive………………”
Memory
plays tricks especially after too much turkey and tinsel but I have a
hunch that we were fined. If that was the case it would take a Parker pen
and a bottle of Quink to write the whole
story. We won’t find ourselves in the same predicament again, but the
problem of fulfilling a European Cup game in mid-winter remains as the
Dragons well know.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR.
REL
A
perfect Christmas, please (191209)
Had
Jack Frost delayed his visit we would have played a
Cardiff
side described in the Morning Moaner as containing “three internationals
in the starting line-up supplemented by a sprinkling of Blues players.”
Two of the internationals were past the sell-by date but lock Bradley
Davies has played for
Wales
this year. Not that our lads would have been over awed but it does show
the difference between a club in the Blues
region and one in the Dragons' domain.
Our
selection looked very interesting, some key men back in action, and a
lively look about it. Before the cancellation there were bravehearts
who felt mildly optimistic, but we’ll never
know if a kick-start to the season was on the cards. Just to show that
interest in the club is not confined to the faithful, a ticket collector
with a Kerdiff dialect announced just before
the 1240 train for
Cardiff
left
Victoria
that the game was off. It was the first time passengers got off a train
before it even started.
A
week before the Blues played
Toulouse
at
Cardiff
City
stadium, which surprisingly is not equipped with under soil heating. The
French team regularly attracts many thousands at their home games so must
have found it eerie to play before 10,511 in the capital of a country
known for its rugby. That and other low attendances, e.g. 9012 at Parc
y Scarlets for the visit of
Leinster
, prompted the press to deplore the low turnouts at regional venues.
It’s not funny but one of the few writers with a sense of humour asked,
“What’s the rarest thing in Welsh rugby? A fan
that sits behind the posts!”
Before
Leagues the main competition was the Welsh Cup but it doesn’t draw the
crowds anymore. There’s still a bit of magic and we are lucky to have
drawn Llanelli on January 16th, one of only two all-Premier
Division ties. Unless the climate turns Siberian, the game will be smack
in the middle of a tough January programme beginning with Pontypridd away,
then Wanderers at home, followed by the Cup tie and then Neath
at home. Something to bring the steel out of the Steelmen,
so get on your knobbly knees and pray for good weather.
Local
Derbies have often been arranged for Boxing Day and some have featured
boxing. Big crowds, freed from the tinsel and turkey, wearing scarves and
gloves Santa brought, used to swell terraces and bars. No longer ,but Ebbw
Vale v
Newport
is still the major challenge of any season. It’s been called the Bookend
Derby of the
Western
Valley
and there have been keen and close encounters of a special kind. Of the
last five home games with
Newport
we won three and lost two, the latter by 5-12 and 3-9. The aggregate
points total was Ebbw 69 ‘Port 72.
It’s
the time of year to party but spare a thought for our players who have to
take Christmas Day easy in readiness for the Big One the following
afternoon. Like a lot of Ebbw Addicts the wish list for Santa is simple,
let Boxing Day be warm and the pitch and result perfect.
REL
Where
there's a Will, there's a win
(121209)
Last
Thursday afternoon in
England
’s stockbroker belt a rugby match took place at Twickers
that hive of hospitality where Dai caps and white mufflers are non-U. As
usual when a rugger game takes place at what
Anglo-Saxons call HQ, the in-crowd munched pate and quaffed champers in
the car park before watching two ancient universities play each other for
the 128th time. Sadly for old Dark Blues like old Steve Lewis,
those clad in the lighter shade won and in the pack that made it possible
was Will Jones of Ebbw Vale who in his second
‘Varsity Match scored a try. Before that he was bundled into touch at
the corner flag but where there’s a will there’s a way and not long
after he brushed off five tackles to score.
The
fixture has improved in quality and interest after a few years of wasted
energy and
Cambridge
won 31-27. Hopefully our Will will be in our
pack again because we have three fixtures that will call for every bit of
muscle, skill and hwyl we can muster,
Cardiff
away on Saturday, home to
Newport
on Boxing Day and away to Pontypridd on the first Saturday of the New
Year. That’s quite a programme but those who think it’s impossible to
start that little sequence with a win at the
Arms
Park
should recall last season’s game there. In the last ten games against
Cardiff
we won five and lost five. We won three at home and two away, and one of
the latter was on October 11th 2008, a 26-25 corker. James
Lewis scored two tries converted by Aaron Bramwell
who also landed four penalty goals.
On
Saturday most of us rested limbs and voices watching Heineken Cup rugby.
Treasurers were happy, so were Inland Revenuers counting the full seats,
except in
Wales
where they counted the empty seats. The real enthusiasts went to see
Beaufort lose 13-17 in round three of the Swalec
Bowl. It was another link with the North and reminded our supporters of
last season’s visit to Llandudno, something of a surprise because they
had believed it was a land where the likes of Total Network Solutions and Connahs
Quay Nomads held sway, names that don’t trip off the tongue easily. But
not any more, at least the WRU hope it’s not any more, because now we
have Gogledd Cymru,
which makes me regret I didn’t keep awake in Welsh classes in the
County
School
.
It’s
a major bid to help the development of rugby in a soccer stronghold and
Clive Griffiths, a colleague of Mike Ruddock for
Wales
and
Worcester
, is the coach of what has been described as a “fledgling
North Wales
rugby team which will include ten Canadian players.” Ah! you
will say, how can Canadians help
North Walians
to see the light? Because it’s a joint Welsh/Canuck project and they
need help as well. Good luck I say, but it does make one wonder (more than
one actually) if the young Canadians will take places of Welsh youngsters
in the new outfit at senior and Academy level.
Being
in semi-Festive mood, and don’t forget we celebrated Christmas in the
days of blackout, Spam and
Vera Lynn, I suggest that if we have a gameless
Saturday we head for Gogledd Cymru
and help with their development, make friends with the Canucks and get
them to invite us to play in Canada once again. In 1982 the first advert
we noticed on arrival in
Toronto
asked us to “Drink Canada Dry” and being obedient souls we did.
It’s
too early to wish everyone a Happy Christmas so I’ll get on with my
preparations, like searching
for a bottle opener, dis-entangling last
year’s lights for the artificial tree, and buying presents in the Pound
Shop. Anyway there’s no rush, it took Scrooge until Christmas morning to
see the light.
REL
Damp
and Dire (051209)
One
of the classic wartime radio comedy shows was ITMA, It’s
That Man Again. It has been revived in Gwent, aka
the Dragons region. The experienced Shaun Connor has played against Ebbw
Vale for
Newport
and Pontypool this season and up he popped again at rain drenched
Pontypool
. If he hadn’t scored the only try of the game maybe someone else would
have and in any case
Pontypool
– described by their new coach as showing “a touch of the old Pooler”
– deserved to win. But it does make us wonder for the umpteenth time
whether the region we play in is a fair one, even allowing for the fact
that there are five Premier clubs in it compared to three in the others.
For
Ebbw Valians the only good thing to came out
of last Saturday’s defeat was a losing bonus point, a crumb of comfort
but very useful. The better side won, they made fewer mistakes on an
afternoon when handling was a risky business.
Pontypool
had two chances to score tries in the first half, they got a good one in
the second half and we never looked like scoring one at all. They adapted
to the conditions better than we did and responded to the challenge a
local
Derby
brings.
It
was
Pontypool
’s first win and our 11th defeat, not a happy end to the
first half of the League programme and similar to 2005/06 when we won
three and lost ten of the first thirteen games. But allowing for several
good points, like the lineout, we didn’t play well and even allowing for
the conditions it was not only disappointing but puzzling.
However
the mistakes of a few does not mean that the whole team was off colour,
but occasional errors, self-inflicted, made a lot of difference in a game
that was always going to be close because of the heavy rain. Eliminate
those in future matches and we are in with chance. Lack
of confidence results in clangers like dropping the ball from a drop out,
fumbling a clean lineout delivery and kicking aimlessly. Nothing
that cannot be remedied.
Thus
endeth the first Lesson as they used to say
in chapel. We hope lessons have been learned and there’s always next
time of course, but just when we want to build on the form shown against
Swansea
and get some momentum going, we have another idle week-end while the top
six Premier clubs last season “enjoy” the British-Irish Cup. I really
am disappointed we didn’t make that
competition, I’ve always wanted to watch a game at
Ayr
in mid-winter.
It’s
much easier to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, after a win and
it’s not the moment to go for the jocular vein, but we have thirteen
more games to restore ourselves and perhaps, weather permitting, do better
in matches we are not expected to win. Ebbw Vale sides have done that in
the past.
Now
we must start the second half of the season right and see to it that the
real Steelmen turn up, starting at Cardiff
Arms Park a week Saturday.- where we won last season. .
REL
Back
to Business (291109)
There
was so much rain in the Gwent Alps last week that Noah came out of
retirement but it got serious when our friendly at Brynmawr was called
off. Their new lights will have to be officially switched on some time in
the future, providing someone brings a bob for the meter.
After
missing a good Friday night out, it was
pleasant the next day to watch a team clad in red, white and green play
before 19,000 on
Leicester
’s ground in dry weather. A few weeks earlier the mighty Boks
had been beaten there before a sell-out crowd of 24,000, rather different
to the 14,500 who watched the Cardiff Blues play the Aussies.
One
item in the Tiger’s programme caught the eye because it was about their
supporters. After the Springbok defeat the Independent newspaper commented
that Leicester “has a set of followers who are so loyal many would turn
up for the away fixture at
Krasnoyarsk
.” Even for Ebbw supporters that would be trifle far, but they did go to
Llandudno last season.
So,
after a three week lay off we return to active service at
Pontypool
Park
on Saturday. The media, now at a loss to find something to write about
after the forgettable autumn internationals, will describe Saturday’s
game at Pontypool as an eight-pointer, a basement battle, a Gwent Derby
between two also-rans. As the majority of the national media are
disinterested in Welsh club rugby we can ignore them as they ignore us.
Last
April
Pontypool
teetered on the brink of relegation, and were
nearly robbed of their Premier place by fellow fearers of the drop,
Bridgend who packed their team for the last two games with regional
players. Justice was done and Pooler stayed up and deserved to after
showing great spirit and determination. We can
expect a similar attitude at the Park on Saturday.
In
the last five seasons we played them six times, winning four and losing
two. Two of the three away games were over Christmas and we won 27-14 and
23-16. There were two results at home that showed how topsy-turvy our
League is, we cantered to victory 52-25 in 2005/06 and were well beaten
last season 12-34. Statistics are not relevant to the immediate task which
is to win on Saturday. But what else can we do while we wait? Bite more
nails?
Last
week I recalled the time when local clubs, particularly Blaina,
launched stars of the future in to the first-class scene from nurseries
that would out-do, out-play and out-class any modern day Academy.
David Nash and Dai Watkins are just
two, and both became Welsh internationals and British Lions. Two decades
before them was Bill Gore, one of two in the same family to play for
Wales
. Bill, who lives in Beaufort, was capped three times in 1947, and was the
first Newbridge international. He was 90 last
week and we send him hearty congratulations.
That
august body the International Rugby Board are at it again, pondering over
the Laws of the Game which they believe need changing because of
increasing injuries, too much kicking and less entertainment with defence
reigning supreme, and great problems over the
breakdown which is so confusing they should call in the RAC and AA. A
leading rugby doctor says “players are so big and bulky that maybe
skills have dropped a little.” The game is under a microscope and the
spotlight might be turned on supporters, some of whom really are big and
bulky. But I won’t name names, I don’t want to be banished to
Krasnoyarsk.
REL
Let
there be light(221109)
Late
holiday makers go to
Blackpool
for fresh air, fun and the illuminations. On Friday we go to Brynmawr for
fresher air, more fun and to play and watch under their brand new lights. Brynmawr
and floodlights bring to mind a rather controversial incident in season
1971/72, the first year of the modern Welsh Cup, there having been an
earlier competition which ended in the late 1880s because of violent play
and conflict between clubs on and off the field.
Brynmawr
were drawn at home to
Newport
and the game was to be played on a Saturday. The story goes that even the
President of the WRU was brought in to negotiate when
Newport
refused to give up a Saturday fixture but agreed to play under lights
which Brynmawr didn’t have. The Cup was not welcomed by all the
“big” clubs so the
Union
desperately wanted to avoid controversy, hence the compromise of staging
the game under the Ebbw Vale lights.
Newport
won the game but lost friends, Brynmawr lost the game but won friends.
Very few “friendlies” are played
nowadays so the one on Friday is welcome and will remind those raised on
games of 70 minutes and decent music to recall two of many Brynmawr
players who joined Ebbw Vale and were the best in their trade during the
60s. When two Brynmawr half-backs travelled by Griffin bus to join Ebbw
Vale floodlit rugby began and the cost of 100 watt bulbs was added to a
club’s expenditure, along with buckets for the sponge man, oranges at
half-time, pie and chips for after and, most important, a good beer kitty.
Wilf Hunt and Roy Evans were superb and both
were reserves for
Wales
. There were no replacements in the Sixties otherwise they would have been
capped. Wilf played for the Barbarians and Roy
for the Army in the Inter-Services Tournament with great Rugby League
players who could play
Union
in Service teams.
Roy
joined the Royal Signals and teamed up on and off the field with Billy
Boston, arguably the greatest all-round rugby footballer
Wales
has produced. They didn’t do much signalling but played a lot of rugby.
Wilf’s son Nick played for us in the late
70s and was a chip off the old block. In fact Brynmawr, and of course
adjoining Blaina, supplied us with a stream of
talent at a time when we were winning championships and dominating the
Mon.
County
side which reigned supreme at that level.
The
colour of money and of rugby jerseys continues to catch the headlines and
the eye with poncy purple at Twickers
adding to its gloom. Also off colour recently, and well out of tune, was a
South African reggae “singer” based in France who murdered the Sprngbok’s
anthem and almost started another Boer War. Having a pop singer who turns
a one syllable word into ten syllable wail is not the way to respect an
anthem or inspire a team. It wasn’t the reason the Boks
lost to
France
but it didn’t help.
One
of rugby’s traditions is that criticism of referees is never made
public, except when it’s heard on the terraces where there is always a
band of experts who know better and who by coincidence support the side
suffering from a referee’s decisions. But alas that tradition has been
broken by the IRB’s man in charge of
referees, Paddy O’Brien who happens to be a Kiwi. He has officially
apologised to
New Zealand
for an Australian’s refereeing of the scrum in a recent game in
Milan
, which has opened up a can of worms and does nothing for the status of
all referees who must be in a paddy about it..
Finally
those who paid to watch the All-Blacks this autumn should get their money
back. Opposing whingers say they are not up to
much, and they have a point. Winning four out of four away from home on
successive Saturdays is pretty poor. AND they conceded a try.
REL
Saved
for a rainy day
(151109)
First
of all let us congratulate the groundsman at
EXP last Saturday for providing a good surface after a few days of
incessant rain. Secondly the players, coaches, water boys, physios,
medics, barmaids, programme sellers, Helen the Master Chef and that loyal
watcher of the team Jack, our answer to Rin
Tin Tin. I almost said Lassie but Jack is not
a Jill as his handler confirms.
Everything
was better last Saturday, except the weather, which may have suited us,
and the quality and hwyl we knew was there was
saved up for a rainy day. A point down at half-time and looking good was
not enough for the pessimists who still have second-half nightmares of
opposing sides running riot in the last forty, but Saturday was different.
We dominated the game from the re-start and produced the best second half
of the season, starting with a try down the left, towards the beer by
young Mr. Halford. That was another fine state you got us into, Ollie!
Swansea
had only lost once away before Saturday and that was against Pontypridd,
but it wasn’t their day – it was ours. A second win in twelve League
games is not a reason to over-celebrate but it was against a successful
club and four points were ever so important and a change from doing well,
working hard but losing. It was a fourth win
over
Swansea
in the last five games with them, but this was the most important.
We
are experiencing rugby indigestion this autumn, game after game on TV with
pundits, coaches, players, Tom, Dick and Jonathan explaining
it all to us. On Friday
Wales
(pop. 3,000,000) with over 60% of the possession beat
Samoa
(pop. 180,000) but almost lost at the end and would have done if a Samoan
had sent out a tidy pass to a team-mate.
The
Samoans played in their usual blue,
Wales
played in their unusual yellow, not a colour suitable for a rugby team and
one wonders why they didn’t play in scarlet. There would have been no
clash of colour, but with
Wales
in yucky yellow and
England
in ghastly purple it must be a replica kit marketing ploy, which one hopes
no decent rugby type will fall for.
We
will not rest on our laurels over the next few weeks, there are only two
laurels to rest on anyway, and the coaches and players will be very busy
preparing for Pontypool and
Cardiff
away and
Newport
at home. More wounded warriors will be available for selection without
having to rush them into a game, but the gap between the 12th
and 13th fixtures is not good and as we said last week we only
have one home game in December
There
is, however, a friendly at Brynmawr on Friday 27th November to
mark the official switching on of their new lights which a local tells me
are “state of the art.”. The links between
the clubs are strong and two of our greatest half-backs, Wilf
Hunt and Roy Evans, came from there, so it should be supported.
When
the Premier Division was formed at the time of regionalisation there was
great play made on it being a development competition with the emphasis on
youth. But it’s not like the Merit Table, there’s relegation therefore
winning is the most important thing and if that calls for players who
developed ages ago so be it.
A
former
Swansea
and Welsh lock whose last international game was 13 years ago scored a try
for the All-Whites in their 41-28 win over Llandovery
last October and 42 year old Paul Arnold showed that a player is only as
old as he feels. We at Ebbw Vale have a nice mix, but I am worried about
the supporters because it is a fact that some who began the season with
fine heads of hair have turned grey, and one or two have no hair at all. A
win on a regular basis will be the best hair restorer, except for the
bald-headed who might lack cover but make up for it in other clever ways.
The web-site editor is a shining example.
REL
Losing
is a bad habit; let's lose it (081109)
A
special meeting of experts met after a week-end of intriguing rugby and
unanimously agreed that Leicester deserved to beat South Africa (before an
amazing 24,000 compared to the 4,222 at the Liberty Stadium the night
before), Australia deserved to beat England and New Zealand deserved to
beat Wales with one proviso, the All-Blacks were not up to the very high
standard they have always set. To the delight of the press there was
controversy which they relish and they are very good at clutching at
straws and finding excuses.
The
panel which contemplated the week-end’s results were however unanimous
over one of them,
Carmarthen
‘Quins deserved to beat Ebbw Vale. They
stiffened upper lips but, unlike some in the higher reaches of the game,
didn’t whinge or blame defeat on the referee. It was touch and go, red,
white and green blood being thicker than water, but the 41-3 scoreline
tipped the balance.
Teams
get into the habit of winning,
New Zealand
and
Leicester
for example, but also in losing. In our case we seem to fade as the game
progresses - as the half-time scores this season show, and we seem to be
unable to follow up a good performance with a another one the following
week. Keeping fifteen players on the field will help, but only those at
the helm know the reason and what has to be done about such a
disappointing run, but it’s bound to end sometime and the sooner the
better.
Outside
our planet there were complaints over the state of what is laughingly
called a "pitch" at the Millenium
Stadium which was open to the heavens when heavy rain fell, due we are
told to a blown fuse preventing the roof closing and protecting the
temporary turf. I wouldn’t ask those responsible to organise a party in
a brewery would you?
When
the final whistle is blown at EXP on Saturday we shall not hear another at
the ground until Boxing Day, a six weeks spell
that some thoughtless human – don’t blame it on a machine - has
inflicted on us. Whoever is responsible should be de-computerised,
de-commissioned and de-frocked. I can think of other punishments too
cutting to mention.
We
must make the most of Saturday’s game with
Swansea
on the field and off it because Ebbw Vale Addicts Ltd have unlimited
Christmas goodies to sell. The All-Whites have a very good record so far,
seven wins, one draw and just two defeats which calls for an almighty
effort on our part. Their away record is five wins and one defeat at
Pontypridd who are topping the table. In the last ten games we have played
against Swansea we won five, drew one, lost four and at home we only lost
one in five.
At
a time of remembrance the Barbarians make their contribution by playing
Combined Services at
Aldershot
on November 11th, the proceeds of which go to the Royal British Legion
Poppy Appeal. In the team will be the Lewis twins who will wear the same
colours their father did at
Leicester
in 1979. Steve partnered Gareth Davies in a game affected by incessant
rain and a heavy pitch and the Baa Baas won 9-8.
On
Sunday morning representatives of Ebbw Vale Rugby Club were at the War
Memorial in the town to lay a wreath in memory of the fallen, among them Ebbw
players who died in both world wars. On a wet and windy morning it was a
duty our people volunteered for and they deserve due credit. It was a
solemn ceremony which attracted the biggest crowd for many years, and an
occasion which made sport an irrelevance.
REL
Home
Improvements (011109)
And I don’t mean
DIY,
decorating, painting the kitchen, patching over cracks or plastering le
bog because I have no interest in all that time-wasting
stuff. What I mean is something more important involving an oval ball
tossed and kicked around by men clad in red. white
and green clobber trying desperately to restore normal service to their
club.
It
was the afternoon of Halloween and fear stalked the streets of Ebbw Vale
while referee Phil Fear armed with nothing but a whistle to defend himself
stalked the turf of EXP. Like every referee in every sport his decisions
did not meet with general approval. It’s a burden they have to bear but
without them we wouldn’t have a game. Bless ‘em
all.
Llandovery,
riding on the crest of a wave of big wins, came in optimistic mood,
expecting another big score and five points. They didn’t get either but
they won because they had danger men who had pace and were sharp enough to
take advantage of unforced errors. One report said that the Drovers at
times were fighting for their lives, which is
over-dramatising, but they had a match winner at centre in Nigerian Joe Ajuwa
who is a candidate for regional rugby which needs some life at the moment.
Joe would certainly provide it.
The
Ebbw Vale pack, with Rhys Williams majestic, won their part of the battle
and Gareth Bowen kicked for goal with the accuracy of a guided missile. It
was a much better performance and should encourage the squad for another
“must win” game at lunch-time on Saturday at
Carmarthen
. It was an improvement at home there’s no doubt of that and absorbing
with both sets of supporters biting nails until the final few minutes when
the Drovers got out of their half and pinned us in ours. So near yet in
the end so far but if we can add to the power of the pack some incision
behind we’ll be on our way back.
The
‘Quins will include two former Steelmen,
one from a long time ago, Gareth Cull who kicks goals, and hooker Richard
Wilkes who will relish playing against his former mates. Their three wins
this season were against Pontypridd and Aberavon at home and
Pontypool
away. However, they went down at home to Glamorgan Wanderers, Llanelli and
Swansea
. We have only won at
Carmarthen
twice and both were in Cup games ages ago so it’s time for a change.
The
mind games are being played prior to four international matches in 22
days, but only in Wales, because we will play four and the other Unions
three, much to the delight of the man who keeps the WRU piggy bank, and
the press because they will fill their columns with pre-match prophesies
and endless boring interviews with highly paid players who are all “up
for it,” as indeed they should be on their pay.
News
from outer space, i.e. anywhere outside the Steelmen’s
realm, told us that a former wearer of our jersey has signed a three year
contract with French Div 3 side Marseille-Vitrolles.
Not bad for a 34 year old but because Jonah was in
Japan
promoting the 2019 World Cup he couldn’t attend last Friday’s Past
Player’s Dinner which reportedly was a great success with the old and no
longer bold entertaining themselves with tall stories and memories of the
great days.
There
are a few of our former players who support the current team and who come
to games but I think it is a pity that a lot of others don’t. They are
rugby’s equivalent of old soldiers, comrades and veterans who take an
interest in the activities of their successors. Gathering once a year at a
reunion is great, but coming to games is better and we would like to see
more of them.
REL
The
Drovers are flying high. Can we bring them down to earth?
(251009)
This
is not an Agony Aunt column giving advice to
those worrying about something, but there is one suggestion on offer -
take no notice of the results of the other basement clubs. It doesn’t
help, I’ve tried it. Don’t look for help, solace or comfort when
rivals fail, it’s up to us, it’s “domestic” and the ball is in our
court and will, hopefully, be over the opposition cross bar on Saturday..
However,
two recent results cannot be ignored and by coincidence they involve our
next opponents. Llandovery, aka
the Drovers, are high as kites, they have driven the Wizards and Pooler to
the wall by beating them 52-34 (7 tries to 5) and 68-21 (10 tries to 3)
respectively. Off-hand I would say the two game scoring extravaganza
is unmatched in Premier Division history. They are one of only three clubs
in a closely knit region which must be an advantage lesser mortals only
dream of. Caring for three teams is easier than five.
Traditionally
our biggest challenges at home have been against clubs like
Cardiff
, Neath, Llanelli & Co., and we generally
rose to the occasion while not doing well against teams we were expected
to beat. Llandovery are currently a big
challenge and based on present form will fancy their chances of a second
consecutive win in Gwent. But let’s turn the clocks back to October 3rd
and recall the victory over the other Llan.
They were favourites too.
The
goal-kicking at Bedwas was described in one
report as “dreadful” but being Ebbw addicts we don’t like to talk
that way. Had the kicks been successful there’s no guarantee we would
have won, but we would certainly have been in a stronger position despite
facing the wind in the second-half. Bedwas
crucially led at the break and only had a very small tump
to climb.
There’s
no doubt injuries have had a serious effect, but there was an improvement
last Saturday and we should commend the players who have not succumbed to
the injury epidemic and have shouldered the main burden. In a depleted
squad there’s no respite but the wounded will eventually return to
action. Soon we hope, otherwise it’s the medics who will be bad in bed
under the doctor..
Wales
and
England
are also losing important stars through injury. Observers say there are
too many big games for leading players and that after every Lions tour
there’s always a string of men hors
de combat.
Rugby is now considered a more dangerous sport than that played by the
Green Bay Packers et
al and in the English club game below the Guinness Premiership
things ain’t what they used to be off the
field with talk of players not even getting paid.
It
must be great to man the sports desk at the Manchester Evening News, which
covers
Sale
and two Premier football teams managed by graduates of a charm school.
Plenty to write about, most of it successful for the home teams, but
that’s the good news. Tucked away on the inside pages are reports on
Manchester RFC of National League One who are not at all well, in fact
they are terminal.
Milo
, whose interest in sport reaches far beyond Llanelly
Hill, has discovered their record so far this season – played and lost
8, points for 28, against
882. Not even I
could spin a way out of that.
Finally,
the quote of the week uttered by a losing coach - “At
the end of the day we weren’t there tonight.” Who said rugby was
getting too serious?
REL
Keep the clubs in mind
(181009)
In
that part of the galaxy inhabited by Ebbw Addicts the natives are
frustrated. After a promising first forty minutes of the
Derby
with Keys we lost shape, confidence and the game. There’s a jungle in
the Premier Division and at the moment it consists of five clubs, Llandovery
is the odd one out because the others are from Gwent.
Injuries
have forced so many changes and from the top of my still buzzing head I
reckon that only four players have started in each of the home games
played. If, as one reporter said, we need power up front then a prop like
Aaron Coundley would have supplied it but he
was “regionalised” and did not play rugby on Saturday because he was
on a “conditioning” course. We must believe that sort of thing applies
to players of all clubs, but it puzzled an old-fashioned retired prop who
said that playing was the best way to get in good condition.
“Really
it is injuries that are crippling us," said team manager Alan Evans,
“plus being unable to play Under 20 players today.” But why, we ask,
could we not play them? And to be fair it applied to Cross Keys as well,
so let me quote last Friday’s South Wales Argus and you get the answer:-
“Last
night’s East v Wales Under 20s trial meant that Ebbw Vale are without
back-row pair James Thomas and Rhys Jenkins and Cross Keys are without
flanker Toby Faletau and three-quarter Matthew
Pewtner.” Those who control our rugby will
have a reason but as in the case of players on courses do they ever think
of the effect their decisions make on clubs? Some bright spark decided to
hold a trial involving club players thirty odd hours before Premier club
fixtures! Do they care about the clubs? Not by the look of it.
I
don’t want to say I told you so, but I told you so. Those who expected
easier games after playing last season’s top seven have been shocked
into silence. On Saturday Llandovery beat
Aberavon 52-34 and by 7 tries to 5 and they visit Ebbw Vale a week after
we go to Bedwas, a ground where the mines are
never lifted. In the last six games there we lost four and won two so its
time for a change. Everything will depend on the availability of players,
a problem that will be influenced by the medics and the region so I
suggest we start crossing fingers NOW and get the club padre to drop a
word in the right place.
The
match programme last Saturday, superbly produced by Dovers
in Abergavenny, included a brilliant cover pic
of Simon Pengelly, an
hilarious Ebbw Addicts article and photographs of Kuli
Faletau, described as one of the original
Tongan Embassy in Ebbw Vale. We had hoped that his son Toby would be
playing for Cross Keys but once again outside bodies intervened.
Leicester
were forced to replace an injured centre with a
back-row forward in their recent Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys. That
prompted a wag to suggest they arrange their pre-season tour in
Lourdes
next year. But a back-rower in the centre? Surely
not. Old timers will nod their wise heads and say “What’s
new?” because, in April 1984, Tredegar were so depleted for their game
at Ebbw that they chose a lock forward to play in the centre. He was the
irrepressible Steve Duke, a former Steelman
and the great character of the 1982 tour to
Canada
. Tredegar won 7-3 !
Another
former Ebbw coach has been recognised outside
Wales
. Leigh Jones is to be
Hong Kong
’s Rugby Union coach development manager. Dai Rees, another Valley boy,
is HK head coach. We wish Leigh well, at least
he won’t have to go far for a takeaway.
REL
Pranged
by the Wizards (111009)
Last
Saturday the dawn came up in all its glory and was followed by a clear
sky. “Nice morning,” said an early bird neighbour, “Have a nice
day.” It was a nice morning but I did not have a nice day. It began to
cloud over after reading that we had twelve squad members out of combat
due to injury, and there was a blackout at
Port Talbot
around tea-time.
James
Lewis has intercepted many times for Ebbw Vale and his timely intervention
gave us a good start. Welcome back James! But it was farewell,
temporarily, to Ebbw’s young veteran Andrew Bevan
who went to hospital with an eye injury. His biggest fan Chloe is very
concerned but really someone up there doesn’t like us. Our players are
keeping every medic in
Wales
busy and for their sake as well as ours let it end soon.
One
newspaper commented “The Premiership is not being played on a level
basis, as is well known, but Ebbw Vale bit their lips and got on with
it.” That referred to the fact that Ebbw had to bring in four players on
permit, two from
England
, while the Wizards “could call up Academy and Ospreys players.”
That’s not the scenario the WRU aimed for when regional rugby came in,
but we have to live with it.
Our
local Derbies have always been important but are now crucial. Once
only pride was at stake, now it’s League
points which are as precious as gold in games between clubs in the bottom
half of the table. Our
tussles with Cross Keys, who will arrive at EXP full of confidence, have
always been among the toughest, anything can happen and very often does.
In
the last six fixtures between the clubs we won four and Keys two. We
scored 106 points to their 92 and except for our 07/08 win 29-12 and the
33-17 hammering they gave us last season the games have been close.
With a draw at
Cardiff
and a home win over
Newport
behind them Cross Keys will be hyped up. As they always are.
Finally
let’s give credit to those who assembled the team at
Port Talbot
. Their telephones were red hot as they sought permit players one of whom
was withdrawn a quarter of an hour before kick-off! It was a nightmare but
it showed that we have people at the helm
totally dedicated themselves to the club.
It’s
Derby Day on Saturday – see you at the races !
REL
V
for Victory at last (041009)
The
Domen was alive with the sound of music when a
young knight in red, white and green armour, name of Williams, decided it
was time for glory. His cracking try gave us our first win of the season.
Arise Sir Andrew, but the credit goes to the whole team for keeping in
touch in an absorbing battle with just a few points between them and Scarlets
‘A’ throughout and for finishing stronger in the final exchanges. They
recovered from simple errors, never gave in, wilted or were distracted in
their belief in victory. Sighs of relief were heard in
Marine Street
.
As
one glum Llanelli chap commented afterwards, “It could have gone either
way” which is more than can be said for the Scarlets
v
Ulster
game the night before. Yes, it could have but it went our way and we
deserved it. After five defeats it was a breath of Spring
in the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and from it confidence
should follow.
The
contest was close and was always going the distance, neither side taking
control and there were many penalty awards, most against Llanelli.
With respect to the two try scorers it was goal-kickers that
decided the result. Two of Welsh rugby’s Peter Pans, Gareth Bowen of
Ebbw and Luke Richards of Llanelli are as good as ever, especially when
placing kicks at goal. Gareth kicked six and Luke four penalty goals, plus
a conversion apiece.
One swallow doesn’t make a pint but a win is welcome at any time and we
desperately needed one. It was most timely on a day when ‘Quins,
the Wanderers and Cross Keys defeated the Wizards, Neath
and Newport respectively showing that clubs in the bottom half of the
table, like caged animals, are dangerous and cannot be under-estimated.
To
paraphrase Churchill’s famous quote after the first British land victory
of the Second World War, last Saturday’s win was not the end, it was not
even the beginning of the end and we don’t know yet whether it was the
end of the beginning. Aberavon will be fired up after losing at
Carmarthen
, and are always tough nuts on their own ground.
We
have only played them fourteen times this century, they won eight, we
won six. Two of those games were in the Cup, both sides winning at home.
In the last three seasons honours were even, 3-3, each club winning once
away.
John
Billot has died. He was one of the greatest,
many think the best, Welsh rugby writers of the modern era. He wrote on
rugby and cricket for the Western Mail for decades, and also produced the
Welsh Rugby Annual, an indispensable publication. To show how important
John was, when he retired the Annual folded. He had a terrific sense of
humour which shone through his thousands of reports on games in days when
the clubs were dominant and well covered.
John
was a gentleman, a great journalist and historian of the game who famously
dubbed Clive
Burgess ‘Steelclaw’ and Phil Gardner
‘Grey Wolf..’ He was an honest writer and was not welcome in one club
because of that. He was someone a press officer could trust in, and that
can be important. When he retired, the game suffered a great loss, his
death is an even greater one. With respect, no Welsh rugby writer today
can match him.
REL
|
Time
to feel at home (270909)
Home
is where the heart is. It should not be where the heartache is. In every
team game playing at home is an advantage and it’s time we used it. On
Saturday last we lost where we had won last October, next Saturday we need
to win at home against the team we lost to at EXP last November. We
haven’t got to the “must-win” stage but other
clubs in the bottom half of the Premier Division are
picking up points.
While
supporters are suffering palpitations, injured players are suffering
frustration. They want to play, and it’s
cruel luck that so many injuries struck when our first seven fixtures are
against clubs who finished in the top seven last season. If anyone thinks
everything will change when we start playing our basement buddies they are
mistaken. It’s a battlefield in the top half but a jungle down below.
In
the last three seasons we won three and lost three against Llanelli. We
got the double in 07/08 and they did in 08/09. Remember 2006/07? From
September to December we had a great run, 16 games, won 11, drew 2 and
lost 3. The losses were home to
Newport
5-12, away to Maesteg 23-37 (!!!!) away to
Llanelli 13-17, just one home loss before Christmas 2007.
Team
GB is the slick name for those representing
Britain
in the 2012 London Olympics. They will have home advantage, but to
maximise it the Elite Performance Director has mounted
a “secret
operation” which everyone knows about of course. One idea is to pack
seats near finishing lines with home fans so they can urge the Brits to
success in the final furlong. They would be in the right place at the
right time, but with Americans winning all the sprints and the Africans
the long distance races, they won’t do much urging.
What
a novel idea. It takes a real brain to think that up and the Elite
Performance Director deserves a pay rise except that in a three year
campaign period he’ll be paid £300,000 per annum. It’s a lot of bull
of course and sadly rugby is involved because the EPD is Sir Clive
Woodward, a great centre for Tigers and Lions and a World Cup winning
coach. He’s mixing with the wrong company but business is business..
There
are lessons here for our supporters who should get mobile and congregate
at the end of the field the Steelmen are
heading for. But in case of a counter-attack they should leave a rear
party at the other end.
On
Saturday it doesn’t matter where we watch the game. The players have it
in their hands to break the duck, all we can do
is get behind, alongside and ahead of them.
REL
Ponty - position, possession
and pace
(200909)
At
9.30pm on Friday a club member seeking solace asked if we had ever
suffered such a disappointing start to a season. It’s not the sort of
statistic I have at my nail less finger tips but a glance at the records
reveals that in August and September 2001 we played eight and won one.
However, in October we played four and won four. I hope that helps to
stiffen upper lips.
Pontypridd
paraded the three Ps, position, possession and above all pace. They
out-gunned us on the field and out-shouted us off it. They brought a lot
of supporters who have enjoyed their two early season visits to Gwent
having beaten
Pontypool
48-15, scoring six tries and Ebbw 28-3, scoring four. They amassed 76
points and only conceded 18. They are a good side and join
Cardiff
and Neath as candidates to win the Premiership
title.
The
South Wales Argus on Saturday morning rightly rejoiced in the Dragon’s
win over Glasgow but also carried a heading,
“Bad night for Gwent clubs,” meaning us and Newport who lost at
the unpredictable Wanderers. Match reports spoke of our “heroic”
defence, and so it was in the first forty minutes but the aim now must be
to compete for eighty.
At
the same time we were Pontyified the
star-studded Ospreys were losing at home to
Leinster
. One comment was that the region everyone expected so much of (when it
was in Welsh hands) was “beleagured,” but
some fly by night e-mail contributor pronounced.
“I can’t watch the Ospreys anymore.” What nonsense, supporters support,
he or she is obviously a spectator. Supporters don’t throw in the towel
and as usual Ebbw colours will be prominent in our next foray. OK so
it’s Neath and they have quality, experience
and money, but let’s
recall the last three seasons. In
2006/07 we drew with them twice and by the same score of 23-23. Most
unusual. In 2007/08 we lost at Ebbw and won at Neath,
equally unusual. Last season as we all know, and if anyone doesn’t he or
she should be forced to watch
England
play one day cricket, we got the double.
So
let us go forth with optimism to the Gnoll,
where we face a formidable outfit that might include some former Steelmen.
Let’s hope former comrades have forgotten our lineout calls which are
now so complicated they would defeat Enigma code breakers. It’s not as
simple as it was when a pack leader said to a lock, “You can jump at
four, and if you are very good you can jump at half past as well.”
Finally
double talk from the top cat at the Ospreys. After losing to
Ulster
, he reportedly said, “We are acknowledging where we are,” and “We
want an identity that is ours.” After more Irish eyes smiled at the
Liberty
on Friday he said, “We’ll all have to look in the mirror.” A case of
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most expensive one of all.”
Club people don’t have to say things like that, we know where we are and
who we are, we are the poor relations of the
Welsh game. And we don’t have an Oliver to twist the Union’s arm and
ask for more or hold a gun to the WRU’s head
as the regions did, at least according to a “source” who must remain
nameless otherwise the Kremlin will do a job on him.
The
word Gnoll is not in the dictionary but Knoll
is. It has two meanings, a small hill or mound or to summon by the sound
of a bell. Neath’s Gnoll is not small and we
don’t have a bell but undeterred our travelling support will do their
bit on Saturday.
That’s
why we joined the club in the first place.
REL
Lady Luck, where are you?
(130909)
In
that memorable musical “Guys and Dolls” there’s a song that starts,
“Luck be a lady tonight.” It is about a crap game, or what we
respectable Brits call a dice game, and a gambler’s plea for Lady Luck
to help out. Clearly our luck is anything but a lady because we haven’t
seen or heard of her this season. We are not talking about luck on the
field, but of the injury problem that has hit us hard. With the squad
already depleted we suffered another two blows last Saturday when the
region took away two key players, one for a rest (the season is just a few
weeks old) and the other to travel with the Dragons.
Deep down even in the most patriotic Ebbw hearts there was a feeling we
would be up against it at Rodney Parade. In football pool terms it was a
home banker, but on Saturday we came near. The result was affected by two
yellow cards but under the circumstances our lads produced a heartening
performance.
We
are in the middle of an extremely tough fixture schedule and in any season
winning at
Newport
is rare. Since promotion in 1995/96 season we have only won twice in 15
games there. In the 1998/99 season we beat
Newport
at home 57-17 and lost 29-30 away thanks to a late drop goal by former Steelman,
Shaun Connor. His equally late penalty goal last Saturday denied us a
bonus point. No hard feelings Shaun, but please don’t do it again.
Music soothes a savage beast after a disappointing result, and a Jimmy
Webb song, ‘Didn’t We’ came to mind Saturday night when calm
reflections replaced thumping head disorder. It begins, “This time we
nearly made the pieces fit, didn’t we,” a tenuous link with what
happened at Ely and the Rodney. We accept the situation we are in, new
faces, new combos and those injuries, all of which we shall overcome. But
as insurance I ask the Club padre to put in a few words for us. We don’t
ask for good
luck, we just don’t want any more bad
luck.
Which takes us full of heart, hope and hops to Friday’s night game home
with Pontypridd. I have no idea why we are playing on a Friday with no
counter-attractions on the box, and my Rabbi doesn’t approve but Ponty
supporters will be there as usual. When two clubs with similar backgrounds
meet seat belts have to be fastened but there is no truth in the rumour
that our players, coaches and physios will be
searched for blood capsules because the last joke shop we had in Ebbw Vale
was in James Street which has been no more for ages.
The
Magners League has been lauded as top notch
competition because the Irish and Welsh have won recent Grand Slams and
dominated the Lions. But compared to the Guinness Premiership it comes
second best. It attracts fewer crowds,
Munster
excepted, as we have already seen this season.
Just over 8000 watched Blues v
Edinburgh
, 45,000 were at Wembley for Saracens v
Northampton
and FIFTEEN coaches took Saint’s fans to the game. .
Premier
scores on Saturday were fascinating, the try count is bracketed. Bedwas
26 (3)
Swansea
58 (8); Carmarthen ‘Quins 22 (1) Neath
25 (3); Cross Keys 27 (3) Aberavon 35 (2); Glamorgan Wanderers 15 (1)
Cardiff
20 (3); Llanelli 12 (0) Llandovery 10 (1); and
Newport
22 (2) Ebbw Vale (1). And how about this Division One (West) result –
Bridgend Athletic 20 Bridgend 15!
A
few days after the regions were given lots more lolly,
all four lost in the Magner’s League. Just
another day at the office but not good news for Welsh rugby which
set up the regions to advance the national game. However back at
the ranch, the club held its AGM last Friday, a night I shall long
remember. The faithful were there, all members for life, and I thank them
for the surprise they sprung. They work so hard and are quite simply a
nice bunch to be with.
REL
Not
so near and yet so far (060909)
After
Saturday’s game
Cardiff
coach Paul Moriarty said, “Ebbw is always a hard place to come and
win.” A nice tribute but the Fortress Ebbw that Paul knew as a
Swansea
player is temporarily vulnerable.
Cardiff
were faster and stronger and look likely to retain the Premiership title.
Despite a better effort in the second half we suffered our heaviest home
defeat at the hands of
Cardiff
for twenty-five years.
But,
don’t be faint hearted. A bad start doesn’t mean a bad season, neither
does a good start mean a good season as we found in 2005/06. On
September 5th 2005 we beat
Cardiff
at home 49-8 which caused the bells of
Christ
Church
to ring while those in Llandaff Cathedral were silent. So far so
good we said, but when Christmas came we had only won four out of fifteen
games. So much for omens, so chin up chaps the season has only started.
Clutchers
of straws will say we held
Cardiff
to three points in the second half and we did improve after the early
blitz when the visitors scored thirteen points in as many minutes and
benefited from taking our ball at lineouts. They were stronger
everywhere but yet again penalising at the scrum raised its ugly head.
Only those with experience can judge whether one prop is asserting his
authority over his opposite number illegally, but it does seem that some
referees punish the wrong player.
Injuries
have already struck and in a modestly staffed squad that is a blow. It’s
a shame for players who trained and prepared all summer to be sidelined
when the campaign begins and some of ours will be out for a considerable
time.
Cardiff
clearly have a much larger squad and watching them warm-up one noticed the
squad numbers on their backs, many in the 40s.
The
beauty of the ground, and it looked a treat, was momentarily forgotten
while the game ground on, but credit must be given to the groundsman and
the Council who own it. When we think of other grounds we should be very
proud of ours, but it’s what happens on it that matters. However
sponsorship and arena advertising provide financial injection and at Ebbw
Vale there is more advertising than ever, all thanks to those who sought
it and got it.
We
face a hard run of fixtures,
Newport
away, Pontypridd at home, Neath away, Llanelli at home, and Aberavon away.
And if we think easier games follow we will be foolish, Keys put thirty
points on
Pontypool
last Saturday, Bedwas beat Llanelli and ‘Quins defeated Pontypridd. The
Division is a jungle in which only the strongest will survive, and the
strength of a side depends, as it always has, on its pack.
Newport
will be rarin’ to go after losing at
Swansea
38-6 and so it will be tougher than ever at Rodney Parade. We have won
five and lost five of our last ten games against them, winning three and
losing two at home, and winning one and losing four away. We conceded the
double last season but got one ourselves the season before..
At
the recent Vice Presidents “do” we listened with interest to Matthew
McCarthy, Christian Loader and Gareth Walton with physios Sarah Jones and
Andrew Kelly on hand in case we got too excited. They were busy on
Saturday and at times it looked like Emergency Ward 10, but hopefully some
of our walking wounded will soon recover. For their sake and ours.
REL
Gone
with the Wind (300809)
High
scoring marked the first Saturday of the new season and that well worn
cliché, a game of two halves, was never more apt than at our bogey ground
in Ely. A promising lead of 23-0 vanished as the Wands scored 27
unanswered points after the break giving the army of Ebbw supporters a
sinking feeling of Titanic proportions.
What
looked like a good chance to break a bogey we are getting fed up with,
was blown away at a ground where we haven’t won – wait for it –
since October 1993. That statistic doesn’t tell the whole story, after
the 32-6 win we didn’t play the Wanderers for eleven seasons as they
were in a lower division.
Last
Saturday all the points were scored at one end of the ground, and that was
where the wind was heading but the elements cannot entirely be blamed for
the defeat. Wanderers scored some good tries and were inspired by 19 year
old Dan Fish, who the Ebbw defence failed to net. We must give credit
where it’s due, we would have been highly chuffed if we had made a
comeback like that.
The
supporters remain confident, and we played some very good rugby in the
first half. On Saturday we host
Cardiff
, the current Premier title holders, who also played in a high scoring
first game of the season but lost to
Swansea
at the
Arms
Park
29-35. They will be more determined than ever on Saturday, but so will we
of course. Only three points separated the clubs last season, in the
autumn we won five games out eight including a thrilling 26-25 victory at
the
Arms
Park
where, if measured by decibels, our supporters out-numbered the home
crowd.
In
February we lost at home to
Cardiff
13-15, another close one but very creditable because at the time
Cardiff
were flying and ended up as Premier Champions. They will be hard to beat
on Saturday, our first home game of the season and we could not ask for a
better one. We generally rise to the big occasion and it will be the first
time many of our players run out on their home pitch. It will be an early
tester for a new team with new combinations, but what an opportunity!
There
are always interesting goings-on off the field to while away the time
between games, but it’s not often rugby in
North Wales
makes the news. Gogledd Cymru
is a “fledgling” region up there where the favoured shape of a ball is
round. Their spokesman has announced “radical proposals to bolster
playing standards in
North Wales
by recruiting Canadian internationals.” Hang on you might say, regions
were formed to improve Welsh, not Canadian, rugby so why spend our money
in “bringing young, Canadian squad players” to
North Wales
? Gogledd Cymru claim
it will enable the
North Wales
team to be a competitive semi-professional level side “almost
immediately.” I wonder.
In
their search for fixtures Gogledd Cymru
are looking at Welsh Premiership clubs not involved in the new
British/Irish competition. “Hopefully,” say our northern friends,
“we can find a window for them to play us as well.” I suggest we draw
the blinds on that one and say, thanks
boyos but we have enough our hands as it is.
So don’t call us, we’ll call you.
A Final Rehearsal of Quality
(230809)
The
game is so serious nowadays even “friendlies”
affect the nervous systems of the supporters. Once they were peaceful
imitations of the game with four sessions of twenty minutes and loads of
changes at the end of which only the sober spectators knew the score. Last
Saturday at splendid Sixways it was serious,
yet entertaining with an atmosphere to match. It was a “proper” game
of rugby.
General
opinion is that the English Division One is superior and a grade above the
Welsh Premier League, as the Cornish Pirates showed last week when they
beat Cardiff, the Premier champs of 2008/09 60-13, and that the Guinness
Premiership is more competitive than the Magner’s
League. It follows that the Guinness clubs have squads and Academies that
are also a notch above everybody else which meant semi-pro Ebbw faced a
formidable fully professional Worcester XV. We came within two points of a
win over a team that looked good enough to win our Premiership with
something to spare.
After
two disappointing friendlies against Barking
and Bonymaen the throng of Ebbw supporters who
travelled to Worcester were hoping for a more positive performance and returned
home refreshed (the Guinness was nicely drawn), chuffed, proud and full of
praise having enjoyed a cracking game, well refereed by the top English
official, Chris White. It was a quality day on a quality ground at a
superbly organised club.
The
score matters in any sort of game, otherwise why keep it, but what really
counted at Sixways was the performance. Not
all the squad had been available for the previous friendlies
but they were there on Saturday with strength in every department except,
and this is crucial, the lineout. Three throw-ins near the
Worcester
line were lost. That will be addressed of course, but the 20-21 defeat was
honourable, encouraging and a credit to players and coaches. They will go
to Ely on Saturday full of confidence BUT the Wanderers are not to be
taken for granted, they are one of our bogey sides and can upset the best
laid plans as we have found to our cost in the eight games we have played
against them this century.
We
didn’t play them in the League from 1999/2000 to 2003/04 and only once,
in a Cup game, in 2004/05 which we won at home. The eight games since
2005/06 when the Wanderers re-joined the top division produced a measly
31% success rate, one win, three draws and four defeats. I know it’s the
past and has nothing to do with the present squad but a look back might
help dispel over-optimism. The support will be there as it was at
Worcester
where the welcome was warm, but this time the result really matters.
On
the surface everything in the English rugby garden looks rosy, but some
caddish behaviour has stained the name of the most traditional “rugger”
club of all. The ‘Quins are going through
the wringer and their coach, Dean Richards has
been suspended for three years for not playing the game. It must have been
difficult for him to face the media hounds but he could have done a lot
better than – “at the end of the day I’ll think about it overnight
and obviously see where my thoughts are in the morning.” I hope he had
more success seeing “thoughts” in the morning than many players on
tour had in seeing anything at that unholy hour, but this must be the
King, sorry Dean, of clichés.
What
happens to a sporting personality when he, or she, can’t take part in
his, or her, sport anymore? There’s always after-dinner speaking of
course and I am surprised that Ebbw Vale Vice Presidents didn’t snap up
Richards for their ‘do’ on Friday 4 September. But it will be an
all-club lineup because after all, blood is
thicker than water. Ask the ‘Quins.
REL
A final
rehearsal and a bit of a party (160809)
Bonymaen was as tough as
expected and the scoreline, 10-3 to Ebbw, reminded the old and once bold
of the days when a try was worth three points and the scoreboard rotted
through lack of use. Barking and Bonymaen have been difficult opponents
and we now face a major challenge in a city once known only for horse
racing and cricket.
We
played at Sixways in March 1979 when taking part in a floodlit tournament.
At that time Worcester Rugby had been in residence there for only four
years and was just starting its amazing rise to the top of the club game.
It is now one of the rugby hot spots and although the Warriors have not
set the Guinness Premiership alight they are packed with talent from all
points of the compass and their ground, capacity 12,000, is always full to
over-flowing.
Our
main interest in
Worcester
is, of course, that Mike Ruddock is top cat and it’s thanks to him that
we are playing our third pre-season romp there on Saturday. Steve Lewis
enquired, Mike responded and to add to our anticipation
Worcester
are holding an Open Day. It’s jolly decent of them to mark our visit
like that isn’t it?
Admission
is free on Saturday, so different to
Coventry
where two years ago we were over-charged £15 to get in. What isn’t free
is the bar, but Ebbw supporters are ready and will be emptying every
cashpoint in the town before their wagons roll. It’s the most
interesting and challenging pre-season friendly we have had since 2006
when we played
Bristol
at
Clifton
and met another former coach, Richard Hill. When the season proper kicked
off after that game we completed the first half of it with eleven wins,
two draws and three defeats under Cordling.
Saturday will be great fun but I do advise our supporters not to get
involved in “inflatable rugby” or practice “martial arts” with
bobbies and squaddies, both of which dubious activities are part of the
Open Day attractions. Concentrate on two things, the match and the local
ale. It’s going to be a cracking day so don’t make plans for Sunday
morning.
Those
old enough to remember the Plaza Cinema, Tamplin’s pub and Griffin buses
will be sorry to hear of the death of Len Harris who was our second row in
the Championship winning teams of 1953/54 and 1959/60. He played in the
combined Ebbw Vale & Abertillery XVs that played New Zealand in 1953
and the Wallabies in 1957, and was a gentle giant, a quiet most likeable
man who joined us from Neath and settled in Ebbw Vale.In Len’s day the
object of playing rugby was simple, enjoy it and win. There were no fancy
names for those guiding the team through endurance tests at Rodney Parade,
the Gnoll or
St.
Ives on a Saturday night in April. But now there is a Dutchman who is UK
Athletics Disciplinarian Head Coach. A girl called Jessica Ennis who jumps
over things is quoted as saying, “He’s a strong coach and he knows
what he wants you to achieve.” Like winning?
The
club captains when Len Harris played also knew what they wanted players to
achieve but didn’t need fancy titles to get their amateur teams to
win Championships. What with performance enhancing drugs, and blood
capsules Dracula would have approved of, our game is in danger of going to
the wolves, aka the money men. Add fiddling passive scrums when under
pressure and Rugby Union football will soon be X certificated.
But
let’s, temporarily, put the soap box under the cwtch and look forward to
watching our answer to
South Africa
’s Emerging Springboks, the Emerging Steelmen, play some pretty stiff,
highly professional opposition at Mike’s Place.
REL
Alex
hasn't changed (090809)
He looks the same, he talks the same, he coaches the same. And as usual he
wins. We were glad to see him back, and also his squad who made the long
journey from Dagenham to play at altitude in Brynmawr. They enjoyed every
moment and stayed quite a time after the game, many of them experiencing
Welsh ale for the first time.
It
was also the first time for most of the Ebbw Vale squad to play together
for yet again we begin a season with a lot of new recruits, all of them
talented, who need blending into a team. It wasn’t the overture to the
season we wanted or indeed expected but Barking sprung a surprise which
must not be repeated when we face an equally stern challenge at Bonymaen
on Saturday.
The influence of Alex Cordling was apparent in an efficient and
enthusiastic team from the place where Ford once produced thousands of
cars. Barking are the real Eastenders and they showed again that the
strength of English rugby at all its levels lies up front. To no-one’s
surprise Alex produced a big, strong pack, add the adverse penalty count
and you get the reason, not an excuse, for the result.
There
were plus points of course, there always are. The backs looked sharp and
would have really shown their paces with more possession. And the
supporters were there en masse, much more than the average at other clubs
for League games. Bear in mind that this was a friendly, for most of the
time anyway! Everyone was impressed with the sporting facilities at the
Brynmawr school and the club is very grateful to be able train and play
there.
Finally, the problem of regional players boosting some, but not all,
Premier teams has still to be resolved and a source with West Wales
connections informs me that when a regional player turns out for a club
that club has to pay the region. Is that true? If it is we not only
get the crumbs from the rich region’s table but we have to pay for them
as well.
Will
someone PLEASE sort out the involvement of regions with the clubs they are
supposed to care for? Or make a complete change and simply have four Welsh
teams in the Magner’s League called Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets
without the regional tag.
The
playing field at the moment is not level, in fact it’s full of tumps. Or
should that be twmps?
REL
Fixed
up at last (010809)
Thank
goodness the new fixture list is out, now those with secondary interests
like weddings and holidays can make their plans because no-one with red,
white and green blood flowing in their veins will want
to miss a single game.
There were rumours that our first game would be at Carmarthen ‘Quins
which sparked enquiries in Tenby B & Bs
and caravan sites, but it’s the Wanderers away followed by three easy
ones, Cardiff home, Newport away (Rugby League fixtures there permitting!)
and Pontypridd home.
There
is another issue to be resolved by the WRU. At the end of last season
Bridgend were fighting to avoid relegation and reinforced their team in
the final two games with a lot of regional players. It didn’t work,
Carmarthen
‘Quins take their place in the Premier
Division, but it should have been the last straw. Is anyone pressing the
WRU to tidy up this messy business?
League rugby put club fixture secretaries out of work and they have been
replaced by the Kremlin’s computer. I cannot imagine how modern fixers,
even aided by the latest technology, would have coped with twice the
number of fixtures. Thirty years ago we were approaching our Centenary
season in which we played 56 games. And it was all done by the three Ps,
pen, paper and ‘phone.
In
1979/80 we played all the best Welsh clubs and two who were also
celebrating their centenary, Brecon and Crumlin
away. As we were going to tour
California
instead of
Cornwall
we had Penzance/Newlyn, Redruth
and St. Ives at home and there were the usual fixtures with
Bath
,
Bedford
, Cheltenham,
Coventry
,
Gloucester
, Moseley,
Northampton
and Saracens. We even went to the seaside at Torquay and
Jersey
.
The
season began with a home game against Gala and the next day we staged a
Sevens which included the Scots and the pick of Gwent. A first time
fixture with The Army was arranged and there were three very important
Centenary games with
Romania
, the WRU President’s XV and Crawshay’s
Welsh. In between we found time to go to work and sleep. And that wasn’t
all. In May 1980 we played four games in
California
and won the hearts of all and sundry. Especially the
sundry.
Of
fifty six games including three Welsh Cup ties there were 30 wins, two
draws and 24 losses. That was some season. In 2009/10 we’ll play 26
League games and hopefully quite a few Cup ties. I know times have
changed, the game is more physical and all that, but just how did our
players cope with all those fixtures of long ago?
They
were amateurs and lucky to get their bus fares from a Treasurer who was
offered the part of Scrooge but turned it down because they wouldn’t pay
enough. He’s still among us and will remember 1979/80 with pleasure
except for one thing. He never forgave me for not fitting in a Cornish
tour.
REL
Preparing
for D-Day (170709)
Things are looking up, we have a pre-season friendly at home, or to be perfectly correct next door. On Saturday 8th August we'll welcome back Alex
Codling and the club he now coaches, Barking who play in the English League Division Three South. The game will be played on Brynmawr Comprehensive School's ground where the lads have been training while we civilians have been holidaying, gardening (ugh!) or idling in licensed premises.
Don't raise eyebrows, or in the case of ladies eye-lashes, Division Three in England is much stronger than its equivalent in Wales. Barking play some of the most famous and traditional clubs in England, among them Richmond, Rosslyn Park and London Scottish and they will have a strong lineout, Alex will see to that.
A week later our luxury charabanc will transport the squad west which will combine bonding of old and new faces, as well as the rest of their bodies, with match practice. Bonymaen await with open arms and the hottest of welcomes.
We first played them in a Division Two game on Guy Fawkes Day 1994 - and we lost 17-0. There were fireworks in the dressing room, but despite that we were promoted that season which just goes to show. What I know not, but it just goes to show. We won the return 13-3, won a friendly there 36-12 in February 1996 and our last game against them was a Cup tie at EV in February 2000 which we won 59-18.
Bonymaen came near to promotion to the Premiership in 2005/06 after topping Division One but they lost a play-off 19-6 to Maesteg, the lowest placed Premier club to avoid automatic relegation. Bonymaen's chances ended in the third minute of the game when their skipper and hooker was sent off for good, or bad according to the referee. In 2006/07 they won Division One West but failed to meet the WRU's demanding criteria, which made everyone wonder how others did and still do.
From Winch Wen where Bonmaen play to Sixways where Worcester play is a big jump but that's where we'll be on Saturday August 22nd and we'll meet another former Ebbw Vale coach. Mike Ruddock is still, and always will be, regarded highly by genuine rugby folk in Leinster, Swansea and Gwent for he coached magnificently in each.
Those who recall floodlit friendlies at Worcester will be surprised by the difference. Sixways is now a great stadium and it's full for every Guinness Premiership game. It will be a great afternoon and not just a warm-up for the players but also for the supporters who also have to get fit and sharp for the campaign ahead.
We are confident they'll come through it, the supporters I mean, but the jury will be out until after the visit to Worcester when a panel will judge whether they have coped with strange beer in Winch Wen and Worcester on two successive Saturdays. It's a challenge boys and girls, but if you don't like the heat......
REL
The
State of the Union (110709)
South
African rugby charged with misconduct, its Minister of Sport saying of de Villiers,
“The more he talks, the more confused he gets,” and Welsh regions
taking court action against the WRU. What next in rugby’s Blunderland?
Southern hemisphere rugby nations believe they are better than us
northerners so we must copy them and get with it. Henceforth Ebbw
supporters will be issued with armbands on which they can scrawl protests
about referees who penalise us, and our spokesmen (and women) will take
speech lessons to avoid confusion when talking. But the politically
incorrect Brian Moore has the best suggestion, when
England
play
France
they should wear armbands protesting against the Norman Conquest!
The
Lions finished with a bang and their future is now certain, but the short
time in which they were able to prepare the tour has been given as one
reason they lost the series. Had they won the three Tests, and they came
near, nothing would have been said but it made no sense for some of the
Lions to play in the Heineken Cup Final a few days before flying south.
In
the old days when the only misconduct was on tour, players selected for
the Lions were advised not to play for their clubs after Easter but one
Scotsman got around that by playing under an assumed name to help his club
out. No names, no pack drill and I won’t even mention that he was a wing
and played for a club in Monmouthshire.
The
1950 Lions to
Australia
and
New Zealand
included two
Cardiff
centres who did to the Kiwis what Brian O’Driscoll
and Jamie Roberts have just done to the South Africans. Bleddyn
Williams and Jack Matthews were partners for
Cardiff
,
Wales
and the Lions and despite their age met every week in Cardiff Athletic
Club until recently when Dr. Jack’s health prevented him from doing so.
They attended the
Cardiff
v Ebbw Vale match in October last year and some
Ebbw Valians had the privilege of meeting
them.
But, Bleddyn, Prince of Centres, has left us.
He died this month, aged 86 and will be sadly missed. As a Rydal schoolboy
one of his first games for
Cardiff
was against Ebbw Vale. Coming from a famous Taffs
Well family that produced eight brothers who played for
Cardiff
, he saw action with the RAF during the war and after it scored 187 tries
for his club, 41 in one season. When selected for the 1950 Lions he was in
plaster, injury having put him out of the 1950 Five Nations games. He was
too good to leave behind and recovered on the voyage out which lasted five
weeks.
The 1950 tourists were known as the Lions for the first time and another
first was the red jersey which had been changed from blue to avoid
clashing with the New Zealander’s black. It was known as the Friendly
Tour due to the style of play the Lions adopted and their “undoubted
social charm” off the field.
Local
referees were a problem for the Lions in those days although it wasn’t
the done thing to complain. Neutral officials were not introduced until
the 1980 tour to
South Africa
and the 1st Test was refereed by Palmade
of France. No longer could Lions supporters
accuse the ref of bias, just inefficiency. One Lions
coach did defy protocol and publicly said of a local
referee, “He did all he could for his country!”
Bleddyn
Williams needed very little preparation time. In 1945 he flew a glider
over the Rhine under fire on a Friday, and played for
Great Britain
in
Leicester
the next day. Quite a lot was better in those days, not everything, but
quite a lot.
REL
All in all, I'd rather
be in Ebbw Vale (300609)
When the pen
and the computer and the brain runs dry it’s best to get back to basics
and begin an article with a couple of clichés. For example, “it was a
game of two halves,” and “it was action packed.” Sadly there were
two actions too many last Saturday, the first in the second minute and the
second in the last.
In order to avoid bias on Sunday morning I sought the truth via the web,
on which tales are spun, and tuned in to a South African newspaper, and
what better than Die Burger where they don’t ham things up. A reliable
source I thought, but it was in Afrikaans which to me was rather like
reading the Gwynedd Gazette. No help there, and with a title like that one
wouldn’t expect criticism of the citing of Burger anyway.
The immediate reaction of coaches to a game are best ignored but the
Springbok coach hit a new low, even for him, when he said “I didn’t
believe it was a card at all.” A normal rugby type would have re-phrased
that to, “I didn’t believe it was a yellow card at all, it should have
been darkest red.” Giant South African lock Matfield, though, predicted
correctly when he said that Burger would “provide a physical edge.”
The entire blame falls on Burger but an accessory was Bryce Lawrence the
incompetent Kiwi ref of the 1st Test who did an even worse job as
touch-judge in the second. He is the man who recommended a yellow, a
colour associated with lack of courage.
It ended a mixed week for me. It started well with news of even more new
signings to the club, and the magic words “goal-kicker” and
“half-backs” prompted a visit to my friend Jack Daniels. On Wednesday
it got even better, a visit to the CIA to see the musical version of
“War of the Worlds” which was simply terrific. Then came the end of
the week and the end of the game when a draw was thrown away to be
followed by a “War of the Words.”
Can anyone recall an international team having to replace two props and
two centres before? And that blight on the game, passive scrums, rubbed
salt into the wound. There must be alternatives because in this particular
case it had a great effect on the game as the Lions were doing well in the
scrums. That apart it’s such a sissy way to play a man’s game.
Players and referees must learn a lot from watching top games on the box
thus noting the dos and donts. Refereeing is very complex these days but
in disciplinary cases there is one simple rule – make the punishment fit
the crime. And players, when the scores are level in the last minute of
the second game in a series of three, don’t do anything adventurous,
play it safe otherwise it will be an O’Dear situation.
Lions supporters were gutted, sick as parrots and heart broken having run
the gamut of emotions. I don’t know what a gamut is, have never seen a
parrot being sick and would hate to be gutted, but I do know that the
genuine spirit of the Great Game is still alive up here in the northern
hemisphere, as exemplified by the thousands of red clad supporters in
South Africa. How many thousands of South African supporters will be in
Europe this autumn I wonder?
As for going to the high veldt on the whole I’d rather climb the Domen.
REL
Glimpses of the greats (220609)
Since regions took over the role
of finishing schools from clubs, we don’t see the big names on our ground,
although we see plenty of lads who will become famous in time. It was the same
before the Second World War because it was not until it was over that Ebbw Vale
attained first-class status.
In the 30s we relied on newsreels to get a sight of the great sportsmen and if
each of the four cinemas in town were full it was back to cigarette cards. But
by good luck I actually saw, in the flesh and breathing the same air, the
greatest.Welsh scrum-half and the world’s greatest batsman. There was a snag
though, the scrum-half didn’t play but ran the line, and the batsman didn’t
bat because his side was fielding.
The cricketer was Don Bradman who always got a double century in the opening
tour match at Worcester, it was just my bad luck that the Aussies were fielding
when I was there. Nevertheless, I saw the great Don, floppy cap and all.
The scrum-half was Hadyn Tanner who died recently aged 92. His contemporary
Bleddyn Williams, whose first game for Cardiff was against Ebbw Vale, reckons he
was the best ever Welsh scrum-half, even better than Gareth Edwards.
Tanner and his cousin Willie Davies were 6th formers at Gowerton Grammar School
when they were selected by Swansea to play the 1935 All-Blacks, a remarkable
thing even for those days when Grammar Schools turned out hundreds of top class
rugby players. But more was to come, a few weeks later Tanner played for Wales
against the tourists, and three years later went to South Africa with the Lions.
Swansea and Wales both won and Tanner made the scrum-half berth his own. Having
won 13 caps before the war he got another 12 as a Cardiff player after it. In
between he played for the Army and all sorts of star-studded war-time teams. His
links with things Welsh continued when he was attached to the Training Battalion
Welsh Guards at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey. There are still men today who
remember him playing in the green and white of the Regiment, Tudor colours by
the way.
In the late 30s Ebbw had a home fixture with Swansea University where Tanner was
studying. The word got around the town and a bigger than usual crowd turned out,
but Tanner was injured and ran the line. Me and a lot of other kids ran it with
him, we had seen him and breathed the same air.
I reckon that the last big, BIG, name player who played against us for his club
was Percy Montgomery and he is now involved with the Springboks, perhaps doing
for them what Neil Jenkins does for Wales.
He was a modern era giant, the most capped South African (102), most points in
Tests (893), most conversions in Tests (153) and most penalty goals in Tests
(148). He was simply “the most” and it was a privilege to watch him even if
he beat us on his own many times.
Another modern great is Jamie Roberts who played for Cardiff against us in the
Premiership. He won’t kick goals but he’s already a candidate for the Welsh
Rugby Hall of Fame. Let’s hope he and Brian O’Driscoll play behind a
stronger pack next Saturday.
REL
Youth will have its fling
(150609)
But only if there are a few old
hands to guide them. The club’s recruiting has continued and the squad is
coming along nicely with the emphasis on youth, which means inexperience of
course. The right balance is what matters but we have the hard core from the
school of hard knocks in place too.
Most readers watched the Lions beat Western Province on enormous screens or in
homes where there are also screens the old Plaza would have been happy with.
Three Ebbw supporters didn’t, they were semi-stranded on Reading Station
cursing the PA bloke who with malicious feeling announced an hour delay.
When in doubt find a pub, and we found one outside the railway station and lo
and behold it was showing the match. After careful selection of the local
whoosh, we saw the final quarter and were the only ones there who just knew
James Hook would kick that goal.
Shouts of relief and joy hit a ceiling festooned with more rugby jerseys than
the Adidas factory. The chalk board, I think that’s the politically correct
description, gave fixtures of London Irish and Reading AFC who share the
Madejski Stadium nearby. It was a sporty club and I recommend it next time you
are stuck on Reading Stadium.
While the Lions were keeping the hunters at bay there were two shock results
elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. The Pumas beat England which increased the
frown on Martin Johnson’s face and France won in New Zealand which prompted
the home coach, Graham Henry, to declare the match a learning experience for his
young players.
Funny how defeated coaches always seem to have a team full of kids, and we
remember King Henry’s well worn cliché – we are on a learning curve. I
suppose Ebbw’s coaches could say the same because training will shortly start
for a squad full of newcomers many of them very young.
However, young players make rapid progress these days and it will be a treat to
watch our lads in action. There’s a lot going on at EXP at the moment but next
Saturday I am torn between walking a few feet to the TV or going to that pub in
Reading where I have yet to see the Lions lose.
Rugby is flourishing in England, don’t ever underestimate them, and if we
think our club scene is the cat’s whiskers take a look at Farnham RFC, in the
heart of swanky Surrey. They have teams of all ages and both sexes, and recently
took more than 530 children and their parents from their mini-rugby section on a
tour to South Wales.
When a Welsh club can do that we can call ourselves a genuine rugby nation.
REL
Recruiters spring into action
(100609)
Big money is seriously affecting
big sport, even cricket, the noblest game of all. Twenty-Twenty is replacing the
traditional. Players clad in bizarre track suits, that look like pyjamas, ignore
pelting rain because the (TV) show must go on, and sponsors and broadcasters
laugh all the way to whatever bank is left.
While Ebbw Vale and rugby clubs like them recruit for the next season on tight
budgets, the RFU pay Old Trafford to stage a rugby international of no
consequence, and the ground’s owners offer one of their players to Real Madrid
for £75 million.
We see, via TV, half empty grounds for Lions matches in South Africa. In show
business if the audiences don’t turn up, the show closes or the performers
take a drop in earnings. That won’t happen in South Africa where one report
says the Lions will get £45,000 each if they win the series.
But back home the Premier League clubs are recruiting and hopefully some of the
promising youngsters will one day follow Hook, Halfpenny and Roberts into future
Welsh and Lions teams. The trio began their senior careers in the Premiership
which should be noted by those who never give us a glance.
The genuine supporters of Ebbw Vale are more than pleased to read of the
signings of previous players and some new ones. More is to come and we
appreciate the work done on our behalf by those at the helm. But what can we do
to help?
Firstly the regular buyers of membership tickets should get them as soon as they
are on the market. Cash flow is important and the club needs every cent.
Secondly we should try to get sponsors of matches and new members. It’s worth
thinking about because every little helps.
Last Saturday four international matches were televised which brought sport
induced indigestion to viewers confined to their homes because it was tamping
down outside and cricket was washed out. With respect to all concerned only one
of the four was internationally important, no-one can claim that of Australia v
the Barbarians, England v Argentina and even the United States v Wales.
There was a benefit to Wales in North America; several youngsters experienced a
tour and looked very promising. They enjoyed the experience and no doubt so did
the many Welsh media who went on the trip. Why so many? Perhaps it was their
annual outing.
REL
Watch this space (310509)
There are bird watchers, whale
watchers and time watchers.But none as keen as WRU watchers, especially in the
summer when all sorts of changes are regularly made by those at the Kremlin in
Westgate Street.
This year we have a new competition involving three Irish and two Scottish
regional 2nd XVs, the entire English Division One clubs (all twelve of them),
and the six Welsh Premier clubs who finished in the top six of the 2008/09
Premier League. All that was needed was the inclusion of the Angolan and
Mongolian champions and the UN would have sponsored it.
Our hawk-eyed watchers have noted that in our region, which has five clubs
compared to three in each of the others, Newport will be “supported.” Cynics
view this with suspicion but nothing could be simpler, they are the region’s
only representatives.
We assume that everyone in Welsh rugby believes in fair play, so let us presume
that if more than one Gwent side had finished in the top six – or may do so
next season – that they would also be “supported.” It would clear the air,
which is always polluted in the close season, if someone at the regional HQ
would say so. That would dispel innate concerns of another Gang of Six coup a la
2001.
Providing this competition does not disadvantage clubs other than those playing
in it this season, we’ll have no complaints because, who knows, this might be
an idea that really works. But there’s another niggling question that needs
answering, the top six will play in the new competition when autumn and Six
Nations internationals take place, but what about the rest of us? Fixture
secretaries of yore have the simple answer, arrange games between the six not
involved.
Simple questions all, and no doubt those “Up There” will regard them as
petty. They are not and straight answers will be welcome,so keep fingers crossed
and watch this space.
Meanwhile back at the ranch we say farewell to the Lewis twins. James is joining
Coventry and Robert is off to London Welsh. They will play against newly
promoted Birmingham/Solihull and meet Simon Hunt again. He scored 34 tries for
the Bees last season and, like the Lewis boys, has experience of the IRB Sevens
competition which is going strong worldwide. If the WRU has to decide between
funding the Sevens or a Wales A team, the latter would get my vote.
Our exporting of players and coaches continues and now we can boast a
commentator as well. Kingsley Jones, never at a loss of words, has endured a
tough trip to North America where his pungent comments have livened things up.
I wonder if, one day,Kingsley will be the second Steelman to coach Wales.
REL
Better than the Oscars (160509)
There was no red carpet, no
flimsy frocks, no TV cameras and tiresome interviewers at the Awards Night in
our clubhouse last week, but there were VIPs a-plenty because it was the
Supporter’s Club Annual Bash and there’s nothing in the social calendar more
important than that. LA might stage the Oscars, but EV does it better.
They say no-one is indispensable, but our supporters are because without them
the club would be no club at all. This is not an exaggeration, imagine Ebbw Vale
RFC without them on the tanner bank and games played in a deafening silence.
Think too of the work they do producing the best match programme in Wales,
selling replica kit and providing considerable finance to the club.
How appropriate then was the decision of the electorate to vote Iain Swanson,
alias Milo, as Clubman of the Year. He is the third non-player to win this
particularly important award and thoroughly deserves it. He has nobly suggested
that in future the trophy should be known as the Ivor Evans Clubman of the Year
award in memory of one of our oldest and most loyal supporters who died
recently. What a nice thought.
The first Player of the Year, in 1963, was prop Gordon Main, and there have been
four who won it more than once, Phil Gardner (4), Glyn Turner (3), Malcolm
Sibthorpe (3) and David Fryer (2).The 2009 winner was No. 8 Rhys Williams, a
mighty force and a menace to the opposition when near their line. Rhys made his
presence felt in every game and his greatest moment came in December at
Pontypool when his brilliant solo try made sure of victory. The four points won
that day came in very handy at the end of the season.
The first Most Promising Player was Glyn Turner in 1966 and the following year
he was Player of the Year. Ben Watkins who finished his career last month in
Cross Keys colours was Ebbw Vale’s Most Promising Player in 1996 the same year
that Byron Hayward was Best Player.
The Player and Most Promising award winners used to be chosen by three club
members appointed by the Committee pre-season and their reward was an invitation
to the Annual Dinner.The Clubman of the Year was decided by the coach and the
first winner was prop Colin Williams in 1980. The first two non-playing winners
were baggage-man Glyn Tarr (1982) and Match Secretary Paul Moseley (1992).
The end of season party produced the highest jinks imaginable, but a full report
is not available because no-one present can remember much about it. Plans are
already afoot for season 2009/10 and although Milo, like all of us, would have
preferred finishing the last campaign in the top six, thereby qualifying for the
new cross border competition, he has been relieved of the unenviable task of
booking buses to foreign parts, like Yorkshire and darkest Surrey.
Pity about missing Cornwall though.
REL
Regions must be reasonable
(080509)
There are some things you can
believe when reading newspapers. Not matters of opinion but hard facts, like
Bridgend getting eight Ospreys to play for them in their crucial game at Cross
Keys recently and six for their even more important final game of the season
home to Aberavon. Unbelievable? Read on.
Add the services of former Lion Dafydd James and you get a lot of reinforcements
to stave off the dreaded drop. It was ironic that it was another club in the
Osprey region that sealed the Ravens fate, but the affair has at last
highlighted the problem of some clubs, not all, benefiting more than others from
regional aid. It was the number of “guests” in the Bridgend teams that was
important, support on that scale is over the top and unfair to other clubs also
battling for survival.
Pontypool coach Gareth Lintern commented after his club’s win at Cardiff,
“The Premiership is not at the moment a true playing field when some clubs can
call on so many regional players to help them out.” A mockery has been made of
a feeble system which has to be re-jigged so that the field we all play on
really is level.
Reasonable regional help can be justified if a club has an injury crisis and
Academy players need the experience, but what happened recently was
unreasonable, some say immoral, because reinforcements were clearly provided to
avoid relegation and if it had succeeded another club would have suffered. This
issue will not be allowed to go away by some clubs who are already pushing for
changes that are long overdue.
It’s good that five Gwent clubs are in the Premiership but not that four of
them ended in the bottom six of the table. The Dragons region has to cater, and
care, for more Premier clubs than the others who only have three each and
furthermore we are told that we operate in the least prosperous of the four. It
is a sad fact that while the original plan was for all regions being equal, some
are more equal than others, an Orwellian scenario not easily solved.
Finally some really good news. Byron Hayward has been appointed to the coaching
staff at Sale, the latest former Steelman to make it to the top in coaching.
Byron, who recently ran in the London Marathon, has our very best wishes. He’s
going to a great club and if he can make it there, he’ll make it anywhere.
REL
That was a week that was
(040509)
It had everything, but the most
important result for Ebbw Vale came through at 9pm on Wednesday. Swansea beat
Pontypool which meant that we avoided the dreaded relegation. The sighs of
relief registered on the Richter Scale, but it was too close for comfort and we
don’t want to go through that again.
The week-end that followed brought high drama, great rugby and some shock
results. Locally Pooler’s bonus point win at the Arms Park against the newly
crowned kings of the Premiership, was a stunner. At a higher level Heineken Cup
holders Munster lost to Leinster and on Sunday we saw the first ever rugby
penalty shoot out which ended in victory for the English team in red, white and
green. Overall they deserved it, but the finale wasn’t really rugby was it?
Hidden away in the headlines of a memorable couple of days was a great
performance by the Welsh team in red, white and green at Port Talbot. Scoring
four tries there is a rarity and all reports say that we could have scored four
more. It shows what might have been, but it is great encouragement as we plan
the next campaign.
The disgraceful selection of top flight regional players in struggling
Premiership teams will be discussed next week. These notes have highlighted the
problem for a long time, now something just has to be done about it.
In the meanwhile we should reflect on how important the April wins at Neath and
home to Swansea were and be thankful for small mercies.
REL
Luck was not our lady (260409)
The steel returned, the support
numerically and vocally was its best, the team played well, but the result was
not what Ebbw Vale deserved. The game turned on the loss of our place-kicker
Aaron Bramwell who was injured at a crucial point of a very good game, and a
misjudged pass intercepted by the alert Wanderers who were under pressure for
much of the second half.
A conversion was missed in the dying stages of an absorbing contest which made
up with excitement what it lacked in skill. It was as close as the score
suggests but the Ebbw Vale supporters who outnumbered the home crowd by at least
five to one, lined up to clap their team off the field to show their
appreciation of a gutsy effort. Sadly it was another game that got away.
Luck was not our Lady at Ely where there are no hills, if there were they would
have been alive with the sound of “Ebbw, Ebbw” which was heard non-stop.
Injuries have hit Ebbw Vale hard in the latter stages of the season and there
have been frequent changes in the lineups with players on permit and, last
Saturday, on loan from the region. But the way the team got down to business at
Ely was quite outstanding, especially when they recovered from the interception
try and lifted, not dropped, their heads.
One more river to cross then at Port Talbot and a good result will end the
season on an equally good note. Wizards can be tricky customers but are not
unbeatable and one thing is guaranteed, the support will be there again. In
force.
REL
The last home game must not be
the last straw (240409)
The 2008/09 season will be
remembered for the wrong reasons. Once upon a time, not long ago, a defeat at
home was a rarity, but no longer. We have only won four times at home this
season and one of those was against Ynysybwl in the Cup. Tuesday’s game was
another enormous disappointment and that doesn’t take anything away from Cross
Keys who thoroughly deserved victory. They seemed to want to win, we seemed to
be going through the motions. Supporters assume that their team ALWAYS wants to
win, but after allowing for inept officials it was a poor result.
Will we get another win this season? We can, even though in recent years we
haven’t done well at Glamorgan Wanderers. It all depends on the players who
left the field after losing to Keys with the chants of ‘Ebbw, Ebbw’ still
ringing in their ears. That’s all the fans can do but it surely isn’t all
the players can do. It’s only a few weeks since we won at Neath so the problem
is not terminal.
That’s enough for now, but a word of warning. Forget all about other teams and
how they play, it’s how we play that matters. The team will be backed as usual
at Ely and with the season drifting to a conclusion it might seem to some
participants that the sooner it does the batter. Not so, there are points and
above all pride to play for.
REL
A most important result (160409)
That is an understatement. We
badly needed a win and we got one. More control and the 18-5 victory over
Swansea would have been greater. Leading 15-0 the local pundits forecast a five
pointer, but the four the lads earned – and worked very hard for – was very
nice thank you. Never in the field of rugby conflict has so much been welcomed
by so few for sadly there were not many there to watch it.
For those with red, white and green blood, it was the most important match of
the season so where was everybody? Maybe they’ll be back in their places for
next Tuesday’s game against Cross Keys because the club needs them.
It was all due to the persistence and faith of the coaches and the players and
with 42 points in the bag and a group of other clubs scrambling for survival
below us we can feel satisfied. It’s not over yet of course, surprises could
occur, but normal service was resumed against a side that had previously beaten
League leaders Llanelli.
With no game on Saturday and Cross Keys on the following Tuesday, the season is
clearly coming to an end. It has not been a good one but there are reasons for
that. The win over Swansea was only our fourth home success of the season, and
only our third League win at home. Like a school report we can do better but
sufficient unto the day is the pleasure thereof, and those at EXP on Tuesday
night went home with smiles on their hitherto worried faces.
They saw some first class individual performances and a real team effort which
brought out the true Ebbw Vale at last. There are three games to go and more
points are required. An opera they say is not over until the fat lady sings, in
rugby it’s when the fat prop collapses, so this season is not over yet. A
grand finale is on the cards, we take every game seriously and with Cross Keys
at home, Glamorgan Wanderers and Aberavon away we have still have a lot to play
for.
REL
A tale of the unexpected
(120409)
One thing is certain, Pooler
deserved to win at EXP on Saturday. They were stronger up front and had an
accurate goal-kicker who took full advantage of his opportunities. They did to
Ebbw Vale what we did to Neath a week before. Did we under-estimate Pontypool as
Neath under-estimated us? Hopefully not because surely everyone anticipated a
huge effort from a side that had beaten Newport and Cross Keys in one week.
Every point to them was vital, now every point we now salvage will be.
It’s easy to blame the officials – and we must include the linesmen – but
even if the refereeing had been of a decent standard it’s likely that
Pontypool would have won.
This is a short report because we play Swansea at home on Tuesday which calls
for a second review on Wednesday, at which time it is hoped the injury problem
arising from the game against Pontypool will be sorted out.
Even a side doing well cannot afford to lose two scrum-halves in one match, so
fingers will be crossed for the next two home games from which we simply must
get some points.
Credit then to Pontypool, but none to the officials who didn’t contribute
positively. The Ebbw pack did well enough in the second half and it is on that
– plus place kicking - that will get us back in the safety zone.
Pontypool scored three tries to our two. We got two points from kicks and Pooler
got nineteen. That was not the only difference but games are not won without a
goal-kicker.
This season has a nasty sting to its tail, but our destiny is in our hands with
two home games to come. It’s as simple, and as difficult as that.
REL
A double pleasure (060409)
As I said to my friend Jack
Daniels when we shared a celebratory nip on Saturday night, make it a double
because it’s not every season Ebbw get one over Neath. With shaking hands and
tears of joy threatening to engulf Tennessee’s finest, we toasted coaches,
players, the back-up crew and the supporters who thrust Sardis Road behind them,
travelled west and were suitably rewarded. It was a 5th away win in the League,
now it’s time we started winning at home.
The four points were priceless but there was double pleasure over the
performance and spirited response by the team at the end of what one might
politely call an unusual week. Furrowed brows disappeared as the real Steelmen
emerged after six defeats in a row. The club always comes first and it did at
the Gnoll after the first double over Neath in ten years, 25-22 and 23-20 in
1998/99.
It came at exactly the right moment for while we were winning at the Gnoll, next
Saturday’s opponents Pontypool were finishing an amazing come-back week of
their own by adding the scalp of Cross Keys to hang in their tepee with one of
Newport. It set up an end of the season Western v Eastern Valley Derby that
cannot be missed, forget the Heineken Cup games you can watch recordings later,
be at EXP on Saturday.
Keeping faith is par for the course for the real followers of the Steelmen and
behind the scenes a group of doers not talkers are making great strides to
bolster our finances for next season.
Finance once meant meagre travel expenses (after all Alan Morgan was
Treasurer!), buying oranges for half-time and a barrel of beer for both sides
after a plate of pie and chips. That was in less worrying days when supporters
had jobs and season tickets were paid for via weekly pay packets. All in the
past, never to return.
Income now comes mainly from sponsorship, ground advertising and of course
season ticket sales. The first and second of those requirements are well in
hand, positive responses have been confirmed and while a lot more will be done
the signs are encouraging. Expenditure in a professional age has grown and grown
as the crowds have dropped and dropped, balancing it all is very difficult but
it can and will be done.
One door closes, another opens. Players come and go, they always have and while
in the past we regretted losing players to other clubs, other clubs lost them to
us. One who was a Neath player was chosen by the Welsh All-Blacks as Man of the
Match last Saturday. Simon Pengelly was everywhere in a team that rose to the
occasion and to whom we give grateful thanks. It was well worth the headaches
the morning after.
REL
Welcome to the club (290309)
Two new coaches have helped out
Ebbw Vale this season. Lyn Jones came at a time when we beat Cardiff at the Arms
Park and his old club Neath at home. Christian Loader’s first game was at
Sardis Road where we conceded fifty points for the first time since April 2005.
Welcome to the club Christian! Ponty coach Dale McIntosh praised the spirit of
Ebbw in the first half and warned his team to do better in the second but as our
coach Matthew McCarthy said, “In the second half we were totally outplayed.”
A sad, sad tale of two halves and one not appreciated by the travelling support.
They deserved better than that.
Perhaps if you have a mountain to climb it’s best to start at the very bottom,
and last Saturday was a modern version of throwing a Christian to the lions but
our man knows all about the deep end because he was thrown in it on his Welsh
debut. Being selected for Wales must be great, being selected for a Welsh team
to play one of the southern hemisphere nations means a player is special, and
there can be no tougher debut than against the Springboks, especially on the
high veldt.
Christian won the first of his 19 caps in Jo’Burg in September 1995 when the
Springboks won 40-11. It was a match only enjoyed by those raised on television
violence. The last time the sides had met, in Cardiff, Wales ruled the lineout
so obviously our giant lock Derwyn Jones would be well marked. And marked he
was, literally, when he was “viciously punched from behind by a sneak blow”
aimed by Kobius Wese who was suspended for thirty days and fined £9000. A
caddish act by a man big in stature but not in character..
Back to the present, there are three “must win" games coming up, all at
home. Pontypool will sense they have a chance to get revenge for our win at The
Park in December, Cross Keys lost by one point last Saturday to Neath in the Cup
scoring five tries to four in an astounding comeback which required great
character and determination, and Swansea will go for an EXP double. If a “must
win” game is lost the next one really must be won and we have three that must
produce points.
Neath are always formidable home or away but we beat them 29-10 at home last
October and on our last visit to the Gnoll 24-17. In the last five games against
the Welsh All-Blacks, Neath won two, drew two and lost one, not bad at all, but
in the mood we are in Saturday will be a tough one and will call for a major
effort which simply has to be made. Plans for next season look very promising,
but this one isn’t over yet and on the players rest the hopes of the
supporters, loyal to the end, but longing for the old Ebbw to emerge.
Finally some philosophy from a Chinese rugby pundit. Confucius he say –
“Cannot defend team which not defend.”
REL
Turning Up (230309)
Once upon a time a win at Sardis
Road was as rare as seeing a Tardis in Bethcar Street but last season we got
the double over Pontypridd and have another opportunity to get another on
Saturday - and we WILL "turn up ." That has taken a new meaning
of late with teams performing on the day, and before a French game
pundits always ask, "Which French side will turn up?" The real one
didn't at Twickenham this season but it did in Rome.
The Six Nations has done for music
what the Boston Strangler did for door-to-door salesmen. Welsh crowds of today
never sang in chapel so self-styled celebrities are hired to lead the singing.
Then there's the anthems, some traditional, others forgettable. After the
Welsh the French is the best and ideal for licensed violence which follows.
The Gallic calls of "Aux
arms, citoyens!" and "Marchons, Marchons" roughly translated
mean fix bayonets and get stuck into them Jacque. The All-Blacks haka is mild
in comparison, the French national anthem is really bloodthirsty. How about
this for a final flourish - "Grab your weapons, citizens! Form your
battalions! Let us march! May impure blood water our fields!" But
the French are pussy-cats really, tell them they were unlucky at Waterloo, buy
them a Pernod and its mon ami for the rest of the night.
The Italian anthem is Grand Opera
and sung with gusto very loudly. It might be ungracious to describe the Scots
overture as a dirge that didn't make the charts but it has as much oomph as
junior aspirin. To be fair to Scotland they always turn up, they don't do much
when they do, but they always turn up. In 1990 they sang Flower of Scotland
for the first time and beat England at Murrayfield. But it was a flash in the
pan, the flower wilted as the results of the last twenty Calcutta Cup games
show, Scotland lost 4 England won 16.
The end of a patchy 6 Nations left
the Springboks rubbing their gnarled hands with glee, but Wales and Ireland
provided the climax with the biggest showdown since the OK Corral. Well done
the Micks, but where does a former Welsh international centre hide his head
after predicting Ireland was in the last chance saloon and would choke?
I was equally unimpressed with the
word games in the week before the game, it made for copy in the so-called
"news" papers but I would have been most unhappy had played Wales
played in Dublin and the home coach had said his players disliked the Welsh.
No more of that nonsense please, it has no place in rugby.
March was always a busy month for
clubs, it was not unsual to play half a dozen games and thirty years ago Ebbw
Vale played nine! In 2006/07 and 2007/08 four League fixtures were planned for
March, but this season only one. The sublime to the ridiculous. Since we
played in the top division in 1995/96, of the 29 games against Pontypridd we
won 12 and lost 17, but only two of the victories were at Sardis Road. In the
last five games against Ponty we won three at home and one away, the latter
during a purple patch which began on 22nd September 2007 and ended on 10th
November with seven consecutive wins.
Last week top regional players
played in Premier sides which can be unfair. Key Blues lock Paul Tito and two
others were in the Glamorgan Wanderers team that won at Pontypool. The
influence of such quality players in a Premier pro-am team is clear, and in
Pooler's case very serious because they are fighting relegation. We too
suffered a couple of seasons ago when Andy Powell was the deciding factor in a
Cardiff win.
The WRU must realise that while
our Division develops players and regional stars need game time after injury,
there's also relegation and selecting them for Premier clubs is an unfair
advantage. They should look into this anomaly, but don't hold your breath
folks.
REL
Seeing Red (150309)
No more “Llans” to face until
next season, and only one more team in red to worry about. Can Wales beat
Ireland? Will it be the end of civilisation as we know it if they don’t? Wait
and see, and watch the biggest game of the Six Nations in the comfort of the
clubhouse and while you’re at it book a seat for the World Cup in two years
time.
The results of our last two games were the same but the attitude was totally
different at Parc de Scarlets after the no-show against Llandovery. Very
depleted but very determined is the report from Ebbw Valians who travelled west
and paid £3 to park, £10 to get in and £3 a pint.
The season is running down but when it ends there’s plenty to look forward to.
On May 2nd the Past Players hold their annual dinner, on the 9th the
Supporter’s Club annual bash will once again be “the best ever,” and the
Vice President’s Dinner is planned for June. The season never ends for the
clubhouse and believe it or not Christmas functions have already been booked.
David Langdon, Aaron Coundley, James Thomas and Rhys Jenkins did us proud for
Wales Under 20s in Italy last Friday and will soon end their Six Nations
campaign following which we hope to welcome them home.
The value to Wales of age-group games is clear, of the players in the Wales
Under 21s v France game, played at Ebbw Vale in February 2002, six Welsh and
five French had full caps, among them half-backs Nicky Robinson, Gavin Henson
and Michael Phillips, centre Hal Luscombe, and forwards Paul James and Adam
Jones. .
Rhys Williams played in that game and the match programme informed us he was
born on 17 May 1981, was 6’2” and weighed 16 stone. He had gone to Blackwood
Comprehensive and Cross Keys College and played for Cross Keys Youth and 1st XV,
Welsh Schools Under 16s and 18s, the Welsh FIRA Under 19s and Sevens. A real Man
of Gwent.
A week after the Six Nations Championship ends, Ebbw Vale play at Pontypridd in
a fixture postponed in January. We hope the injured and the unavailable will be
back because League points are needed. The end of a season can produce some
surprise results, there are no certainties, and where we finish in the Premier
Division really matters.
REL
Good day for the Drovers, bad
day for Ebbw (090309)
Last week we were full of hope
after almost beating Cardiff, this week we feel hopelessly disappointed after a
performance arguably one of the poorest for years. Take nothing from Llandovery
who eased their relegation worries with an emphatic win away from home. They
dominated the first half, something we have failed to do all season. Once again
we opened doors and let the opposition in.
What a difference a week made! Llandovery had lost to bottom club Pontypool –
at Llandovery. Ebbw Vale were minutes away from pipping Cardiff, then came a Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde act. The Drovers followed a poor performance with a very good
one and Ebbw followed a good one with a bad ‘un. There were very few changes
in the side that played Cardiff which only adds to the mystery and please
don’t say it’s a funny old game. We are not amused.
The fortifications of Fortress Ebbw lie temporarily broken and we still
haven’t won a League game there since October 25th when we beat Neath. We
expected more as Milo wrote in his editorial in the programme – “The heads
were in the right place last week (against Cardiff) and hopefully they will be
today.” It didn’t take long for those hopes to be dashed.
We have eight matches left, there are points to be won and we must get some.
Five of those are away, all tough ones at the best of times and we are not
enjoying the best of times. It’s not the time to preach, we are all amateur
selectors, referees and coaches in Wales, all we ask is for the spirit and
endeavour shown against Cardiff to return.
Easier said than done of course, but with some absent players returning to the
fray we can do it. The real supporters will always be there, whether it’s at
Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, the Wanderers or Aberavon. And we’ll be there
when Pooler, Keys and Swansea come to EXP. We shout FOR the Steelmen, not at
them.
Cardiff was a good day at the office, Llandovery was a really bad one. That’s
not show business, it’s rugby in the Welsh Premier Division where there’s a
surprise every week. Personally I could do without surprises like that.
REL
So near, yet so far (010309)
Let’s be honest, we didn’t
expect to beat Cardiff. All we hoped for was a “performance” which we got in
abundance. And with minutes left it looked as if we would record a season’s
double over one of the richest clubs in the Premiership. Rich in resources,
finance and playing strength. Cardiff are Bank of Wales, we are Bank of Cwm.
It was a stirring performance and although disappointed at least we came away
with a point against a side that won seven times on the trot. They included some
very experienced players, including Welsh caps, as well as two former Steelmen,
Ian George and Kristian Gay who showed where his heart is when he bought an Ebbw
Vale replica shirt!
There were yellow cards of course, for a while I thought I was watching England,
but the boys battled hard and can face Llandovery with great confidence, again
at home, on Saturday. It was also a special day for skipper Kristian Owen who
played his 150th game for the Steelmen, a rare feat these days. Well done thou
good and faithful servant.
The Drovers, have caused some upsets since our first fixture with them in 1992.
Under-estimating them can be fatal and they are never more dangerous than when
fighting to stay in the Premiership.
Three days after playing Llandovery we go to Llanelli, the other club in the
Scarlet’s region while we are one of five in the Dragons' domain. Llanelli
will expect to win but it could be another tale of the unexpected.
While supping Ovaltine – it was bedtime - watching the Late, Late Show from
Paris on Friday the opinion of those also staying up late was that Wales would
win narrowly. It didn’t take long to realise that France were in the mood,
their team really did turn up, but there was no whingeing from the Welsh camp,
unlike another lot who shall remain nameless.
A week-end of contrast then. Plenty to talk about, and in our case plenty to be
content with. It’s always the next game that matters, what’s gone is gone,
so all thoughts will be on Llandovery. It’s the sort of fixture I always get
nervous over, games that we are expect to win can go pear-shaped.
This season’s fixtures with Cardiff brought us a win at the Arms Park and
Cardiff a win at Ebbw Vale. We scored 39 points, they scored 40, that’s how
close it was. Form in the Premier Division is not to be trusted, Llandovery lost
at home to Pontypool and Cross Keys won at Llanelli on Saturday, but the
performance against Cardiff must mean something.
REL
Time to pull up the drawbridge
(230209)
What has happened to Fortress
Ebbw? Is it now confined to history, a bit of nostalgia never to return? Why are
visiting teams allowed to take our ground over? Ynysybwl excepted we have only
beaten Pontypridd and Neath at home this season while winning four away. If
Littlewoods had rugby pools a match at Ebbw Vale would no longer be a home
banker so it’s time to repel boarders and pull up the drawbridge.
On a sunny day with our ground looking a treat we gave the visitors the usual
good start and although the second half was much better, thanks to the pack, we
failed again. It was a rare away win for Swansea who were lucky to draw with us
at St. Helen’s last November.
Several players gave their all and we will depend on them to repeat their effort
supported by others less involved last Saturday, in our next two fixtures.
“Listlessness is verboten” must be the order from those in charge.
Cardiff at home is a much tougher assignment than Swansea at the best of times
and we expect to face a strong side including former Ebbw players and recent
Welsh internationals. Heart and soul comes into the mix now and to paraphrase a
famous one-eyed admiral, Ebbw expects every man to do his duty.
There was a lack of team-work against Swansea, a quality Will Greenwood referred
to when discussing the plight of Bristol, seemingly doomed to relegation –
“They are a brave bunch of individuals, but individuals don’t win
matches.” While there are always individuals who rise above everyone else and
against Swansea, No. 8 Rhys Williams and centre Shaun Powell were just two, team
work matters more and at this stage of the season should be taken for granted.
Some say the Cup is irrelevant compared to the League but Saturday provided an
opportunity to get back to form, and against a side with only four League wins,
none of them away.
Come Sunday the clouds had not rolled away, but there was sunshine at Christ’s
College Brecon for the annual Public Schools Sevens. I went to a Public School,
Victoria Elementary, where any member of the public could send their kids to,
but we didn’t play rugby like Millfield and the pick of the UK schoolboys. In
fact soccer was the game in all Ebbw’s elementary schools which for most of us
meant kicking a tin around the schoolyard.
The icing on the cake was meeting Des Parry and Robert Stephens, two great Ebbw
Valians of the 1980s. Robert’s son was in the Christ’s College seven and one
of Mike Ruddock’s sons played for Millfield. Noel Thomas, geography master at
Christ’s played for Ebbw Vale and there were others in Brecon connected with
us. Breconshire was, and still is, in our catchment area which provided us with
great players, all of them talented but above totally committed to the club.
According to Des and Robert there is a lot of talent still there, and perhaps
it’s time we trawled that part of the world, and find youngsters who want to
play for us and who will give 100% which is all we expect from a young man. May
I suggest we re-cast our net in that pool?
There was another disappointment last Saturday, too many familiar faces were
missing from the stand and the terrace. I refuse to believe people stayed away
because it was “all pay” and there were extenuating circumstances. It was
the end of a half-term week and some loyalists had gone away, but we must,
simply must, get everybody there on Saturday.
REL
A Lovely St. Valentine's Day
(150209)
The clubhouse was packed last
Saturday. There was a wedding reception in the function room, and a mass of
humanity clad in red everywhere else. Outside the pitch was covered in white,
not that those living in Wales’s tropical western extremities will believe
that. Problems caused by the weather remained, there were footpaths and side
roads still icy and especially dangerous late at night. Especially dangerous
after celebrating another Welsh win.
We expected a war of attrition, trench warfare maybe, but it turned out to be
exciting to the end. Defence is now a major aspect of the modern game and the
Welsh defence in the last stages was something to behold. There were two very
good English tries but the unbiased in the clubhouse all agreed that Wales
deserved to win. Mind you, they would have said that if we had lost.
We have support outside our area and one Welshman who lives just over the border
in Herefordshire turned up at the clubhouse because he said, “I want to watch
the match with my own people.” He watches Ebbw regularly and will back on
Saturday.
Pre and post-match comments were predictable, but the best of the day came from
Marc Lievremont the French coach who was most unhappy at his team’s below par
win over Scotland. “I was expecting to have a good victory and spend a nice
Valentine’s Day evening with my wife, but it looks like I will have to spend
tonight looking at the match video.” So much for romantic Paris!
On Friday night Swansea beat Llandovery at St. Helen’s 22-21, three tries
each. The All-Whites are three points behind us in the table and Llandovery are
bottom but one and fighting relegation. Swansea have ten bonus points to our
three so we can expect fireworks on Saturday when they play at EXP in the 6th
round of the Cup.
It will be the 10th time we will play Swansea in the Cup and we only have one
victory to show for it. Saturday is an important game for many reasons,
obviously a quarter-final place will be very welcome, but we also need to get
our lads playing again and showing the form of last autumn. In September and
October we played eight matches, won five, drew one and lost two. On November
1st it looked as if we were going to win at St. Helen’s but we drew 20-20.
There’s always a good game with Swansea and a pleasant evening afterwards. But
I’m a bit worried over Mr and Mrs Lievremont. I know we all take rugby
seriously but watching a video of a game on the evening of Valentine’s Day in
Paris is a bit much.
Sacre bleu Marc, get your priorities right.
REL
Jocks strapped (100209)
In days of old when we were bold
and ventured to Edinburgh by overnight train via Beaufort the Five Nations
fixtures were always England in January, Scotland in February and Ireland and
France, in that order, in March. A breakfast in Binns of haggis and chips, a
quick swill and it was into Princes Street full of red clad hordes, and behind
it Rose Street where there were more pubs than in old Briery Hill.
A good win means a good night and those who braved the hellish elements and got
to Edinburgh LAST week-end must have had one, despite the disapproval of the
kirk who regard sport on the Sabbath as Flodden Field re-visited. The Irish also
celebrated the night before after one of the greatest Six Nation games ever,
unlike England-Italy which was one of the poorest.
Purists might be disappointed that Wales didn’t score more points and eased
off in the final stages but as one who remembers scorelines like 9-6 (1957), 6-5
(1959) and 3-0 (1961) all in Scotland’s favour, any win at Murrayfield is a
good one.
What effect the result of Saturday’s game in Cardiff will have on this
year’s Six Nations Championship is yet to be seen, but don’t go on holiday
on March 21 when Wales are home to Ireland, that might be the decider for both
countries. Saturday is a big, BIG game regardless of Grand Slams or Triple
Crowns and for Ebbw Vale players who played for Wales against England in Cardiff
it’s very special.
Denzil Williams played five times against England at Cardiff , the first was his
debut for Wales in 1963 which we lost but the other four were won. David Nash,
our greatest No.8, would have won more caps had it not been for a serious
illness sustained on the 1962 Lions tour. He played against England at home
once, in 1961 and Wales won, while Arthur Lewis won in each of his three
appearances in Cardiff against the Old Enemy in 1971/2/3.
Clive Burgess played in the 1977 game at Cardiff when Wales won 14-9 and Ian
Watkins who won all his ten caps from Ebbw Vale played his only game against
England at the Arms Park in 1989 which was won 12-9. Kingsley Jones played once
in the fixture at home but Wales lost 13-34 in 1997. Ebbw Vale was represented
in 12 games against England in the capital, ten were won, two were lost and it
wasn’t only Llanelli where the pubs ran dry when the boys came home.
A key figure in the England camp on Saturday will be Martin Johnson, England
’s team manager, who will not fazed by the atmosphere at the Millenium
Stadium. Johnson played eight times against Wales and was on the losing side
only once and that was at Wembley when Scott Gibbs scored a memorable try. The
mightiest Tiger of all never lost in an England shirt in three appearances in
Cardiff .
After Saturday, the Six Nations take a week’s break, but for us it’s back to
business with a crucial Cup tie against Swansea at EXP where, hopefully, the
pitch will be green again. It’s not too early to think about the game and it
would insult club supporters by urging them to be there. They’ll be champing
at the bit while the players will be summoning up the sinews and hope to be
backed up a bigger crowd than was at the previous Cup tie. Be there.
REL
Beaten and bewildered (010209)
Newport 37 Ebbw Vale 7. This was
not one that got away, it was one that never got close. On a Saturday when the
bottom seven clubs in the Premier Division all lost we suffered our biggest
margin of defeat since we lost by 43 points at Neath in February 2006.
It was no consolation that those below us were beaten, some snatched a bonus
point and at least they competed. The headline of this article describes the
feeling of loyal supporters whose hopes were raised after a few wins. Thankfully
they are not the sort who threaten to stop watching the club because they lost,
they will still back them, still travel away to support them but do expect
everybody to do their duty if only to restore pride, which is a key element in
the tribalism of Welsh club rugby.
We “civilians” can’t do anything to get the side winning again, that’s
up to those at the sharp end as they face ten more games before the end of what
will be a disappointing season which has had its ups as well as downs, yet
compensated by our development of very young players. Five of those games are at
home, but the five away are against Llanelli, Neath, Glamorgan Wanderers,
Aberavon and Pontypridd, a formidable quintet.
What will add to the tension is that clubs in the bottom third will give 100% to
better their positions, and in the case of a few to avoid relegation. It will
require on our part a return to the form in September and October when we won
five, drew one and lost two. There is no incentive as there was two years ago to
go for the Championship, but some good results in the final League games, and at
least one more Cup tie, must be seriously addressed. Only one club can win the
title, only one will be relegated, but that doesn’t mean the others have
nothing to aim for.
Next up is Division leaders Llanelli in their new stadium. Don’t expect too
much because we have never won there (!) but while it is a challenge and bookies
will rate it a home banker, it is an opportunity for the squad to rise from the
ashes and compete.
While Premier clubs rejoice or worry, the Welsh rugby nation is confident of a
good Six Nations, which begins on the week-end. We now have a special interest
in the Wales Under 20s which kicks off the first of its five games, at Perth on
Friday, a match we will watch via TV because James Thomas is captain and David
Langdon is also in the squad.
The 22 consist of nine from the Dragons region, six from the Blues, five from
the Ospreys and two from the Scarlets. Bedwas, Cross Keys and Ebbw Vale provide
two each and Newbridge and Pontypool one apiece which shows that Phil Davies has
cast his net in our neck of the woods. A former Sospan from the far west has
recognised the region in the far east
Three days after Wales Under 20s win at Perth, and two after Wales win at
Murrayfield, a battered but, hopefully undaunted, Ebbw Vale side play Llanelli.
The result is always important and we need more points, but above all is the
need for a good performance.
The supporters always turn up of course, come rain or come shine, home or away,
League or “all-pay” Cup ties, which one hopes was not the cause of a low
attendance at the Ynysybwl game. And if people think that’s a hint to stay-aways,
they are right.
REL
Bwls battle to the end (250109)
Many so-called “small” clubs
have conceded defeat to Ebbw and faded in the last stages when superior fitness
and know-how told. But, in recent memory at least, the only club to keep going
to the final whistle has been Ynysybwl. Their strength was up front and they
scored two tries the old-fashioned way when they made rare excursions in our 22.
They can be proud after a fighting display which lasted the distance, there was
no early KO. We hope their travelling support enjoyed the day – we know they
enjoyed the night.
It’s not that simple winning Cup ties, not even at home, but it’s easy
dropping clangers in the match programme as one eagle-eyed reader has
discovered. I wrote that we have “got to five semi-finals and the final in
1997/98” which is not a very clear way of saying that we have been in six.
That, too, is wrong – we have been in seven and my apologies go to the man who
spotted my non-deliberate mistake. However, it’s nice to know there’s at
least one who reads the programme!
Following the game we staged another questions and answers forum in the
clubhouse chaired by that ace touch-judge Alan Evans and featuring Matthew
Griffin and Gavin Lucas. They were very impressive and in the audience –
mainly clustered around the bar – were Mathew Williams basking in the fame of
notching 100 games for the club, and the idol of seven year old Chloe Lines,
Andrew Bevan. At the moment he’s just ahead of Brian O’Driscoll with some
bloke from High Street Musical in third place.
Now it’s back to business on Saturday and another North v South Gwent Derby on
a ground where once Newport and Newport United played. How times have changed,
now it’s the home of Gwent Dragons, but one thing will never change, ‘Port v
Ebbw is as important as ever.
There have been two doubles, one to each club, in the past two seasons but the
mature will recall a particularly good one in 1972/73. We beat Newport at home
on 23rd December 7-6 by which time the club had quickly organised an historic
tour to California in April, the first senior club to go there. We were to fly
out on Sunday 8th April and asked for the game at Newport on the 7th to be
postponed. It wasn’t and we won 12-10 without casualties. No doubt the bar on
the British Caledonian flight next day ran dry. A double over Newport and
California here we come!
There will be a former player’s reunion at Rodney Parade on Saturday with old
favourites of both clubs chin-wagging and telling tall tales, among them Lyn
Jones – The Leap – who played for both clubs. He is now a Harlequins
follower because his son is a regular in their front-row.
There are still plenty of survivors of the old Derbies but not so many who
played in the 1958 Snelling Sevens Final. Here are the teams: Ebbw Vale – Mel
Williams, Dai Barrett, Graham Powell, Roy Evans, Francis Matthews, Doug
Ackerman, Ron Morgan. Newport – C Lewis, Ken Jones, Harry Morgan, Norman
Morgan, Brian Cresswell, Bryn Meredith, Glyn Davidge. And the result? Ebbw Vale
10 Newport 5. I just thought I’d mention that.
REL
If... (180109)
IF we had played the same in the
first half against Bridgend as we played in the last thirty minutes we could
well have won, instead we had to be satisfied with the third draw of the season.
The net result is that we have a 50% record, six wins, three draws and six
defeats. The strange thing is that of our six wins, four have been away from
home! What’s the matter lads, is it the altitude, or the beer?
Think back to Llanelli (lost 17-25), Aberavon (lost 11-14) and last Saturday. In
those games the visitors looked good early on but faded. It seems as if we are
better finishers than beginners and the credit for our fitness goes to Gareth
Walton for seeing to it that we last the pace. In over half of our games we have
trailed at the interval, giving the opposition two blacks on as we used to say
when playing snooker in the ‘Stute so can we take control from the start
please?
As the cold winter hopefully ended there was disappointment not discontent and
encouragement at the fight back and some outstanding performances that made the
selection of Man of the Match very difficult. After much sober (!) deliberation
the unofficial jury, two blokes supping SA, decided that like the game it would
be a tie shared by Shaun Powell and Rhys Williams with a special Oscar to Aaron
Bramwell for his kicking, especially the conversion of our try.
Officials as well as players are under greater scrutiny than ever before and
there are clearly differences in the application of the offside law, but with
due respect to rererees and touch-judges - and don’t forget we have won awards
for the reception we give them - I go back to last season’s defeat at the Arms
Park. Nigel Owen refereed and despite the result everyone said how good it was
to be controlled by a really good ‘un. Maybe like the youngsters in
Premiership teams, the officials are also on a learning curve. The trouble is
their decisions decide games!
Next Saturday is Cup day and when the draw used to be made live on TV there was
great excitement as we nervously watched blazer clad big shots pulling little
balls from a velvet bag and prayed for a home draw. After a long journey to
Llandudno we’ve got one but it won’t be taken lightly.
Beware of the ‘Bwl, it will be their biggest day and we can expect hwyl and a
huge effort, especially up front. All we civilians can do is be there, because
traditionally attendances at Cup games have been low. Maybe because it’s
“all pay” but the combined voices of our Chorale must be heard on Saturday.
And please don’t wear red clothes, you know what that does to a “bwl.”
REL
Now is the winter of our
discontent (110109)
I thought a touch of culture
wouldn’t go amiss in this part of the frozen north, where global warming has
turned into global freezing. That Shakespeare chappie was never at a loss for
words which he put in the mouths of the forgotten famous. Bemoaning that winter
was Richard III, a born loser and a bit of a misery, but where there’s a Will
there’s a way of lifting the spirit and who better than a Welshman to do it?
Henry V, described by Duke Ellington as Hank The Zinq, was years ahead of his
time when he reviewed his motley crew and declared, “I see you stand like
greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot.” Alas
our game is not currently afoot which leaves our brave warriors – and even
braver supporters – liked caged animals. All kitted out but nowhere to go.
A Saturday without rugby might not be a problem for the majority of so-called
fans, but for those who are members of clubs and brave the elements to watch
them play it’s like living through a brewery strike. The ordeal continued when
Sardis Road succumbed to that bloke Jack Frost who might do the populace good by
clearing the atmosphere of germs but has done nothing for those who congregate
out in the open on Saturday afternoons from terraces where we stand and stands
where we sit. If he stops us playing Bridgend on Saturday civilisation as we
know it will end.
Straw, braziers, mass heavy breathing and prayers to the God of weather
haven’t done the trick and like the real recession there are worrying
by-products. Brewers see a loss of profits which reach new heights every rugby
season and social habits take a hammering too. Families suddenly find a
replica-clad stranger in their midst on Saturday afternoons bearing a face like
a fiddle.
Two games postponed is no way to start a new year so over-soil heating is the
answer. It’s simple, get all those supporters who can bend down and get up
again to breath heavily on the pitch. Preferably after imbibing some of
Cognac’s best. And while on their knees let them say a few words to the God of
Weather because enough is enough.
When the season began there were stories about Bridgend and its tenancy of the
Brewery Field where top level Rugby League is now played. It’s not the first
time that has happened, in the immediate post-WW2 years League played there and
the Union side had to move to the Bandstand Field. Always a bright, go-ahead
club Bridgend restored their pride and occupancy of what many believe is the
best-named home ground in the game.
In 2006/07 we opened the season there and won 16-7 and got the double when the
Ravens lost at EXP 37-23. We kept up the good work by winning the third game of
2007/08 28-13 at home but collapsed at the Brewery Field in January 2008, 6-32
and in the second game of this season we fell by the Bridgend wayside again,
19-33 which all adds up to three Ebbw wins against two since September 2006.
Having won the last two home games against Bridgend we should be confident
enough to make it three, but will frosty Jack be alright and stay away?
I do apologise for the depths to which humour has again been plumbed, but it’s
not only in Oklahoma where the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.
REL
Jack Frost - Enemy of the people
(070109)
So we didn’t start the New Year
right after all, but we didn’t start it badly either. Cross Keys will have to
come to Ebbw Vale at a later date, probably midweek which was always a popular
arrangement because local clubs turned up to see what we were up to. But nothing
is worse than a match that wasn’t and no amount of straw and braziers could
have made EXP playable last Saturday, not even the heavy breathing of the
distaff section of the Supporter’s Club.
The alternative to an afternoon in the fresh air is of course television and
with so much rugby being shown we are spoiled for choice. Welsh games on S4C now
have a commentary in English thus catering at last for the majority of Welsh
rugby enthusiasts.
The big crowds at Cardiff, Newport and the Liberty Stadium over the holiday
period were absent at the Parc y Scarlets where only 7050 brave souls turned up
on New Year’s Day. It’s a new stadium which can hold twice that number and
it has undersoil heating, but on a cold night that does nothing for the
spectators. Especially when the game is being televised.
At the time of writing only a rapid disappearance of Jack Frost will see us at
Sardis Road on Saturday where we won last season, notching a rare double, the
first since 2002/03. Victories at Pontypridd are rare, the ancients can only
remember eight in 25 years, but, thanks to Cup wins we got trebles in 1982/3 and
1985/6 when some of our players were toddlers.
The 13-3 win over Ponty at home last September was the third in a row and we are
close in the current Premier table. But form in this season’s competition is
difficult to assess and we have lost a few the bookies expected us to win.
It’s a topsy-turvy Premiership, how can one explain Pontypridd defeats at
Llandovery 7-23 and Newport 0-35? They fight back, as valley clubs are inclined
to do, and a week after their defeat at Llandovery they went to Cross Keys and
scored sixty points without conceding one!
If we complain about cold weather how do they manage in Green Bay, Wisconsin
where the Packers play? They have four seasons - early winter, winter, late
winter and next winter.
It’s time the club padre passed the word Up There that his flock are
clean-living, decent and know the Ten Commandments off by heart, so why is it
that our game was weathered off ? If it happens again we’ll call up our MP who
is also a season ticket holder and he’ll ask questions in the House.
REL
A New Year, an old derby
(281208)
Our game with Cross Keys on
Saturday assumes enormous proportions after our most welcome 23-17 win at
Pontypool and Keys 13-9 victory over Newport at Pandy Park. There’s a saying,
“When you lose a must win game, the next game really is a must game,” and
last Saturday we just had to win. Next Saturday we have to win again, such is
the battle in the second half of the Premier Division and with Cross Keys only
three points behind us with a game in hand.
Two memorable tries by Rhys Williams and Robert Lewis did the trick at The Park
and Aaron Bramwell’s kicking proved the value of having a master of that art.
His wide out conversion of the try by Rhys was as vital as the one he landed at
the Arms Park last October.
We have a 50-50 record, and it is to the credit of all concerned that four of
our wins have been away from home. However one still wonders why we didn’t do
the business against Bedwas, having drawn at home we lost 8-0 away in what must
be regarded as the poorest game of the season. And it’s not as if Bedwas are
setting the League on fire, after beating us they lost at home twice. Newbridge
from a lower division beat them in the Cup and last Saturday they were hammered
by Cardiff 43-0!
When Leagues were introduced club fixture secretaries were made redundant.
Everything was decided at HQ and traditional holiday games vanished. For example
up to the late 1970s we always played Tredegar in the first game in January
which called for a great effort by players who had seen the New Year in
customary style.
Thirty years ago the after effects of an over festive period took its toll. In
December 1978 Ebbw Vale played six games and won them all, including Cross Keys
away 7-0 and at home 17-3. But January 1979 was a disaster, played five and lost
five.
In each of the past three seasons we won the first game of the year, all at
home, Newport 28-24, Bridgend 37-23 and Maesteg 28-13. All very encouraging but
we face Cross Keys in the first game of 2009 and for many of us who have been
around a long time it’s the toughest, most unpredictable Derby of them all.
The 19-17 win at Pandy Park last September was decided by kicks, especially one
by the home side that didn’t go over as the seconds ticked away and Ebbw Vale
hearts beat like thunder. The sighs of relief when the final whistle blew were
registered on the Richter Scale and we can expect plenty of trembling on
Saturday.
Last week I mentioned “White Christmas,” first heard in the 1942 musical
film “Holiday Inn,” but there’s another seasonal song in it, “Let’s
Start The New Year Right.” With a quiver of my stiff upper lip can I suggest
chaps that we start 2009 right on Saturday afternoon?
Finally I must say how appropriate, concise and thoughtful was last week’s
Christmas message on the website to “all who play, coach, treat, support,
nourish and administer.” It covered everybody, a band of brothers and sisters
who put the club first. Well done Editor, you brought a lump to my throat which
quickly developed into a thirst that was dealt with by the popping of a cork.
Happy New Year.
REL
Northern Exposure (221208)
The hills of North Wales were
alive with the sound of Wenglish last Saturday when normal Ebbw Vale service was
resumed after five Saturdays without a win. We expected a victory, but not by
such a margin, our highest ever in the Cup. It beat the 73-15 win at home over
Treherbert ten seasons ago and came at the right time.
Llandudno had been described as one of three clubs flying the flag for rugby in
North Wales which of course has been targeted by the WRU as a future hotbed of
the national game. After Saturday the temperature has dropped and those flags
are now at half-mast. Our 74-3 win (briefly reported on BBC TV as 9-3),
Cardiff’s 55-17 victory at Bethesda and Swansea’s 104-3 trouncing of Bala at
St. Helen’s, exposed a gulf of Grand Canyon proportions and hard working North
Wales rugby people face a long, long road a-winding to a land of their dreams.
However, the welcome Ebbw Valians had was first-class and it included the
players and officials and also the supporters who made a long journey which was
very worthwhile. To score 79 points on a very heavy ground is not to be taken
lightly. There was a job to be done and the squad did it, backed by the
supporters whose presence was greatly appreciated by the players. Even if Santa
doesn’t bring me that Meccano set I asked for, I’ve already had my Christmas
present.
Now for Pontypool. Because both clubs spent seven of the last 18 seasons in
different divisions we have only played them fourteen times since 1990/1991. We
have won five of the last seven games and although Gwent Derbies are never easy,
we can make it six on Saturday.
Everyone involved with the club, on and off the field, deserves a good Christmas
and a happy New Year. It’s a family time and that describes Ebbw Vale Rugby
Club perfectly so enjoy, but not too much. Boxing Day is thankfully free for our
players but Saturday begins a tough five week period with five key League games
and a Cup tie.
I hope you get the presents you want and that you play carols and Bing’s
“White Christmas” on your wind-up gramophones. That’s the traditional way,
but I suggest you play the alternative version of “The Christmas Song” which
begins with, “Chipmunks roasting on an open fire.”
Just to be festively incorrect I could tell you what boxer Jake Lamotta once
said of Christmas, “We were so poor, every Christmas Eve my old man would go
outside and fire his gun, then come in and tell us that Santa Claus had shot
himself!”
It’s been said many times, many ways, Happy Christmas to you. Or as they say
in Fortress Gwynedd, Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.
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Dreaming of a bright Christmas
(151208)
They say dreams come true and I
hope this one does because at the moment nightmares seem to be in fashion. What
makes four defeats in a row unpalatable is that not long ago we were winning at
Cardiff and out-playing Neath. With all the festive goodwill in the world, and
after crediting our conquerors, it’s not on chaps and we are running at under,
instead of over, 50%. But two final opportunities remain this year to resume
normal service, at Llandudno on Saturday and, more importantly in the long run,
at Pontypool a week later.
Bedwas did it again, they beat us
down there after forcing a draw up here last September. They scored the only
points of the game in the first ten minutes which left seventy pointless minutes
of nothing. We know we can do better than that, but we didn’t and therein lies
a mystery that only those close to the squad can solve.
There’s always a bright light
amidst the gloom and the 2008 ‘Varsity match, one of the best ever, brought
our lock Will Jones to the fore. But from the cultured calm of Cambridge he will
return home to a minefield because that’s what the Premier Division is with
teams anxiously edging their way through it. There’s no safety in a minefield,
there are hidden dangers and concentration is needed to get out unscathed, or in
rugby terms with points for and not against.
The journey to Llandudno will be
the longest ever undertaken by Ebbw Vale in Wales. Apart from going to North
America four times, the farthest we went in the UK was to Galashiels. Saturday
will be greatest day in Llandudno’s short rugby history and as they come under
the Scarlet’s umbrella who knows who’ll meet up there? Formed in 1952, they
play in Swalec League 4 North and in the previous rounds, after a bye in the
first, they beat another Llanelli satellite, Burry Port 90-5 at home and in
November won at Pontyates 25-16.
The Cup is not what it was when
it was the only competition in Wales, but Saturday’s game is very important
for our hosts and after unusually losing four on the trot it is for us also. Our
squad is much better than the last four results show so may the ghost of recent
Christmas Past fade away and some cheer take over.
It’s no use praying or writing
to Santa, our Christmas wish is in the hands of the coaches and the players. We
know they can do it, they have proved that, but now is the time to do it all
over again supported as always by the chant of “Ebbw, Ebbw” which will be
heard for the first time in North Wales. Safe journey everyone and bring home
the bacon..
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Christmas comes early for the
Wizards (071208)
It’s a well worn cliché, and
often untrue, but last Saturday’s Ebbw v Aberavon game was one that got away.
After a shaky start we dominated the second half and with more control could
have won it or at the very least got a draw. They had one real chance to score
in the second half and took it, we had more but didn’t. They knew how to win,
as we did the season before last, it’s a habit we must bring back. The Wizards
ended up with an early Christmas present worth four points and we had to be
satisfied with a stocking filler worth one.
After three home games we now face three away and the really important ones are
Gwent Derbies at Bedwas, who competed strongly at Rodney Parade last Saturday
before losing, and Pontypool who went down fighting against Cardiff at the The
Park. Both games will test our young side and hopefully the coaches will have a
fit squad to choose from.
What the Americans call controlling the football, in our case a game, is
something we have not excelled in this season. Much depends on the pack, but
Rhys Williams and others set an example on Saturday. If we had controlled the
last ten minutes of the game the beer would certainly have tasted better after.
So, after three consecutive wins (Cardiff, Llandovery & Neath) we lost three
on the trot (Glamorgan Wanderers, Llanelli & Aberavon) with a draw at
Swansea sandwiched between. Two of those three victories were away, while the
losses were at home. The Premier Division is like that, home advantage is not
what it used to be, and there are no easy matches. That might make for
entertainment but does nothing for those in the heart of the battle.
The past was recalled at the Aberavon game following the sad news that one of
our great forwards, Gordon Main of Abergavenny, had passed away. He joined the
club in the early 60s as a No.8 and played in that position for Monmouthshire.
But it was a prop that he became famous and highly respected throughout Welsh
club rugby.
He was the first to be named Player of the Year in 1963 and captained the club
in 1968/69 when we finished 6th in the Championship having led in the early
stages and losing only three times in the first four months. In 1970/71 Cardiff
opened their new ground and Ebbw were one of only two sides that won there that
season, the other being the Barbarians. Incidentally the first match on the new
turf was between Cardiff Athletic and Ebbw Vale Athletic.
As one of his old comrades has remarked, “Gordon was a man you wanted on your
side.” He will be remembered at his funeral in Abergavenny on Friday next, not
just for his playing but for his character. A genial giant, his smile was
infectious and it was a privilege to know him.
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Thoughts on a beer mat (301108)
First things first. No nonsense
this time, no Haka face down that didn’t affect the result, no grasping crumbs
of comfort after a “match that got away.” Wales were much, much better on
the day against Australia, deservedly won and it was a great game of rugby. Two
gloomy Saturdays in Oz, losing the insignificant Rugby League World Cup Final to
the Kiwis and to Wales in Cardiff, made cobbers very unhappy. Still, they remain
world champs at Australian Rules – no-one else plays it. .
Despite the Guinness Premiership being superior to the Magner’s League,
England’s chariot is in danger of sinking so maybe they should perform Morris
Dancing as an Anglo-Saxon version of the Haka. But however hard they tried the
Home Unions failed to score a try against the All-Blacks this autumn. That says
it all.
Four days earlier on a cold night I jotted down some remarks which will be of no
interest to those whose support of Welsh rugby is confined to watching Wales,
waving at the cameras and acting the fool in the capital.
Tuesday 25 November 2008, 2130 hours as we used to say in Poona, nibbling a
sandwich, de-frosting after sitting outdoors in mid-winter and digesting a home
defeat at the hands of the Scarlets. Recording immediate reactions on a beer
mat.
Injuries affecting the pack – four lads playing Sevens in somewhere called
Dubai – why spend money on that instead of an A team – thinning ranks –
unforced comedy of errors but not very funny - old tormentor Luke Richards
kicking 20 points out of Llanelli’s 25 – defended well, scored two tries to
one – spirits lift – right men in charge – still in the black, 55% record
– feeling better - SA Gold.
Disappointed but better than the Wanderers game - Llanelli forwards surprisingly
strong – with the ball they had we would have scored more than one try even on
an off day – small crowd, where was everybody – reinforcements needed, but
from where – two Premier clubs in the Scarlet region - five to cater for in
ours – can we have our team back please?
Next up is Aberavon who, like Llanelli, are riding high. Results of the last
five League seasons ended all square with the Wizards, we won four and lost one
at home and won one and lost four away, Last season we got a rare double, 48-20
home and 22-17 away.
It’s our last home game of 2008 so make the most of it.
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BOGEY MEN FROM ELY (231108)
I have always been nervous before games we are expected to win. Different eras,
different players, it’s always the same. For some reason we seem to rise to
the big occasion and fall from grace when least expected. This does not diminish
the workmanlike performance of Glamorgan Wanderers, who are firmly on our
“bogey team” list, but we don’t seem to do well against them do we?
We were not the only side in the top half of the table to surprisingly lose last
Saturday but we are only concerned with ourselves. Five weeks before we had
beaten the “other” Cardiff team on their own patch, three weeks ago we
outplayed Neath, two weeks ago we threw away a chance of a win at Swansea and
had to make do with a draw. Our record so far is played 10, won 5, drew 2, lost
3 for a 60% success rate. None of which explains our loss of form against the
Wands, but make no mistake they earned the four points.
If it’s true that we rise to the big occasion we have an opportunity to do so
in our next two games, Llanelli on Tuesday 25th November, followed by Aberavon
on Saturday 6th December. They are the front-runners this season, but we are at
home and we know there’s more in our squad than we saw last Saturday.
There was good news last week though, Aaron Bramwell won the Principality Player
of the Month award and among his many contributions to Ebbw Vale this season the
kick that won the game at Cardiff last month must be regarded as the greatest
conversion since Saul, and I hope the club padre won’t report me to his chief
for saying that.
There was amazing news in the Daily Telegraph under the headline, “Wales
refuse to share the wealth with Canada” which referred to a plea by the
Canadians for financial help towards the cost of their tour. It was rejected.
According to the report cash-strapped Canada asked for a mere 50p per ticket
sold which would have come to £25,000! Surely major rugby nations shouldn’t
deny the minnows financial help. Maybe they should have asked every one of the
crowd at the stadium who endured a disappointing game to drop 50p into a bucket.
Llanelli played their first game at their new stadium last Saturday but moving
to a 15,000 seater at enormous expense must be a gamble. Attendances in Wales,
apart from the masses at the Millenium Stadium, are disappointing and as a
boxing promoter once said, “It ain’t the number of seats you have, it’s
the number of backsides that are in them.” He didn’t use the word backsides
by the way, but you get the point.
Llanelli are on fire this season, so a look back on previous results between us
is of academic interest only. Over the last five years in matches between us we
won four and lost one at home, and lost four and won one away, another 50-50
result. We played our last game at Stradey Park last April and won 28-13, having
beaten Llanelli at home in December 2007, 16-0, a very acceptable, and rare,
double over the original Scarlets.
Llanelli will present a major challenge, but so did Neath!
REL
Health and Safety (111108)
When Lewis Hamilton celebrated
his Formula One triumph, a lot of others shared the glory. Hamilton was the star
solo act, but behind him was a team of experts without whom his show, literally,
wouldn’t get on the road. There has always been an army of people behind every
motor racing driver and now in rugby, albeit on a smaller scale, there’s a
backroom staff behind every team.
Last week I referred to the “lads on and off the field” who do us proud, but
there are lassies too, some who tread the sacred soil and others who do
wonderful work off it. So I apologise for not mentioning them and am prepared to
buy each a port and lemon. Without them our show wouldn’t get on the park.
Gone are the days when only one non-combatant entered the battle area, generally
a man wearing a Dai cap armed with a sponge and a bottle of tap water. He would
amble or trudge through the mud to attend a stricken player, splash his face,
shake him up, tell him to stop idling and then pass the poor dab fit enough to
carry on the fight.
Rugby players, unlike footballers, don’t go down unless they are really
wounded, they would never get jobs as Hollywood stunt men, but they know
they’ll be in safe hands if they do. Trained physiotherapists, like our own
Sarah Jones, don’t carry sponges, they use their skills to make instant
diagnosis and carry great responsibilities. They care for the health and the
safety of players and without them…………well, you know the rest.
Reading pre-match predictions after the final whistle is great fun, and it was
surprising how many Jocks and Taffs thought their teams were going to win last
Saturday. To be fair the Welsh who forecast a win came near and can be pleased
at the performance of the team, but we were playing at home and didn’t score a
try. Still, well done and thanks for a magnificent effort. Patriotism is all
very well, and the Scots have plenty of it, they even thought the film
“Braveheart” was factual, but former skipper David Sole took it too far when
he said, “Scotland can beat the All-Blacks for the first time.” Sorry Dai
bach, déjà vu and all that.
It was jolly nice of the WRU to arrange Wales’s game with Canada for Friday
night in order to avoid a clash with ours against Glamorgan Wanderers on
Saturday. In the last six games against the Wanderers we won one and drew two at
home, and lost two and drew one away. But times have changed and we go into the
game with five wins, two draws and two defeats (66%) to their four wins and five
defeats (44%). We are two League places above them but they have scored 22 tries
to our 16, and have four bonus points to our one.
More bonus points are necessary but the priority is always on winning for
there’s nothing worse than watching a recording of a game which your team
lost. One transatlantic coach when asked how he felt after his team suffered a
43-0 loss said, “The only difference between me and General Custer is that I
had to watch the film on Sunday!”
After two weeks of hibernation it’s time to rally around the team, so be there
on Saturday and while you are do some Christmas shopping, replica kit is
available and what’s left of the 2009 calendars, some of which will appear on
a future Antique Roadshow.
REL
Giving credit where it's due
(051108)
If you can’t win be satisfied
with a draw, it might be second best but two points salvaged come in very handy
when the season ends. Although Swansea haven’t started this season well they
are traditionally a handful on their own turf, and after a cursory glance
through the stats since 1995 it seems we have only won twice at St. Helen’s
and I can’t remember a draw. We got another interception try so let’s give
credit where it’s due to a very alert set of backs who swoop in for those on a
regular basis.
Last Saturday’s result was decided at the last gasp and it ended a third of
the season. Of nine matches played we won five (three away), drew two and lost
two for an acceptable success rate of 66%. Well done the lads on and off the
field, and the travelling support.
A lot has been said of the terrific boost our players get home and away. The
Supporter’s charabanc has been busy carrying its precious load to five away
League destinations but now takes a rest before its next trip to Bedwas on
December 13th so we have the luxury of three home games plus the autumn
internationals to watch from the quiet of our homes or, better still, in the
electrifying atmosphere of the clubhouse where the screen is almost as big as
the one in the old Plaza.
Apart from the regulars on the supporter’s bus, there are others who go to
away games in cars. All those who follow the flag need no incentive to do so
except the desire to watch their team play and enjoy the company of others who
feel the same way. But it appears that incentives are needed elsewhere.
There’s a tendency after a defeat to blame one’s own team and give no credit
to the opposition. Usually such feelings are confined to the clubhouse bar or at
home when a disgruntled losing supporter takes it out on a perfectly innocent
cat.
The importance of support away from home is not confined to Ebbw Vale. After our
win over Neath, watched by fewer of their fans than usual, their web-site
carried a message from their club chairman - “Our loyal travelling supporters
were badly let down last week at Ebbw Vale. To compensate their enduring a
second half display that was nothing short of dire, we have arranged free
transport to Llandovery.”
I didn’t think that second half was dire at all, and although a plan to
provide buckshee travel is unusual it does emphasise the part club supporters
play. But even with masses of red, white & green, or all-black, clad fans on
the terraces, the job is done on the field and if one team is better on the day
credit must be given.
Thus endeth the first lesson. Now let’s see what Wales can do to these
Colonial chappies.
REL
More from the comeback kids
(261008)
The rain expected to drop on our
ground last Saturday afternoon held off because the club padre dropped a few
hints Up There and pointed out that Ebbw v Neath is a big game and spiritually
it would demoralise the holy rollers who form our Supporters' Club if the
heavens opened up again as they had at our previous home game against Newport.
Thanks to the vicar’s intercession we had a much better day and an even better
result. But the God of Weather is fickle so no more sinning please, and remember
to face the right direction when praying for a nice Saturday.
What a game and how about that second half comeback! Neath lost in the League at
Ebbw Vale for the first time since 1999, we recorded our third win in a row and
move above the Welsh All-Blacks in the table. It ended a week of almost mortal
combat by the blazeratti who should realise that our national game is in danger.
It’s time for the combatants to also make a come back - to reality.
Lyn Jones and Matthew McCarthy orchestrated Saturday’s win over their former
club quite superbly. The icing on the cake was the talk given by Lyn and his
colleagues after the game, the first time an Ebbw Vale coach has done that. It
was informative, entertaining and the end of a perfect day. There were some
excellent performances by our lads and their fitness was shown by a storming
second half at the end of which we almost snatched a bonus point.
Rain or shine there’s always a lot of comings and goings in Welsh rugby.
Coming are the real All-Blacks who will be welcome as will Alex Cordling the new
head coach at Cardiff who will return to EXP next February. Legal action has
entered the game and in the strangest of ways, so I should not describe Neath as
the Welsh All-Blacks. Launceston RFC announced they wanted to be known as the
Cornish All-Blacks but New Zealand threatened to sue claiming that they have
copyright to the “All-Black” name and when NZ get tough watch out.
This is going to be a great Premiership season. There are more youngsters in the
teams than ever and staying in the top half of the table will be tough. The
biggest surprise so far is that four times champions Neath have lost four of
their eight games. They included Neil Edwards last Saturday and two New
Zealanders at half back which in itself is unusual, very few non-Welsh players
are in Premier teams whose task after all is to develop local talent to play for
Wales not other countries.
Once again we report a 50% success rate against our next opponents. Of the last
ten League games with Swansea we have won three and lost two at home, and won
two and lost three away. There’s not much difference in the points aggregate
total either, 212 to Ebbw Vale and 222 to Swansea. Two seasons ago we got the
double, last season Swansea did the same.
Very soon the spotlight will focus on Wales and a tough programme of autumn
internationals. Some believe South Africa are there for the taking, and the
Aussies are not as good as they were, but don’t bet on it and there’s the
genuine All-Blacks to cope with as well.
It’s going to be an exciting few weeks and after Saturday, Premier clubs will
have a fortnight to recuperate after an eventful autumn and prepare for the
remaining six games before the year ends. Togetherness is a modern buzz word,
but as the club calendar illustrates, and the post-Neath match gathering of
players, coaches and supporters proved, we have a happy, family club consisting
of people who enjoy each other’s company. So, where’s the best place to
watch the autumn internationals? In the clubhouse of course!
REL
Saturday afternoon fever
(191008)
Tradition is important in rugby,
even in these money mad days. But there’s one tradition that should disappear
– Ebbw Vale not performing at Llandovery. Different players in different
seasons never do well at the Drovers, and it would get on my nerves if I had any
left after close finishes at Cross Keys and Cardiff.
However give credit where it’s certainly due, three of our wins this season
were away from home and for a developing squad that’s no mean achievement.
Youth is having its fling and we even have an 18 year old at No.8, and playing
like a veteran.
Llandovery is a good club with good facilities and Premiership rugby is needed
in that area. We had a warm welcome in the programme, which doesn’t always
happen, and I liked this bit – “Ebbw Vale are undoubtedly one of the best
supported teams in the Premiership and it is always a pleasure to have you
here.”
The programme also mentioned James Thomas, our No. 8, because he was a schoolboy
at Llandovery College until last summer. He’s 6’4” and 16 stone unlike
another James, Lewis, who has scored three tries in his last two games in which
we got two interception tries which not only highlighted the alertness of our
young bloods, but brought us two wins.
Things didn’t go that well on times at the Drovers but what else will be
remembered of a worrying, eventually satisfying, Saturday afternoon in the West
Wales countryside? There was defiance and sheer doggedness in defence when a man
short, some experimental laws that baffled both sides (I assume they were
experimental otherwise we can give up) and before the game a clubhouse seemingly
occupied entirely by Ebbw Vale supporters.
Jamie Ringer played his first game for Ebbw Vale thirty years, almost to the
day, after his father played his last game for us. That was in the autumn of
1978 when Paul Ringer won his first cap for Wales as an Ebbw player. It was
against New Zealand who won 13-12 in a controversial match remembered for the
“Lineout of Shame.” Paul got the rest of his caps at Llanelli and will be
remembered at Ebbw Vale as a character on and off the field.
On Saturday we are at home Neath who have lost three of their seven games but
are still above us in the table because they have six bonus points and we have
just one. They might not have started as well as they did in the last four
seasons, but that makes them even more dangerous.
If anyone thinks they are there for the taking they are from a different planet.
Training at the Gnoll this week will resemble an SAS battle course, and our
former coach, Patrick Horgan will want to put one over on the ex-Neath duo of
Lyn Jones and Matthew McCarthy. On the field it will be a cracker, off it the
battle of wits between the coaches will be a secret war.
When the game is over on Saturday and we flock to the clubhouse to imbibe and
wait impatiently for the other Premiership results to appear on BBC Wales,
everyone should buy the first ever club calendar which has pictures of
supporters and players in glorious technicolor. Orders have already been placed
so make sure you get yours on Saturday.
REL
Who done it? We did! (121008)
Unlike the conditions in the
previous game against Newport, the only storm at the Arms Park was provided by a
resurgent Cardiff side in the third quarter of a thriller Hitchcock would be
proud of. The end was in doubt to the final second, but storms, while causing
some damage, die out and this young squad of ours stood firm, repelled boarders
and came out winners which very few sides do in the capital.
Cardiff’s interesting match programme referred to our game against Newport
which it reported was played “in front of the live television cameras (a mixed
blessing at the best of times and certainly when lumbered with an early evening
kick-off during an autumnal storm).” The only blessing used to be attracting
extra arena advertising when the cameras came because televised games always hit
the attendance, and by the look of it there weren’t many at the Gnoll last
Saturday evening either.
The early kick-off surprised one elderly Cardiff member who came in late, but
like others around me he was generous in his praise for the match and the
winners. Anyone who knows Bleddyn Williams and Jack Matthews is OK by me!
There was another sort of ball game at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, and
the police wanted to avoid a clash, metaphorically speaking I hope. Surely they
weren’t expecting trouble from the two sets of away fans? Ours wouldn’t harm
a fly and are perfect ladies and gents, and as there are only 35,000 people
living in tiny Liechtenstein, a sort of Ruritania, not many of them would have
made the journey from wherever it is. They have something in common with Welsh
regional rugby by the way, a third of them are foreigners.
In the mini-League of games between Ebbw and Cardiff over the past five or so
seasons we have taken the lead with six wins and five defeats, and the aggregate
points are 233-233. If games with Cardiff get anymore exciting only the
strongest of supporter will survive them.
The bookies probably fancied Cardiff and will back Ebbw Vale to win at
Llandovery on Saturday. But therein lies the danger, we have always gone there
expecting to win but have too often come unstuck. In the last ten games between
the clubs we won five and lost five, three of the latter at the Drovers who are
yet to win this season so will be like caged tigers.
Those long in the tooth will be pleased to know that there was a very good
article in the Cardiff programme on Malcolm Collins, a great forward of the
1950s, who played for both our clubs. He was in the Cardiff team that beat New
Zealand 8-3 in November 1953 and was described in one paper as, “magnificent
in the lineouts although suffering from a carbuncle on the knee.”
When did our physio last treat a player with carbuncles?
REL
Throw out those throw ins -
please! (051008)
The Australians have been accused
of pressuring the International Rugby Board into experimenting with the laws to
make the game more attractive. Critics say they want to turn our game into a
sort of Rugby League which has bogus scrums and no lineouts.
The last two games, both Western Valley Derbies, did not fit the Aussie
conception of our game, but on Saturday I wished fervently that the IRB had
banned lineouts in their experiments. What was once Ebbw Vale’s strong point
was our weakest, and in windy, wet conditions a good lineout would have made all
the difference.
Newport deserved to win, that no-one can deny, but we managed to salvage a point
on a day of surprising results in the Premier Division, Neath losing at home to
Bridgend being the major shock. But our focus is not on others but ourselves,
and we know there’s a lot more to come from a young squad.
A 50% record after five games is a fair indication of our current form but a
winning farewell to Will Thomas would have been great. He goes with everyone’s
best wishes and we welcome Lyn Jones who is the man who not long ago coached the
most successful region.
Our immediate thoughts are on next Saturday when Ebbw Vale supporters travel to
Cardiff. In the last ten games between the clubs, we have won three and lost two
at home, and won two and lost three away. The points aggregate tally was Ebbw
Vale 207 Cardiff 208, that’s how close it’s been.
Our squad will include players who are endangered species. They are genuinely
semi-pro and combine training and playing with proper jobs, not easy in a
competitive Premier Division. It calls for even more dedication than that
required of fully professional, highly rewarded players who have one of the
cushiest jobs in the world.
Will Thomas whose honest, intelligent comments on our games embellished our
web-site, recently praised Rhys Williams who once arrived at the ground at
2.15pm, straight from work, after driving down the M5. He missed the warm-up but
gave another Man of the Match performance. That’s dedication for you.
Welsh coaches in the last decade often spoke of “learning curves” which was
just an excuse, but we can’t expect a new and inexperienced bunch of dedicated
guys to do the business straight away.
The stubbornness that snatched a lucky win at Pandy Park and the quality of the
performance a week before against Pontypridd – and we should have won by more
that day - were not passing fancies. The ingredients are there, now we need a
master chef to do the blending.
REL
Say 'Cheese!'(280908)
There’s good news, and bad
news. The good news is that the club is producing its first ever calendar with
glossy photographs of supporters and the players who give their all for Queen
Ruth and club every Saturday. The bad news is that it won’t be like
“Calendar Girls.” The racy among you will remember the movie of that name in
which demure ladies of the Women’s Institute posed in the altogether for a
calendar which raised eyebrows and funds. We are chapel in Ebbw Vale so our
posers wore replica kit. No one volunteered for the all-together.
The man who asked everyone to say “cheese” was Lord Domen, alias Alan
Davies, who brandishes his Kodak Brownie at all our matches with consummate
skill. There’ll be no lineouts in the calendar, Alan’s speciality and none
of those nasty rucks and mauls. It was another good night in our “local” and
typified the mood of the club and its supporters.
The day after the launch, we were sorry to learn that Will Thomas was leaving us
to become Regional Performance Development Manager, but were pleased he had been
appointed and wish him every success. His penultimate game was at his home club
Cross Keys and his farewell to combat is on Saturday when he plays in another
tough Gwent Derby against Newport (5.30pm).
The famous escapist The Great Houdini would have enjoyed himself at Pandy Park
but here’s some advice to our supporters who raised the roof of Keys's answer
to Gloucester’s Shed. Synchronise your watches with the referee. The last five
minutes seemed to last hours, and there was a difference of opinion between The
Mighty Milo and a local watch-watcher. Milo said the referee had played five
minutes extra time, but the home supporter disagreed, he said he played four
minutes and 90 seconds! By the way whatever happened to place-kicking? Is it
banned under the experimental Laws?
Supporters love Derby games but while our fans are superbly organised and give a
new meaning to the expression en masse, we should also praise those of other
clubs in the Premier Division. We are all in the fight to keep club rugby alive,
and are the game’s answer to the Last of the Mohicans, the 24th of Foot at
Rorke’s Drift and in the ladies' case, the Last of the Blonde Bombshells.
Without all of us the clubs will die and so will Welsh rugby.
Finally here’s two quiz questions for you:-
(1) Newport once played on our ground but not against Ebbw Vale. Who did they
play and when?
(2) Ebbw Vale once played on Rodney Parade but not against Newport. Who did they
play and when?
Scroll down for the answers...
Answers:-
(1) In the first season of the Cup (1971/72) Brynmawr were drawn at home to
Newport but for reasons probably lost in time and best forgotten, the game was
played at Ebbw Vale, Newport winning 23-10.
(2) In 2002/03 Ebbw Vale were due to host Pau in the European Parker Pen
competition but the weather prevented the game going ahead. It was re-arranged
for Rodney Parade and we won 29-3.
REL
The sun shone on the righteous
(210908)
And by right Ebbw Vale won. It
was the best of weather and the best game we have seen at the Vale for some
time, sparkling rugby, keen competition, the result in doubt to the final
quarter and a cracking afternoon all round before the biggest crowd for ages.
Ponty supporters turned up in force and there were times when they looked like
winners, but not for long. Better goal-kicking would have eased the nerves but
the Steelmen, some are so young they should be Steelkids, created more against a
side dangerous in the break-out.
Just one thing, Ponty had a regional player in Aled Brew who looked pretty
dangerous. We don’t get dangerous regional players, other teams do. Brew on
Saturday and Adam Jones the week for example and I still think it’s unfair.
The playing field is not even.
The final try came and all was well, but what a great game it was. We saw enough
good rugby to last us a season, but with this Ebbw team the best is yet to come.
A draw, a defeat and a win is not unusual in the opening month for the Steelmen,
now they have played well AND won we can look forward to some good times, but
it’s Cross Keys on Saturday and that fixture has always been a tough one.
The Supporter’s charabanc will take the short journey down the Western Valley,
Arriva trains will also benefit. We must be there, the boys deserve it. Keys
lost heavily at Neath on Saturday but form goes out of the window at Pandy Park
and a win there has been rare since the days of GWR steam trains.
While we were concentrating on Ebbw, in the world outside self-styled experts
planned changes to our national game. Sometimes I wish we could change the
experts before they ruin everything. The hills are alive with the sound of ELVs,
another Welsh region, autumn internationals, even the Six Nations. We also yawn
who stand and wait, but one notion might affect us so we must be watchful. The
talk of a North Wales region was mentioned in the programme last Saturday, and
an extract is given below.
“Our visitors with memories of the Celtic Warriors, were unimpressed by the
news of a possible fifth region in North Wales. The multi-national four regional
sides gave a guarded welcome, but don’t want it in South Wales as it might
“impinge on their interests.” Surprise, surprise!
The idea that a regional side in North Wales would require a Premier club in
support needs close attention, a place in the Premier Division must be on merit,
a club cannot be fast tracked through the ranks to the possible exclusion of
another. But is it fair to say that there’s no big support for rugby in a
soccer mad area like North Wales? I know two blokes who will support it and they
know two more, so there’s four for a start.”
REL
Deja Vu (140908)
Absentee Ebbw Vale supporters
must have been disappointed when they heard the result at Bridgend, but those at
the scene came away in optimistic mood. The Bridgend PRO described the game as a
“cracker” and was full of praise for the new Steelmen. Yes, we lost and
no-one enjoys that, but we played well, scored three tries to four, converted
two as they did, but in a game in which no cards were shown, Bridgend slotted
three penalty goals. That and lost opportunities denied us at least a bonus
point.
There was another boost to morale, back-row forward Rhys Williams was named Man
of the Match. It’s not often a visiting player in a losing team is so honoured
but Rhys deservedly was. The same Raven PRO described him as “immense.” We
have always produced great back-row forwards and it looks as if we have another
destined for our Hall of Fame.
It was a brighter scenario than the scoreline suggests, and it’s worth looking
back to the two opening games in the two previous seasons. In September 2006 we
won one and lost one. In fact that month’s record was two wins, one draw and
two losses but we finished second in the table. In September 2007 we lost one
and drew one so it’s a case of deja vu. Those who are computer friendly, and
don’t need an Idiot’s Guide like myself, have actually seen highlights of
the game via the Supporters web-site. BBC please note.
At the start of the three seasons we had a clutch of new players, and however
talented – and ours are – it takes time to develop a team. Recently a
contributor to the Supporter’s web-site said, “It took more than 24 hours to
put the Roman Emperor together,” a new version of the well-worn cliché
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Put another way it takes more than 160
minutes to build a team in the true sense of the word, and in the highly
competitive Premier Division the building goes on in the heat of battle and
without respite.
Our next three games are against clubs who won last Saturday. We play Pontypridd
at Ebbw Vale on Saturday after their victory over title-holders Neath, then we
go to Pandy Park where the Keys beat Swansea and then host Newport who beat
Cardiff. Tough fixtures? Of course, it’s the Premier Division.
In the thirteen seasons of League games with Pontypridd, we have won 10 and lost
16, conceded the double five times and got the double twice. That’s a success
rate of 38% during a period when Ebbw Vale’s overall rate was 50%. In 2006/07
we won 23-13 at home and lost 22-31 away. Last season we won 13-6 at home and
16-12 away an aggregate of 74-62 in our favour.
The squad on duty against Pontypridd on 14th March last was:-
Andrew McLaughlin; Simon Hunt (who scored a brilliant try and scored all our 13
points), John Rees Williams, Aaron Bramwell, Andrew Bevan; Bryan Shelbourne
(enjoying late season success at No. 10), Robert Lewis; Ian George, Richard
Wilkes, Anthony Lott; Matthew Griffin, Rhodri Dicks; Nio Aiono, John McPhail,
John Bowd (capt). The replacements were Aaron Coundley, Matthew Williams, Marc
Jones, Craig Moses, Chris Anderson, Kristian Owen and James Lewis.
Quite a difference in personnel to the Class of 2008 which all agree is now much
stronger in some departments but one thing is not different, the backing of the
supporters, the majority of whom use the Dynion, the minority (and by far the
noisiest) the Merched. From which you will realise I’m practising for the
National Eisteddfod which comes to town in 2010.
Northerners who speak Welsh might consider themselves missionaries to the
heathen south, but we have a mission too, converting North Walians to rugby and
civilisation as we know it.
REL
Playing towards the beer
(070908)
It was that great prop of the
Sixties, Len Dimmick, who began the tradition of Ebbw Vale wanting to “play
towards the beer” in the second half. With the clubhouse in view, like an
oasis, it was a psychological advantage presumably still sought today. Our
ground was called the Bridgend Field then, thus named because of the pub outside
the gates which was our HQ until 1957 when the clubhouse was built. It boasted
the longest bar in Wales, which didn’t quicken the delivery of beer to the
thirsty throngs who watched live rugby en masse in those days.
“Bridgend” and “Brewery” were the names of two fields, and we visit the
latter on Saturday. There’s a tendency when previewing a game against Bridgend
to talk of bridges too far, or that famous Floodlit Alliance game when we had to
beat Bridgend and score seven tries to reach the final, which of course we did.
Matches with them have been the most popular for Ebbw Vale members since time
immemorial or even earlier and a win at their ground was not only rare but
cherished in club archives. Nightmares recur when recalling the 1975-1985 period
during which we lost 13 times and only won four! From 1978 to 1983 we lost every
game.
It’s more comforting to ponder on more recent times even if we lost on our
last visit 6-32. Best forgotten? Not at all, lessons learned and so on. We
won’t dwell on that and quickly go back two years when we opened the season
with a win at Bridgend 16-7 and later clinched the double in a 60 pointer,
37-23. Results from our first season in the top division, 1995/96, to date are
26 played, 12 won, 14 lost.
Bridgend rent the Brewery Field from the Celtic Crusaders Rugby League Club and
officially their name is Bridgend Ravens. Apparently the name Bridgend RFC was
owned, maybe it still is, by a former owner. Supporters and business men
“resurrected” the team when previous funding ended, and added “Ravens”
to the name of the town.
They are still formidable opponents as we found on our last visit, but equally
formidable in a less physical way is our travelling Band of Brothers and Sisters
who don’t believe that silence is golden. Not a secret weapon perhaps but
it’s best to have them on your side.
One major difference between now and, say, thirty years ago is the absence of
mid-week fixtures which meant two rugby occasions a week among friends and
fellow members of the Band of Hope. If we had lost on the Saturday we hoped to
win on the Wednesday.
To revive that sort of socialising, and to learn more about the game from
experts, there has been a suggestion that we invite some of the latter to an
informal evening in the clubhouse. Coaches, referees, players of the past and
present would be invited on a fairly regular basis.
Think about it. At the very least it would be “an hour out of the house.”
REL
Beware Bedwas (310809)
It’s not the first time one of
these epistles carried that headline, but it’s repeated in case we regard
Saturday’s game with Bedwas as a home banker. We’ve played them ten times in
the League winning five and losing five. That’s how close it’s been so over
confidence is verboten. The game will have added interest because of the
experimental laws which, reportedly, coaches in the Guinness Premiership are
hostile to. Who better to judge?
They tell me the Olympic Games were recently held out East and that the GB team
won a lot of medals, a sporting Chinese take-away. Apparently the Games began
and ended with ceremonies that out-did Hollywood and the little darling who
“sang” at the opening wasn’t singing at all. At least at the Millenium
Stadium when Katherine Jenkins graces our screens the voice you hear is her own.
Cycling came to the fore, an activity we all took part in once upon a time and
believe me pedalling up Gin Shop Hill was worth a gold medal. Lots of kids have
bikes nowadays, we are surrounded by mountains and mountain-biking is an Olympic
sport, but is there a local club and are there coaching schemes?
There are in rugby which sadly is not an Olympic sport, and a local lad can get
to the top without leaving his home town. He can play school and junior rugby,
senior rugby with a Premiership club, a region and go on to play for Wales and
the Lions. An added incentive is a medal in the Commonwealth Games because
Sevens is included, which just shows what a daft lot the Olympic blazerrati are.
They are preparing for another bun-fight at the 2012 Games in London and Mayor
Boris Johnson, who might even buy a new suit for the occasion, is pushing for
the 2015 Rugby World Cup. There are plenty of stadiums in and around London and
Wales has thrown its cloth cap into the ring hoping for a share which would mean
playing our pool games in the Millie, that’s if Munster aren’t using it.
Ebbw Vale haven’t made a bid but we’ll be in the news in 2010 when the
National Eisteddfod rests its caravan in a town where rugby is the preferred
sport. In South Wales the sporting world is oval, in the North it’s round and
always will be. In case visitors accuse us of not being truly Welsh because most
of us don’t speak the language, they should be told that 50% of the Member’s
Directors on Ebbw Vale RFC’s Board do. The other 50% says she’s considering
taking lessons when the rugby season ends.
Pre-season friendlies emphasised the gulf between English Division One and our
Premier Division but we challenged strongly at Moseley. Aberavon losing at home
to London Welsh and Coventry and Bedford beating the Gwent Dragons shows that
Welsh clubs will have to be much better funded if cross-border games are agreed.
There’s not a lot wrong with the roots of Welsh rugby if Bargoed are anything
to go by. They dominated the second half of the third pre-season friendly and
no-one would have complained had they won. Ebbw’s 31-27 win was hard fought
but it was invaluable to the coaches who now prepare for the serious stuff.
For those who have not bought their season tickets yet NOW IS THE TIME.
REL
FIXED UP AT LAST(220808)
We played 51 games in 1980/81 and
finished with a creditable 56% success rate. Non-Welsh fixtures against
Gloucester, Bedford, Moseley, Northampton, Saracens, Bath and Oxford University
from England, Watsonians from Scotland and Instonians from Northern Ireland
added variety and lots of fun.
There’s not much difference from one season to the next these days, not that
we complain because all-Welsh clashes still stir the spirit and the Premier
Division is a launching pad for young talent. We still remember James Hook
standing out in the Neath club side, but regular playing opportunities are
decreasing for the up and comers with non-Welshmen occupying key positions in
the regional teams.
Enticing top players to the fleshpots of Europe has exposed a serious lack of
strength in depth in New Zealand, which is why plans are afoot to pay more to
keep them at home. We all support home talent, Wales for the Welsh I say, but
it’s a strange rugby world and it will get stranger and more dangerous if the
money moguls get their way.
We have a Kiwi who coached Wales bemoaning the fact that too many Kiwis are
going to Europe, a Kiwi coaching the Wallabies, and a Kiwi who now coaches Wales
bemoaning another fact that too many non-Welshmen are employed by the Welsh
regions as players AND coaches.
It’s been one way traffic, no-one from the north has been signed on to play in
the south but Australia, bent on turning Rugby Union into a three ring circus,
want to be able to import foreign players for the Super 14 competition. The
implication is that the present system of home bred players in Super 14 teams is
faulty. Or is it just a gimmick to attract super-stars from Europe (whoever they
are) to brighten up the game in Oz? The Wizard of Oz turned out to be all talk
and no substance so maybe this is just another load of nonsense from the
Colonies.
But back to fixtures, and not before time because there’s a lot of pre-season
planning needed on and off the field. Thank goodness we have local Derbies over
Christmas and Easter at Pontypool which means the lads can have a decent family
Christmas at last, especially the props who’ll have more time to play with
their train sets.
There’s only one League game in March, and the final fixture, oddly, is in
May. A good run in the Cup will add interest and on the whole it seems a
sensible programme. We start with a home game and we hope it heralds a more
successful first month of the season than last year.
REL
SORRY OSPREYS – IT JUST
AIN’T FAIR(060808)
The July 21st edition of the
Western Mail reported that the Ospreys will allocate some of their super stars
to the four Premiership clubs in their region – Neath, Swansea, Aberavon and
Bridgend – and they will play in them when they are not required for Heineken
Cup, Magner’s League and Wales duties.
It’s an important move by the region everyone thinks is the best of the bunch,
but if some of the Osprey’s massive stable of pedigrees turn up against
Premiership clubs whose region is not as well blessed or as concerned as the
Ospreys for their clubs, the pitch we all play on will be dangerously uneven.
The big shots at the top of our game must realise that the Premier Division is a
competition and there is relegation which, in rugby terms, is a fate worse that
death. The regions have something to offer sponsors, the clubs don’t have as
much, and a club that avoids relegation must still strive for a decent place in
the order of things to attract support.
Losing to teams strengthened by superstars is unfair, and with that in mind this
is the Osprey plan according to the WM report:-
Shane Williams, James Hook, Ian Evans, Duncan and Adam Jones “pencilled in for
the odd match for Neath.”
Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, Jonathan Thomas and Alun Wyn-Jones “will each be
with the Swansea side.”
Mike Phillips “will definitely play for Aberavon when he is ready to return
from knee injury to prove his fitness again.”
Lee Byrne and Ian Gough “will be involved with Bridgend.”
But what about the rest of us? We don’t have Ospreys flying high in our areas,
we find keeping heads above water a tough enough job as it is without facing
Henson & Co in a match we might have to win to stay alive. A not so gentle
reminder to the WRU is called for. They created the Premier Division which was
to be semi-professional. If Henson, Hook and Co play for a Premier club, even if
it’s only once or twice a season, that club will benefit enormously from
super-professionals. What the Ospreys have decided sounds great – for the
Ospreys and the four clubs in their region. What they have forgotten though is
the effect it will have on clubs from the other three regions who have to play
against them.
Regionally registered players, especially those in the academies, are fine, but
no Welsh internationals please! One wonders if the mastermind who thought this
one up really thought of the effect it would have on other clubs in the Premier
Division. Some say the Ospreys announcement is just a publicity stunt, and I
hope they are right. If it's genuine one can only say one is not
amused.
It just ain’t fair.
REL
Too many balls (270708)
The influence on world rugby of
the southern hemisphere tri-nations is immense, and not only on the field.
They have persuaded the International Rugby Board, HQ Cloud Nine, to let them
experiment with laws to speed the game up, something the Aussies are keen on
because they face opposition from two other winter games, Australian Rules and
Rugby League.
Spending Saturday mornings watching televised Super 14 rugby from Tri-Nations
land brings to our homes the razzle and dazzle of superb players who are
literally out of our world and run like the wind. But not every rugby player
dazzles or is paid to play, and if a new Law makes the game faster only full
time pros will be able to do it justice. The phrase running like headless
chickens comes to mind.
There may be more running under the experimental laws, but running where?
Brian, the Old Moore of Rugby Union, is a wise bird who has been there, done
it etc. When they talk about the ball being longer in play, he says, “It
doesn’t matter if the ball is in play for the full 80 minutes if what is
produced is meaningless.” I always knew hookers had brains.
The problem is that the Laws under which pros play also apply to Abercwmscwt
and Aberflyarff. If that happens stout hearted men who play for fun will fill
a knackers yard. Our game is for everyman, the long, the short and the tall,
the obese, the strong, the clever and the cunning. If the heavy stuff goes out
of it our youth may as well take up darts or softball which is rounders by any
other name.
The game is already faster than it was and a reason has been offered by an
astute Vice President who combines knowledge of ale with Guinness Premiership
rugby Tiger style. He reckons rugby union has got faster because there are
more balls in use in a game and they are re-cycled quickly. Once upon a time
there were no ball-boys and very few balls. Especially in Rugger England.
If the ball went out of play there was a brief, but very welcome, respite
while a Committee member recovered it. For props it was like being on the
Eiger and being relieved by a brandy carrying St. Bernard Dog. But now there
are balls everywhere and something even worse for the partially fit – the
quick throw in.
Tradition is paramount at Ebbw Vale and some things don’t change, like
fishing an over-kicked ball out of our answer to the Amazon, the wild torrent
known as the River Ebbw which was once so polluted an under-sized fish caught
in it begged not to be thrown back.
We still recover floating balls in the old fashioned way and have a fully
trained angler with a long pole and a net much bigger than the sort we used to
catch tiddlers in. He misses all the quick throw-ins and has to dash to the
riverside to cast his net otherwise the ball ends up at Cross Keys where they
haven’t had to buy a new one for years.
REL
All together now – EBBW, EBBW!
(140708)
It really is a pity we can’t
stage pre-season friendlies on our own grounds which are kept in pristine
condition by expert and hard working ground staff. But away friendlies are
useful, bonding I think is the modern term for getting the boys together in a
bus, so trips next month to Moseley, Henley and Newbridge will prepare them for
an even more competitive Premiership than the last one.
Before Leagues were introduced to save Welsh rugby and improve standards (ah!
yes there were spin doctors then too), we played Moseley at home and at The
Reddings which they no longer inhabit. In the posh part of Brum we found a
friendly club with a committee packed with Welsh exiles. We also got a liking
for Mitchell and Butlers.
Moseley were among the best in England then and we rarely beat them, home or
away. They always played good rugby and provided warm hospitality which could
not be said for all English clubs. Moseley now play in English National League
One and came 10th out of sixteen last term. But, they will be tough to beat, and
even though it’s not a League match, friendlies must be won too.
Henley is renowned for boats, oars, straw hats and berries, elderly gents
wearing schoolboy caps much too small for them, females direct from the pages of
Hello and brawny toffs rowing like mad. Jolly good fun, but Henley is not all
about water.
Beer might not be sportingly correct on the river bank but it is at Henley rugby
(or should that be ‘rugger’) club where we’ll play in the second of the
August friendlies. They are in English League Two and didn’t have a great
season in 2007/08, but you can bet they’ll be big and keen to win. An
interesting game this and I’d wear my Old School Tie if I had one, but
Victoria School didn’t go in for ties.
Newbridge away brings back fond memories of hard Western Valley Derbies, but
against a club that always believed in fast flowing rugby. We last played them
in the League in 2004/05 when we won 24-14 and 48-34 away, a 72-48 points
extravaganza that typified games between us. After trips to the Midlands and the
stock-broker belt, the short journey to Newbridge, by train of course, will be a
stroll in the park for our supporters.
It costs the Supporters' Club a lot of money to provide transport and even if
you don’t travel on their bus, and thereby miss an experience only matched by
Disney’s Space Mountain, you should be a member. It doesn’t cost much but a
lot of small subscriptions can make the difference between listening to “Ebbw,
Ebbw” at away games or silence.
And we don’t do silence.
REL
Down Under Domination (030708)
What is it about Kiwi, Wallaby
and Springbok rugby? Why is it that European rugby comes off second best when it
faces southern hemisphere opposition? And, does it matter? You bet it matters,
if we and the other five top European nations claim to be world class, then we
have to win down there, and every autumn up here.
In 1984 Australia beat Wales at Cardiff and the nation went into shock because
the Wallabies were not then regarded as a top rugby country. When asked, “What
next for Wales?” the Welsh skipper Mike Watkins said, “Over the Angel for a
pint.”
Defeats could be drowned in beer then, but except for recent midnight follies in
Auckland, players take time to recover from losing in these more serious days.
Rugby is serious in both hemispheres but there’s a difference, the south
almost always beats the north. It’s not that we don’t try, it’s not
because we lack coaching, those down there always seem to win - even up here.
We knew deep in our hearts that Wales, Ireland and England would come home in
June without a win, Scotland did manage one against Argentina, but not by a big
enough margin to win them a seeded place in the next World Cup. But we held high
hopes for the Welsh Under 20s.
They did well, they were well coached, and showed there is talent galore in
Wales. Their effort to gain fourth place is just one reason why the regions must
get rid of foreign players and let home talent get regular top rugby. But once
again the junior All-Blacks and Springboks won. Some of them play in Super 14
rugby, hardly any of ours get on the field in regional matches.
Wales have beaten South Africa ONCE in over a 100 years of trying. We last beat
New Zealand in 1953 which was our third win over them. Victories over the Kiwis
are as rare as a Rob Andrews smile, but Ebbw Vale can claim two. Honestly.
Two New Zealand clubs on world tours played here 30 years ago, Northcote/Birkenhead
of Auckland in 1976, and Wellington in 1977. Murray Mexted, the great All-Black,
was in the Wellington team and won the first of his 37 caps a few months later.
We won both games and it was a late drop goal by tiny No. 10 Lyndon Miles that
beat Wellington.
Post-match celebrations tested the floor of the clubhouse, thirty big colonial
lumps doing the Haka almost moved the party downstairs, and there were lots of
doctor’s papers next day.
Happy, hazy days and nights. Alas, never to return.
REL
There's a lot in a name (250608)
What is it about Kiwi, Wallaby
and Springbok rugby? Why is it that European rugby comes off second best when it
faces southern hemisphere opposition? And, does it matter? You bet it matters,
if we and the other five top European nations claim to be world class, then we
have to win down there, and every autumn up here.
In 1984 Australia beat Wales at Cardiff and the nation went into shock because
the Wallabies were not then regarded as a top rugby country. When asked, “What
next for Wales?” the Welsh skipper Mike Watkins said, “Over the Angel for a
pint.”
Defeats could be drowned in beer then, but except for recent midnight follies in
Auckland, players take time to recover from losing in these more serious days.
Rugby is serious in both hemispheres but there’s a difference, the south
almost always beats the north. It’s not that we don’t try, it’s not
because we lack coaching, those down there always seem to win - even up here.
We knew deep in our hearts that Wales, Ireland and England would come home in
June without a win, Scotland did manage one against Argentina, but not by a big
enough margin to win them a seeded place in the next World Cup. But we held high
hopes for the Welsh Under 20s.
They did well, they were well coached, and showed there is talent galore in
Wales. Their effort to gain fourth place is just one reason why the regions must
get rid of foreign players and let home talent get regular top rugby. But once
again the junior All-Blacks and Springboks won. Some of them play in Super 14
rugby, hardly any of ours get on the field in regional matches.
Wales have beaten South Africa ONCE in over a 100 years of trying. We last beat
New Zealand in 1953 which was our third win over them. Victories over the Kiwis
are as rare as a Rob Andrews smile, but Ebbw Vale can claim two. Honestly.
Two New Zealand clubs on world tours played here 30 years ago, Northcote/Birkenhead
of Auckland in 1976, and Wellington in 1977. Murray Mexted, the great All-Black,
was in the Wellington team and won the first of his 37 caps a few months later.
We won both games and it was a late drop goal by tiny No. 10 Lyndon Miles that
beat Wellington.
Post-match celebrations tested the floor of the clubhouse, thirty big colonial
lumps doing the Haka almost moved the party downstairs, and there were lots of
doctor’s papers next day.
Happy, hazy days and nights. Alas, never to return.
REL
All the time, ref! (150608)
The intensity of modern Test rugby
highlights the role of the referee who now have the added problem of being
judged by TV replays, and millions of partisan watchers. Refereeing was never
easy, but still attracted volunteers, one of them being Ernie Lewis, father of
Steve, grandfather of the twins, who was our outside-half in the late 40s and
early 50s.
He once scored 198 points in a season which was regarded as very good at a
time when a try was worth three points and scoring was low. When he hung up
his kicking boots he turned gamekeeper and took up refereeing.
On rare occasions a referee would send a player off for persistently
infringing the Laws of the game, and Ernie did that too. In a Gwent club game
an international forward was detected, charged and found guilty by Ernie who
sent him packing. It might be a coincidence but he never refereed an
international match afterwards.
Ernie made two major international appearances clad in a blazer, he refereed
France v Australia in Toulouse in 1971 and was one of the touch-judges in a
game still regarded as the best ever – Barbarians v New Zealand in 1973.
Ivor George also went legit and responded to tanner bank critics by waving his
birth certificate at them. He was touch-judge in a Wales v Ireland game but
that was before radio was invented so no one knew.
In the 1971 game in Toulouse the crowd were most unhappy and downright Sacre
Bleu when Australia won in France for the first time, 11-10. The game was
described as a “storming affair, ill-tempered, before a highly partisan
crowd.” Police protected the Aussies from the dressing rooms to their bus,
all except one, he went to the hospital.
When Ernie gave a penalty to France the Australian skipper, Greg Davis, was
punched in his jaw which broke. One wonders what would have happened if Ernie
had given a penalty to Australia. Refereeing great players must be an
experience never forgotten and although the Wallabies were not a great force
in 1971, France could field giants like Villepreux, Lux, Bertanne, Spanghero,
Skrela and Dauga. Controlling them was little Ernie Lewis, but he had played
in Valley Derbies and was afraid of nothing and nobody.
Referees were not wired for sound then, now we can hear why a decision has
been made. But the players hear the referee all the time, and he hears us,
especially when we get two tries disallowed and a passive scrum is formed when
we are threatening the opposition line.
If the average watchers had to sit examinations on the Laws of the Game the
failure rate would be enormous. Even if we don’t hear the reason for a
referee’s decision he does make signals – so do some of the supporters.
Note I mentioned “he” which implies that all referees are male. In 1986
Ebbw Vale were refereed by a lady which didn’t faze our skipper Des Parry,
who being a countryman knew all about birds and bees.
It was a game in Florida, played in heavy rain, and won handsomely by the
Steelmen. Des also behaved handsomely, and it was the only occasion for him to
discuss the Rules of the Game with a referee. Long after the game ended.
REL
A coach that keeps on running
(040608)
Last April was the end of one
season for some coaches, and the end of employment for others, but for Ebbw
Vale’s Patrick Horgan the show was still on the road, albeit with different
cast members. He coaches the Wales Under 20s who didn’t lose at home last
season and now he faces his greatest challenge in the job.
The Junior World Championships will be held in Wales June 6-22 and Wales will
play their pool games at the Liberty Stadium not far from Cwmgwrach where
Patrick resides. They don’t “live” in Cwmgwrach, they “reside” because
it’s a very famous place.
Why? Because Ebbw Vale played there once in the Welsh Cup and left an indelible
impression. We also left eight committee members behind when Gareth Howls, the
Captain Bligh of rugby, decided the bus would leave at midnight promptly without
calling the roll. Finding two taxis in Cwmgwrach in 1976 was not easy.
The tournament aforementioned will be staged at four venues, three where the
Ospreys, Llanelli Scarlets, Cardiff Blues and Gwent Dragons play and the
Racecourse Wrexham. Wales will face France, Japan and Italy at the Liberty
Stadium.
Patrick is optimistic with good reason because there’s plenty of talent in his
squad, which is made up of 9 Blues, 8 Ospreys, 5 Scarlets, 3 Dragons and a lad
from Bristol where no doubt he has benefited from the coaching of Richard Hill.
With all that talent one problem remains. The Under 20s next step is a regular
place in a regional team, but we only have four of them and some of those
regular places are already filled by non-Welshmen, with more to come.
Apart from backing Wales we also want our coach to do well, The tournament
should be supported and will stir the soul, exercise the mind and is much better
than other summer activities like gardening, doing it yourself, tidying the
attic and making sand castles at Barry Island.
REL
Fair play, Ebbw! (250508)
On Wednesday 22nd May the
Premiership awards night was held and for the second year running Ebbw Vale won
the Fair Play award for welcoming referees and visiting clubs, all of which is
second nature to us. Fair play is unknown in the rounder ball game as it once
was when crowds wore civvy clothes, cloth caps and, if they really wanted to
show off, rosettes.
While we were winning our award a big soccer match was played in Moscow, not as
important as Ebbw Vale v Bedwas maybe, but it attracted a crowd who got their
roubles worth because it lasted over two hours during which only two proper
goals were scored. Roubles by the way are not worth much in the world’s
economy.
Ministers are always ready to jump on band-wagons and never stop trying to get
their names in the paper. You might not have realised it but we have a Culture
Minister by the name of Andy Burnham, but you knew that didn’t you. He was
chuffed at the chance of a sound-bite and was waving the Union flag when he
said, “It’s been a great night for English football………a great
advertisement of English football.”
Obviously he’s just come back from the moon because the only English thing
about top Premiership sides in football is their home grounds. One of the teams
in Moscow was coached by a Scotsman, the other by an Israeli, but not for long.
The owners of Manchester United are American, the owner of Chelski is Russian,
and if they had played the national anthems of all those taking part it would be
like a Eurovision Song Contest.
We can laugh at all that, and even criticise the Guinness Premiership clubs for
employing lots of non-English players. But that competition has twelve clubs in
it and there’s still plenty of opportunity for the natives to learn their
trade and play for England. Not so in Wales where we have only four officially
rated top teams, in some of which key positions are held by highly paid
non-Welshmen.
Now regional recruiters are trawling the world for players aiming for British
streets paved with gold. A few is OK, too many is bad news and Warren Gatland
has said there are not enough No.8s in the regions to merit selection for the
Welsh side.
It’s the same with scrum-halves, and if the Welsh Rugby Job Centre door opens
wider, Warren will have problems finding fifteen eligible to wear the scarlet.
Adding to the problem is the race to fill coaching vacancies from Down Under,
which doesn’t say much for our system, if there is one.
Being fair to referees is not that easy nowadays because the Laws of the game,
and their interpretation, are getting complicated. But without referees we
wouldn’t have a game and even the occasional supporter disagrees with a
penalty decision against his own team (!), there must be fair play, and we have
a sustificate to prove it.
Refs have to be patient, possess a sense of humour and an understanding of
players foibles. The contrast between our game and soccer is not only confined
to players falling stricken to the floor like extras in a Western movie. We
don’t do that, and we don’t slap someone in the chops either. A left hook
maybe, but not a slap.
REL
Mid week blues (200508)
Mid-week fixtures are mercifully
rare nowadays and the game is so intense that only a really big squad can handle
them. The ancients will argue that in their day the club played fifty games with
mid-week fixtures the norm, but moderns will say that rugby is physically harder
and faster now and the Premier Division is highly competitive with no easy
games.
We played three mid-week fixtures in 2007/08 and on each occasion lost on the
following Saturday. A squad hit by injuries is vulnerable when facing two tough
games in a few days which might explain our form at Cross Keys and Cardiff and
home to the Wanderers.
On Boxing Day we beat Llandovery at home 38-13, three days later we lost at
Pandy Park 10-11. On Tuesday 25th March we got the double over Newport 16-12,
four days later at the Arms Park we failed to score and went down, albeit
fighting, 0-21.
On Tuesday 15th April we came back from 3-17 at home to Aberavon to win 48-20,
another double and our third game with the Wizards in the season with a
favourable points aggregate of 92-69. But four days later we drew with the
Wanderers 13-13.
In football players play mid-week and week-ends but it’s not as physically
demanding as rugby and the star players are richly rewarded and do nothing else,
except getting chucked out of night clubs. It’s so different for semi-pro
rugby players in a hard Premier Division like ours who have a life outside the
game.
We don’t do excuses and we’ve lost on Saturdays after a match-free week, but
as the season drew on and the injury list also grew so did the pressure. Swings
and roundabouts, ups and downs, are experienced by all clubs, but it’s been a
good season nevertheless and we had some great moments, seven wins on the trot
in the autumn for example when we won at Neath, Aberavon, Pontypridd and Newport
and season’s doubles over the last three.
The home draw with the Wanderers in awful conditions did not erase the memory of
what happened a mere four days earlier. I shall say this only once, but that
amazing win over a good Aberavon side was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Statistics mean different things to different people, but a success rate of 65%
since September 2006 is pretty good, especially when compared to 36% in 2005/06.
And we can also record the 100% success of the Supporter’s Club, Vice
Presidents and members of all ages.
There’s a satellite thing up in the sky which transmits live rugby from
Auckland, cricket from Delhi and soccer from everywhere. It’s a high-tech
soapbox for those with something to say, not all of it helpful, but everybody
has a different view. When technology was confined to winding up a car or
gramophone the only public opinions on our game came from writers and radio
commentators. Now the average supporter with a computer can express views by
tapping on a keyboard regardless of bad spelling and no punctuation.
There’s no such animal as an average fan as a journalist once said - “I
write from the viewpoint of the average fan, although, like any average fan, I
think I know more about the game than the average fan!” Ebbw Vale’s fans are
above average and among their other contributions is the publication of match
programmes.
It’s not easy funding them, but we have a variety of ads thanks to close
season effort. And unlike another club we visited we don’t have one from a
local undertaker offering “undying support!”
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The Final Curtain (040508)
Mid-week fixtures are mercifully
rare nowadays and the game is so intense that only a really big squad can handle
them. The ancients will argue that in their day the club played fifty games with
mid-week fixtures the norm, but moderns will say that rugby is physically harder
and faster now and the Premier Division is highly competitive with no easy
games.
We played three mid-week fixtures in 2007/08 and on each occasion lost on the
following Saturday. A squad hit by injuries is vulnerable when facing two tough
games in a few days which might explain our form at Cross Keys and Cardiff and
home to the Wanderers.
On Boxing Day we beat Llandovery at home 38-13, three days later we lost at
Pandy Park 10-11. On Tuesday 25th March we got the double over Newport 16-12,
four days later at the Arms Park we failed to score and went down, albeit
fighting, 0-21.
On Tuesday 15th April we came back from 3-17 at home to Aberavon to win 48-20,
another double and our third game with the Wizards in the season with a
favourable points aggregate of 92-69. But four days later we drew with the
Wanderers 13-13.
In football players play mid-week and week-ends but it’s not as physically
demanding as rugby and the star players are richly rewarded and do nothing else,
except getting chucked out of night clubs. It’s so different for semi-pro
rugby players in a hard Premier Division like ours who have a life outside the
game.
We don’t do excuses and we’ve lost on Saturdays after a match-free week, but
as the season drew on and the injury list also grew so did the pressure. Swings
and roundabouts, ups and downs, are experienced by all clubs, but it’s been a
good season nevertheless and we had some great moments, seven wins on the trot
in the autumn for example when we won at Neath, Aberavon, Pontypridd and Newport
and season’s doubles over the last three.
The home draw with the Wanderers in awful conditions did not erase the memory of
what happened a mere four days earlier. I shall say this only once, but that
amazing win over a good Aberavon side was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Statistics mean different things to different people, but a success rate of 65%
since September 2006 is pretty good, especially when compared to 36% in 2005/06.
And we can also record the 100% success of the Supporter’s Club, Vice
Presidents and members of all ages.
There’s a satellite thing up in the sky which transmits live rugby from
Auckland, cricket from Delhi and soccer from everywhere. It’s a high-tech
soapbox for those with something to say, not all of it helpful, but everybody
has a different view. When technology was confined to winding up a car or
gramophone the only public opinions on our game came from writers and radio
commentators. Now the average supporter with a computer can express views by
tapping on a keyboard regardless of bad spelling and no punctuation.
There’s no such animal as an average fan as a journalist once said - “I
write from the viewpoint of the average fan, although, like any average fan, I
think I know more about the game than the average fan!” Ebbw Vale’s fans are
above average and among their other contributions is the publication of match
programmes.
It’s not easy funding them, but we have a variety of ads thanks to close
season effort. And unlike another club we visited we don’t have one from a
local undertaker offering “undying support!”
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VALE TRIUMPH IN A CRAZY AFFAIR
(280408)
I borrow the Argus headline over
their report on last Saturday’s Derby with Cross Keys, not only because it
was a bit bizarre, but also to acknowledge the two page coverage – other
newspapers please note.
On a lovely afternoon on a lovely pitch with our lovely ground a sight to see
we didn’t have a lovely game because a game lasts 80 minutes. True, the
players were on the park all that time but the final quarter faded away like
ghosts in the night. There were enough cards shown to start a whist drive, but
there was also some cracking rugby from both sides, and we scored four tries
to get another winning bonus point. In the four games we played in April we
won three and drew one, recording 17 match points out of 20 on offer. Not bad
for the end of the season.
After the game the clubhouse was jumping, the supporters were in full voice as
they will be at Swansea on Friday, and the award winners were given the Oscar
treatment except that there was no red carpet and everyone was dressed
decently. Well, almost everyone. Clubman of the Year, Bryan Shelbourne was
described in the Argus as a half-back which was spot on because in the latter
weeks of the season this full-time No.9 played superbly as a part-time No.10.
The Most Promising Player – perhaps because he promised everyone a drink –
was Anthony Lott who has shown a lot of promise and rippling muscles. The lady
supporters who voted for him obviously are interested in that sort of thing.
Full-back Andrew McLaughlan is the best of his trade in the Division and was
Player of the Year. His long-range kicking has broken many opposition hearts,
as well as those of his local admirers, and he really has been a gem.
Swansea began our season and will end it at St. Helen’s on Friday. They will
chase a double, Ebbw Vale will seek to avoid one. Swansea have had a good
second half of the campaign and although we got the double over them last
season, they will be a handful, as indeed Cross Keys were, for a while, last
Saturday.
A few days before the Cross Keys game the WRU unveiled it’s long awaited
report on the Premiership which recommends among other things an unlimited
number of regionally registered players turning out for clubs. We must get
more gen on this, how it will work, who decides which players go to which
clubs, will it be fairly done and if in turn clubs will be expected to supply
their best players to the regions. If each region sends players to each of its
clubs, it will be much easier for the Scarlets who only have two clubs under
their umbrella. It will be much more difficult for the Dragons who have five
and who at the moment are not the strongest region anyway. If every region has
the same amount of jam to spread, there won’t be much for Gwent clubs.
Above all there must be fairness in the allocation of players and as little
disruption to club squads as possible. There’s still relegation in the
Division and results do matter. This is an important decision by the WRU who I
am sure will not want the incentive dominated by clubs on whose grounds
regional games are played. It must be done correctly so that clubs benefit
equally and the sooner our minds are set at ease the better.
Meanwhile back at the ranch it’s party time, the Supporter’' Club have
their annual bash on June 7th and the Vice Presidents' dinner is in the
pipeline. As Milo wrote in the programme last week, supporting Ebbw is an
addiction. And we love it!
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It rained on our parade (200408)
Of
all the gin joints in all the world Ingrid Bergman went into Bogart’s, and
there was no happy ending ‘cos Bogie didn’t end up with the girl. Of all the
days in all the season rain came to Ebbw Vale last Saturday and we didn’t end
up with a win.
The editorial in the match programme refers to great wins at Llanelli and home
to Aberavon which brought us eleven tries. Let me quote, “The players seemed
to enjoy the wide open spaces at Stradey Park and the firm pitch,” and
reporting on the mid-week game with Aberavon, “Once again, a firm pitch with
wide open spaces was exactly what the doctor ordered.”
I don’t claim that if the sun had kept shining and the rain had stopped
dropping, that we would have beaten the Wanderers. But the weather didn’t help
and we endured a third draw against them in three seasons. A set-back perhaps,
but you can’t score lots of tries in rain and wind. Pray for sun on Saturday
everybody.
An opera isn’t over until the fat soprano keels over. A rugby match isn’t
over until the fat prop collapses and a rugby season is never over. Players
might go into hibernation, turnstiles go silent, but the work goes on in
readiness for the next campaign.
The close season puts everyone in no man’s land. It can destroy momentum built
up in the dying moments of the old season just when a side is getting in the
groove, there’s no action on the pitch, and uncertainty about yet another cull
of clubs by the Union – and what is there to do on Saturday afternoons?
A good end of a season is important because a place around the top of the table
is a worthwhile target. The Premiership title is once again in the hands of
fully pro Neath (whose budget would be envied by the Chancellor) but we still
have a lot to play for.
When we consider the horrendous injury list which hit us, plus the IRB Sevens,
we should have had a medal for fielding a team at all. Now with two games left,
Cross Keys at home on Saturday and Swansea away on Friday 2nd May, we are going
for a great curtain call to 2007/08, and as show biz folk will tell you, a grand
finale is what the audience likes.
In a tougher Premier Division than ever we’ve done well but it’s becoming
clear that the perpetual winners, Neath, will always dominate because of their
resources. However, let us remember that we beat them at The Gnoll, rugby’s
equivalent to the Bank of England.
Cross Keys v Ebbw Vale to the more mature was always a hard one, and since the
2000/01 season we have won six and lost four games, all doubles. We won home and
away in 2000/01. 2005/06 and 2006/07 and lost in 2003/04 and 2004/05.
Trying for a double adds to the intensity of a match and so does trying to avoid
one, but there’s another reason why Saturday’s game is important. It’s a
Western Valley Derby and matters to players and supporters who live and work in
what was once a rugby hot bed.
I say “once” because a hot-bed in the 21st Century needs a strong regional
set-up, which we don’t have. Next season the probability is that Bedwas, Cross
Keys, Ebbw Vale, Newport and Pontypool will be the Premier clubs in District A
of the WRU, but one wonders whether those at the top of the regional heap give a
damn.
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It's the happy hour - four
doubles barman, please! (160408)
Those who brave the Costas know
all about Happy Hours. That’s when doubles of dodgy gin and even dodgier tonic
(always ask for a Gordon’s & Schweppes) are downed like alcohol is going
out of fashion. My perfect Happy Hour is the sixty minutes (plus) after an Ebbw
Vale win, but sad to say I was elsewhere when we got doubles over Llanelli and
Aberavon, making four in all this season.
For someone who thinks gardening
and DIY are dangerous pastimes, the summer can be long, but I have a project in
mind. I will research into our past and will be very surprised if I discover an
Ebbw Vale team that got doubles over Aberavon, Newport, Llanelli and Pontypridd
in one season.
But just as our lads were getting
back into the swing of things while double hunting, the prey has disappeared. We
won’t get another one this season because the last three clubs we play have
already beaten us. Which means that instead of going for a double we have to
avoid three. Glamorgan Wanderers on Saturday will provide stern opposition and a
lot of running rugby, they are the Corinthians of Welsh club rugby. Cross Keys
come a week after and that will be a Western Valley Derby with every likelihood
of a photo-finish. Then comes Swansea away on the first Friday in May, and they
have moved up the table impressively. Swansea and Neath are the only sides to
beat us at home this season, which is another incentive for John Bowd’s boys
to do well.
Two wins, two winning bonus
points, were thankfully received, especially by those daft enough to be in the
Med (but nowhere near a Costa) when it all happened. There’s a Maltese barman
who still doesn’t understand why a Welsh club result doubled his profits!
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HAIL THE CONQUERED HEROES
(070408)
Ebbw Vale scored five tries at Aberavon last Saturday, but only four were
awarded, luckily the one disallowed did not decide the result otherwise we
peasants would have been revolting. If only a TMO had been on duty! We only
converted once, hit the posts twice and conceded a fatal interception try, but
the supporters thought their lads did the club proud and can always boast they
“were there” when an Ebbw Vale full-back scored three tries. Such a fighting
effort should set the side up for the last five League games, three at home and
two away.
The
editor of the Aberavon match programme while comparing the League situation of
both clubs wrote, “Ebbw Vale for their part, were up there contesting the top
spot, not for the first time in recent seasons, until an horrific crop of
injuries had its effects.” Every team misses key players, and at Aberavon we
also missed our place-kicker. I confess I’ll be glad when the IRB Sevens end!
We
play at Llanelli on Saturday where we last won in 1997/98, our first victory
there since 1970, and we also beat them at home to get a rare double. Another is
possible when we play what may be our last game on a ground that is
destined to become a housing estate full of street signs with English
sub-titles.
Most
home watchers had no idea what the commentators said of our performance at
Aberavon, but at least the broadcasters showed a game between Premier Division
sides, probably because there were no Magner’s League games and the Heineken
Cup was on Sky but we must be thankful for small mercies. We are regarded as
small fry by most of the media the exception being the South Wales Argus thanks
to the excellent reporting of Chris Kirwan. Still slaving away there is Robin
Davey, the Peter Pan of rugby writers, who in a recent article suggested the
regional team should drop the names ‘
Newport
’ and ‘Gwent’ and just be called the Dragons.
That’s what the Neath/Swansea Ospreys did, and it has been suggested that
when the Llanelli Scarlets move to their new ground they’ll drop the name
Llanelli and simply be called the Scarlets.
Cardiff
might share a new stadium with the football club so maybe they will officially
known as the Blues.
A rose by any other name? Or a region with a shorter name? To the
entrenched it might not be important, but when Robin came bob-bob-bobbing along
with his suggestion quite a few eye-brows were raised, so watch this space.
The
few moments when English was heard on S4C last Saturday evening were provided by
our supporters. It’s not easy chanting “Glyn Ebwy, Glyn Ebwy” so they
stuck to “Ebbw, Ebbw” which was first heard in 1976 at Swansea when we lost,
unluckily according to neutrals, 10-4 to Llanelli in a Cup semi-final.
The chorus will be heard against the same opponents on Saturday but hopefully
with a different result.
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VALE SKIPPER IS UNBOWED (300308)
The magic that is the Cup is still there even though it’s not the prime
competition it was. The season at Ebbw Vale is getting harder and a great burden
is being placed on a hard hit squad, but the incentive of reaching our first
semi-final since 2002 will summon up the sinews. As usual our supporters will be
at Aberavon en masse, as they were last Saturday at the Arms Park, cheering
defiant captain John Bowd and his team who never walk alone.
Battlefield experience is what makes hardened warriors, and we have endured a
lot of it since Christmas. Regularly winning one then losing one has been due to
a run of injuries and international commitments of key players in a period of
highs (doubles over Pontypridd and Newport) and lows (where else but Llandovery).
While Vale were defending like demons at the Arms Park, one key player and our
No. 1 goal-kicker, Simon Hunt was scoring a try for the England 7s side in Hong
Kong and was quoted as saying, “You don’t need to win by 40 points, you just
need to win.”
There are no bonus points in Cup rugby, winning is enough and there’s still a
lot to play for in terms of final League positions. Hopefully the missing
players will be back to help finish the season strongly.
We never stopped trying at Cardiff where for the first time this season we
failed to score a point, but if the habit of winning and losing in turn
continues we are due for a victory at Aberavon where we won last autumn. It was
a bookies nightmare and doubled by the Welsh defeat by Fiji a few hours later
which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
We’ve played three Cup games against the Wizards, winning one and losing two.
In 1983/84 after winning 10-9 at Tredegar, we lost at home 16-7 against Aberavon
which featured two early baths. There were no red cards then, just a finger
pointed at Owen Jones of the Wizards and John “The Pop” Williams of Ebbw.
In 1996/97, we were in the 1st (now Premier) Division and had probably our
biggest ever away victory at Port Talbot, 32-8. At the end of the 2005/06 we
were struggling in the League but improved dramatically after losing a Cup
thriller at home to Aberavon 31-33, each side scoring four tries. We stayed up
after winning four, losing four and drawing one of our last nine fixtures,
including a 26-19 home win over – Aberavon!
We didn’t score a lot of points when we played Newport, all we needed to do
was win as Simon says, but the margin of victory could, and should, have been
greater. Witnesses who will swear in court, and others who swore at the time,
reckon that John Bowd and Andrew McLaughlin scored perfectly good tries.
What a pity there was no TMO on duty!
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THE TRAIN NOW LEAVING EBBW VALE
PARKWAY (240308)
On Saturday Ebbw will play
their third hard game in eight days, and traditionally they don’t come
harder than Cardiff away. Our supporters, who would hire dog teams if
their team had to play in the Yukon, have three travel options, by car
(for the teetotallers), in the famous Milo charabanc OR Ebbw Vale’s
answer to the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
The last time we played in Cardiff we snatched a win after being 19-9
adrift with 10 minutes left. Plan B was activated, i.e. drowning in tears,
but with the Ebbw Vale Supporters Chorale in full voice the team snatched
a win so it was back to Plan A – drowning of Brains.
In October of this season we defeated Cardiff at home 12-9 in the middle
of a seven game winning streak, some achievement in view of Cardiff’s
close links with their region and the reservoir of talent they can call
on. A club’s postal code makes a big difference.
There was always something special about the Arms Park where in the early
1950s Ebbw Vale’s visit created a mid-week record of 25,000. Beer was a
bob a pint, the engines pulling trains belched smoke and the two clubs got
along famously on and off the field, as indeed they still do.
While 2008 Grand Slam parties were winding down there was a timely
reminder that English rugby still has more inner strength than the other
Home Countries as those at last week’s match at Ebbw Vale between the
Dragon’s Under 19s and Leicester Academy will confirm.
It was no match at all, the superbly organised Junior Tigers won 55-0,
scored nine tries and although the young Dragons never gave up, they were
out-played and out-muscled. It was a timely reminder that there’s a lot
to do at grass roots level before the cake is as good as the icing.
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TIGER CUBS ON THE PROWL (180308)
There are three Easter gifts coming up for Ebbw Vale followers. On Thursday
March 20th, 7.15pm, we have the first visit ever by a Leicester team. Not the
senior Tigers perhaps but the club’s Academy which is renowned in England for
the quality players that graduate from it. They will play the Dragons Under 19s
who are also striving for fame, so it will be a great game which should be well
supported.
On Saturday March 22nd, the diehards of Milo’s Army will board their modern en
suite charabanc (the one with wheels and brakes) and head for Llandovery where
the Drovers will be desperate for points to lift them from the relegation zone.
Ebbw’s second game in four days is on Tuesday March 25th against Newport at
home, another traditional Western Valley “book-end” Derby which should bring
a bigger than usual crowd.
The game offers a rare opportunity to notch the double over Newport. The last
was ten seasons ago, 1997/8 when we won 24-19 at home (finishing with thirteen
players), and 18-10 away.
In 1998/99 we were a drop goal away from another double. Having beaten Newport
at home 57-17, we led 29-27 at Rodney Parade six minutes into injury time. Then
Shaun Connor dropped a goal and Newport won 30-29.
Two seasons ago another double was lost by the narrowest of margins when having
beaten Newport at home 28-24 we lost at Rodney Parade 21-22.
The foundation of a very good season for Ebbw, whatever our final League
position, was laid last autumn when in ten games we won seven, drew one and lost
two. What made that period special was that four of the wins were away, at
Aberavon, Neath, Pontypridd AND Newport.
The tight discipline imposed on Welsh players was overdue, but we don’t have
that problem in our squad which is packed with clean living chapel-bred angels
who faithfully uphold the club motto - “Healthy body, healthy mind.”
After the titanic game with Pontypridd, the highlight of which was a magnificent
try by Simon Hunt, our players could have been excused if they had gone on the
town but by the time they left the Club the chip shops were shutting down.
But a word of warning to our brave lads, don’t be seen emerging from one of
the many swanky Western Valley night clubs after midnight. You might get
dropped.
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RUGBY SHOULD NEVER BE PASSIVE
(100308)
Get yourselves fit in mind and body for another gigantic rugby week-end.
Pontypridd play at Ebbw on Friday, and next day Wales play France in Cardiff.
That’s not all, on Sunday the Wales Under 18s play Scotland on our ground, and
those who saw them play French Academies last month will know what to expect.
Friday’s game is a big one because both clubs are vying for top places in the
League and traditionally Ebbw and Ponty produce exciting rugby under existing
laws which the Southern Hemisphere Unions think need improving.
It’s all to suit them of course, but the IRB have approved experiments in the
Super 14 and Tri-Nations competitions. While they are at it, they should seek an
alternative to the passive scrum, an abomination if ever there was one. It
doesn’t happen very often but when it does it can change the nature of the
game.
I wonder what the strongest club front row of all time, Graham Price, Bobby
Windsor and Charlie Faulkner make of it? Imagine a Pooler pack of the 70s and
80s losing hard-earned forward dominance because the opposing eight run out of
fit props. It’s a nonsense and gives an undeserved advantage, and considerable
relief, to a team under forward pressure and a mighty disadvantage to the team
applying it.
There’s nothing passive about rugby, every ball should be competed for and
Rugby League type scrums should be consigned to the dust bin. One day the curse
of passive scrums will affect the result of a really big game like the World Cup
Final.
There must be a genuine contest for the ball and the alternative set-piece –
the lineout – could be the answer. Passive scrums are not only alien to the
game but in the wrong hands could be manipulated. Heaven forbid we shall ever
see that, but you never know the way sport in general is going.
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GUINNESS AND GARLIC (030308)
Ebbw Vale once played Bective Rangers on the eve of Wales v Ireland
internationals and the fixture in Donnybrook was as popular as the Cornish tour.
Only the strong ventured forth on the ferry, the Irish Sea being notoriously
rough. But confidence was restored by renditions of “For These In Peril On The
Sea” and “Abide With Me” in the bar.
For Ebbw land-lubbers whose only experience of a voyage was on the paddle
steamer to Weston-Super-Mare or a ride on Gilwern Canal, it was a new experience
but well worth it, Guinness in its natural habitat and two games to stagger to.
Dublin was even more attractive when we had players in the Welsh team, Denzil
Williams in 1964, 1966 and 1970, Ian Watkins in 1988 and Kingsley Jones ten
years later.
Now scarlet-clad masses fly over and flock to O’Connell Street which along
with Princes Street in Edinburgh and Westgate Street in Cardiff is a genuine
rugby thoroughfare on big match days. The road to Twickenham is not, there’s
no real partying because there’s no real rugby people and the parking area
resembles a car boot sale from Hell.
Welsh supporters heading for Dublin this week aim to enjoy themselves and they
won’t be disappointed. There’ll be partying non-stop and laughs galore, and
that’s if Wales lose. If they win don’t expect to see anyone back until the
French game when the aroma of garlic will replace the taste of Guinness.
Meanwhile back at the ranch our squad and supporters are steeling themselves for
a return to normality – club rugby. With seven weeks of the regular season
left we have at least ten matches to play. There’ll be a game jam which could
have been avoided by arranging more evening fixtures while the Six Nations was
on.
Old-time Fixture Secretaries would have been castigated for less. And that’s
really painful.
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BEWARE OF BEDWAS (240208)
On Saturday there’ll be traditional celebrations of Saint David’s Day from
Patagonia to Pont-y-Garreg, but for Ebbw supporters it will be business as usual
at Bedwas where visiting supporters don’t celebrate very often.
We first played them in 1976/77 in an away Cup tie which we won 29-3 and I
remember Paul Ringer taking his usual stance before the kick-off, standing at
half-way selecting his target for the day. It was “Ringer-fencing,” no-one
escaped his clutch.
Our second game with Bedwas was in the 1999/2000 Cup, also away, when we won
handsomely 45-9 under the coaching duo of Leigh Jones and Richard Hill.
Following those two Cup wins we finished in the semi-finals.
It’s honours even in the League, and there’s only a few points difference in
aggregate so we can expect another tough encounter of a very close kind on March
1st a day when leek will be the veg of the day, but hopefully no leaks in
defence.
Ebbw Vale and Bedwas share the same region and will carefully watch the WRU’s
review of the Premier Division and its place in Welsh rugby. It’s too early to
judge but two interesting points have emerged which no one will disagree with.
1. “A need for greater equity and consistency in the treatment of Premiership
clubs by their regions.” The stronger the region, the stronger its Premier
clubs and vice versa. The Ospreys/Neath connection is an example.
2. “More exposure, particularly by broadcasters.” There’s hardly any from
the Beeb, Scrum 5 ignores us, and the BBC ‘Wales On Saturday’ sports
round-up at 4.30pm should be re-named Soccer Special. While rugby supporters
packing clubhouses after a match wait in vain for results, the screen flashes
news of Connahs Quay Nomads and the latest from the Asian Tiddley-Winks Masters.
It’s enough to drive us to drink.
The WRU has announced a new kit deal with an American manufacturer called Under
Armour. The old, and once bold, will say that players today are over armoured,
but the game has changed, and some aspects of it resemble American Football.
So why don’t we twin with the Pittsburgh Steelers? We play with the same
shaped ball, our players have protective kit, the posts are similar and they
drink a lot of beer in Pennsylvania which is named after a Welshman.
We can export Brain’s SA and Rhymney Dark, and they can send us their
cheer-leaders.
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Pasta (170208)
Welsh rugby followers of Italian
descent can relax on Saturday. They can support both sides without fear of
disloyalty. But a word of warning to Steelmen fans packing the platform of Ebbw
Vale Parkway on Saturday, the Italian national colours are the same as Ebbw’s
but your duty is to cheer the side in red.
Over the years families with names like Rossi, Basini, Carpanini, Solari and
Moruzzi have become part of South Wales life, but we never thought they would
adopt rugby. And no-one imagined that two valley boys called Sidoli would play
first class club rugby and one of them, Robert, would be picked by Wales.
His brother Peter played for Ebbw Vale before heading south, and at one time we
confidently expected the brothers would make Italian history and form the Welsh
second-row but it didn’t happen. If only the Corleone family had been
interested in rugby they would have made the WRU selectors an offer they
couldn’t refuse.
Pressure is something Sicilians traditionally apply, but in these mis-guided
modern times everybody seems to suffer from it, even in the relative comfort of
a modern office. The WRU recently announced that they have foam protectors,
which are normally wrapped around goal-posts, in their HQ “to offer stress
relief for staff having a bad day.” The plan is that when the staff vent their
feelings they pummel the foam. To quote from last Saturday’s match programme,
“We don’t have foam protectors in our office. There’s no room, what with
one chair and one desk and there’s no need either. When our “staff” gets
frustrated she bangs her head against the wall.”
Whatever the result on Saturday there’ll be no pressure on Remo Basini, the
Egon Ronay of Bethcar Street. If Wales wins he’ll be chuffed, if the land of
his ancestors win, he’ll add pasta to his menu. With chips of course. If Wales
lose – hardly likely – the beer will taste like vinegar but, win or
lose, the Clubhouse will be the place to be before, during and after the match.
And the following day (February 24th) we should all be there again because the
Wales Under 18s are playing the French Academies.
What better way to get rid of Saturday headaches than having Sunday lunch in the
clubhouse then walk a few yards to watch the stars of the future?
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HOOKING & WINNING FOR WALES
(100208)
Three
hookers with Ebbw Vale connections have played for Wales against England, and it
would have been four if there had been replacements when Martin Preece was a
travelling reserve.
The first was Ian Watkins, capped from the club ten times who made a dramatic
entry to the field at Twickers in 1988 when Kevin Phillips went off. A lineout
awaited a thrower, Ian picked up the ball and accurately found Robert Norster,
who incidentally was born in the Rookery Maternity Hospital - in Ebbw Vale!
It was as if Ian was training on Cae Canol and he quickly settled in. Wales won
and it turned out to be our last victory at Twickenham for twenty long years.
The second of the trio was Nigel Meek who won the first of his three caps as a
Pontypool player, but before that captained our club. On February 6th 1993 at
Cardiff, England dominated not just the first half (as they did in February
2008), but all the match except for one magic moment when Ieuan Evans scored the
winning try leaving Rory Underwood floundering in his wake. Nigel was on a
winning Welsh side, but was less happy two years earlier when he captained Ebbw
Vale in our Cup defeat at Tondu, the first defeat to a so-called “small”
club. Tondu visit us on Saturday – looking for a double!
The third never played for his home club because Huw Bennett’s family moved to
England when the steel industry went into decline. Huw saved an English try by
getting under Sackey and the video referee. I had contemplated campaigning
against the use of refs in the sky, but have changed my mind.
From 1988 to 2008 Wales have played England 24 times, and won only seven. The
hookers in 1988, 1993 and 2008 were Watkins, Meek and Bennett, the latter still
celebrating a win that very few expected, especially Paul Ackford who last
December said, “England will beat Wales at Twickenham in their opening Six
Nations fixture. That’s not really in doubt.”
But fair play, he didn’t known then that an Ebbw Vale boy would be in the
Welsh team.
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The colour is black (050208)
The last time we hosted the New
Zealand All-Blacks was in November 1972 when they beat Gwent 16-7 before an
estimated attendance of 18,000 - plus a thousand watching from Newchurch Road.
It was a great effort and remembered by Gareth Howls for the game’s first
minute, and Glyn Turner for the last.
Gareth was not a favourite of referee Ken Pattinson, the pair having “met”
before. Patterson warned Gareth in the first few seconds, which was unfair
because Gareth was as innocent as the day was long, which in November was on the
short side. Glyn’s memorable last minute try was cheeky and not appreciated by
his dour opponent, Sid Going who missed him. A case of Going, going gone.
Charlie Faulkner went face-to-face and cheek by jowl with Keith Murdoch who made
two names for himself four days later at the Arms Park. He scored the only New
Zealand try in their 19-16 win over Wales, and left the country a day after. In
the words of John Billot, “Keith Murdoch, their strong-arm prop, was sent home
in disgrace after striking a security guard at a Cardiff hotel following the
Test with Wales.” The guard kept his job but there was no sign of Murdoch for
years.
On that same tour Neath and Aberavon combined to play the All-Blacks but it
ended deepest black, the tourists winning 43-3 giving rise to the claim that
clubs rarely combined well, Ebbw Vale and Abertillery being the exceptions.
Six years later Wales were leading New Zealand 12-10 and then our favourite
referee Roger Quittenton penalised Wheel at what became an infamous lineout and
the tourists kicked a goal to win 13-12. Before the lineout was called,
commentator Bill McLaren said, “New Zealand must try something different,
something special.” Different it was, two of their forwards fell out of the
lineout without a hand being laid on them and darling Roger all also fell –
for the scam.
The Kiwi polish still shines and the All-Blacks are still popular. Sadly on
their last visit to Wales they did not perform their Haka on the pitch. which
led to the corniest headline ever seen in a pre-Christmas rugby programme –
Haka The Herald Angels Sing.
Our club coach is a former Welsh All-Black and the Welsh national coach is a New
Zealander who wants Welsh players to play in Wales. Luckily for him, and us, the
NZ Rugby Union doesn’t feel the same way about its coaches.
The Welsh All-Blacks haven’t beaten us in our last three outings, two draws
and a win at The Gnoll last autumn. But gamblers, torn between patriotism and
statistical evidence, are hedging their bets because we haven’t defeated Neath
in the League at home since1999/2000. It’s going to be a stormer on Friday –
be there.
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THREE CHEERS FOR THE RED, WHITE
AND GREEN (010208)
It’s been more rain than train in Ebbw Vale of late and Noah has been advising
early bookings. But when it pelts down, Ebbw supporters worry over one thing
only, will the game be on or off and if it’s off what are they going to do on
Saturday.
Like those who flew Hurricanes and Lancasters, we need a first-class ground crew
to keep us operational, and we certainly have one. It takes typhoons, tempest
and tamping down rain to ground us, and the crew’s work doesn’t end when
rugby ends. Not only rugby players but cricketers and bowlers owe them a lot.
TV rugby is a decent substitute to watching a live game especially when
Leicester are on the box. Welford Road is always full, even for 2nd XV games,
AND the Tigers play in red, white and green. They probably took that name from
the Royal Leicestershire Regiment’s cap badge which has a tiger on it.
That’s because 200 years ago they fought in the Afghan wars, just as the
successors to the Regiment do today under a different name.
In pre-Second World War days we played in – wait for it – black and amber,
but then changed to narrow red, white and green hoops. A great club pioneer, Dai
Regan Jones, was a major influence and as he had played rugby in Leicester
historians wonder whether that’s why we copied the Tiger’s kit. Or was it
because Dai was a regular soldier in the South Wales Borderers whose colours are
also red, white and green? Perhaps we copied the 24th of Foot or, being
patriotic, plumped for the colours on the Welsh flag.
Leicester is the only major Midlands club that didn’t figure on our pre-League
fixture list, but a tenuous connection exists between our clubs because two of
our Vice Presidents are also long-time Tiger members. Last Saturday they tempted
a long-time Ebbw Vale member and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – a
ticket to see Leicester play Newcastle at Welford Road, which clashed with our
Cup game against Caerphilly. He can hardly be called a defector but cries of
treachery have been heard despite pleas that he was talent spotting. The guilty
one will be punished and exposed, not literally of course to spare the blushes
of the bar staff.
At least he didn’t break the habit of a long lifetime, he spent a Saturday
afternoon watching a team playing in red, white and green while waiting with
trepidation for the mobile whats-it to ring with the good news that Ebbw won.
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Floodlit Fireworks (220108)
The Welsh Cup has produced
excitement but nothing will ever match the sheer thrill of a Floodlit Alliance
game. The competition was strongly supported by Ebbw Vale when it began in 1964
but although we reached several finals we never won the trophy.
In the 4th season of the competition, 1967/68 and until the last final in 1973,
only tries counted and one home game against Bridgend is still regarded as the
best ever seen. We had to score seven tries to reach the final and did it.
Llanelli were our bogey team in several finals, their star-studded side revelled
in open play, but when it rained and the grounds got muddy those vital tries
were hard to come by.
In 1970/71 the first of the two-leg final between us and the Scarlets began at
Stradey Parc, but didn’t end due to atrocious conditions. The score was 3-3
after 60 minutes and the rules stated that the score would stand, but being
decent chaps and all that we sportingly agreed to replay. That caused some talk
in the Dugout believe me. We lost the re-arranged game 21-9 and Llanelli won the
trophy for the fourth successive season with an aggregate of 21-15. The
following season we met the Scarlets again in the final, losing 20-8 away and
winning 20-16 at home, nine tries to seven. Great occasions, great rugby.
In 1972/73 penalty goals were allowed again because some players had been taking
advantage of their absence. Jolly bad show, but sport everywhere was changing
and gamesmanship was rearing its ugly head. It was the last of the Alliance,
Llanelli won a one-game final 6-4, ironically by two penalty goals to the only
try!
There had been a Welsh Challenge Cup before the Great War, and it was revived in
1971 since when we have won 75, drawn two and lost 34 ties, a success rate of
68.46%. We were undefeated in 1982/83 because we drew at home with Newbridge
after extra time and they went through as the away team.
From 1991 to 1996 we only played six Cup ties and only won once. It was our
poorest Cup period but then came the great revival, five semi-finals in six
years with a final against Llanelli at Ashton Gate, Bristol in 1998, the only
time it was played outside Wales. I blamed our narrow defeat on the change of
air.
The Cup still stirs the blood and provides upsets. Last season Llandovery
finished bottom of the Premier Division but won the Final. Knowing Caerphilly as
we do we should not regard them as minnows, they haven’t played at Ebbw Vale
since April 2005 when we won 40-20 having beaten them at Virginia Park earlier
in the season 26-15, a rare League double. Our two Cup ties against them brought
us two wins, both on their ground, in 1998/99 by 20-15 in awful conditions and
two seasons later by 38-6.
That’s history, it’s Cup time and anything can happen. The competition is
still important and success in it and the Premier Division will make for a tidy
season.
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The Yellow Peril (130108)
In the days of Kipling the Yellow
Peril was regarded as a threat to great British traditions like polo, the Bengal
Lancers and G & Ts in Raffles Hotel, Singapore where the dawn comes up like
thunder. Then came Yellow Fever and now we have another epidemic called Yellow
Card Fever which makes players see red when a referee puts his hands in his
pocket, pulls out the dreaded card and waves it at them.
Ice Hockey introduced us to the sin-bin, the cooler where the hot tempered were
sent to reflect on their sins and calm down. There’s nothing calm about Ice
Hockey, it’s the roughest team game of them all. Someone once said, “I went
to the fights last night, and an Ice Hockey match broke out.”
Hockey is played with a puck, a hard rubber disc that players strike when they
can’t hit one another, but even the roughest rugby match is not as nasty as
that. We don’t yellow card many players for committing physical mayhem, but
for technical offences like killing the ball and preventing a try by nefarious
means. Jolly unsporting of course but often done in the heat of the moment of
which there are many in rugby.
Losing coaches are naturally unhappy when their players get carded, but winning
coaches also criticise so, are too many cards being pulled out of too many
pockets? One former prop has admitted that if there had been yellow cards in his
day, he wouldn’t have lasted five minutes!
The first Welsh player to be shown the yellow card in an international match was
flanker Rob Appleyard at Lansdowne Road in March 1998. And just to prove that
flankers not props lead rugby’s criminal classes Colin Charvis holds the
record of being sin-binned for Wales four times while Scott Quinnell, was the
first player in the Five/Six Nations to be sent to the bin, against France in
February 2000.
When Appleyard was carded it was just a caution, which some think would be the
appropriate punishment to fit most crimes and which might be re-considered
before the present epidemic gets out of hand.
Referees will rightly say that if no crimes are committed no-one will be
punished and it would be grossly unfair to say that some officials are
trigger-happy, but the yellow peril is spreading and might become an epidemic.
Something for the WRU to think about.
After appointing Graeme Maw and Nigel Davies to key roles the WRU Chief
Executive declared that “Welsh rugby is now the powerhouse of the world.”
Encouraging words, so could the Union also lead the world in sorting out Yellow
Card Peril?.
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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWER
(070108)
There’s an inclination to
ramble on when using a computer keyboard. It’s so much easier than the old
Remington type-writer, one mistake on that and you started looking for the
Tippex. So here’s some more rambling and what nicer place to do that than our
neighbouring National Park.
Every time I enter Brecon I look at the rugby ground, for it was there on Monday
17th September 1979 that we first spotted Des Parry who became one of our
greatest clubmen. He was followed by other sons of the soil, among them Brian
Thomas, Kim Norkett, Alan Phillips, Robert Stephens and Chay Billen. We regarded
them as Breconshire’s greatest exports.
Brecon has always sent men where they were most needed. In 1415 it sent its
crack archers to help Hank The Cinq win the away game at Agincourt. In 1879, the
year Ebbw Vale RFC was formed, it was Breconians who held off the Zulus at
Rorke’s Drift not, as film legend has it, Ivor Emmanuel’s singing.
The latest, and tastiest, Brecon export is beer. It’s the age of small local
breweries and we have sampled a lot of them in our clubhouse and get ever so
nostalgic at seeing labels bearing legendary names like Webbs and Rhymney. The
Breconshire Brewery was where Father Christmas got me a gift to suit any mood,
whether after a Boxing Day win or, 72 hours later, a defeat at Pandy Park where
for the first time in ages we didn’t finish strongly. A coincidence maybe, but
Keys, who deservedly won, didn’t play on Boxing Day.
The aforesaid Christmas present was a Brewer’s Dozen, three of which were
labelled Ramblers Ruin, presumably a warning not to drink while rambling in the
Beacons.
Some talk of a beer culture in our game, but while condemning the antics of
those who can’t handle the drink or themselves, there is a place for ale in
rugby. With the best will in the world you can’t celebrate or drown sorrows
with cups of Earl Grey.
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We are better men than you are,
Gunga Din (291207)
There are training courses for
coaches and physios, but none for those indispensable modern day Gunga Dins -
the water carriers. For those who don’t know who Gunga Din was, a few pints of
Guinness will loosen my tongue after the match. Water carriers now wear jackets
with the molecular formula H2O on them, but for readers without a chemistry
degree we’ll call them WCs.
This is our second Christmas fixture with Llandovery. It has meant a long
journey for both clubs while the other twelve play local Derbies. One hopes it
will not become a habit. Why not Llanelli v Llandovery, Swansea v Neath,
Aberavon v Maesteg, Bridgend v Cardiff, Glamorgan Wanderers v Pontypridd,
Newport v Bedwas and Ebbw Vale v Cross Keys?
Last Boxing Day it was cold so water was not the favoured tipple. The
atmosphere, though, was warm and our supporters dressed in Hawaiian skirts which
raised the question often asked of the Black Watch. Do they or don’t they? Our
victory was narrow as it was in the return match in April. We could have lost
both.
Narrow wins, narrow defeats are par for the course, but it’s no longer beer
but water that has become the dominant drink. On a freezing afternoon, after a
minute of play, WCs dash on like St. Bernard dogs to refresh players who are
already under pressure. Being selected as a water carrier is a great honour and
calls for speed, fitness and a thick skin when the Milo Mafia take the mickey on
the bob bank.
Water is alright in its place, like the Gobi desert, but now it’s bottled and
bought by sportsmen and what are laughingly called pop singers, most of them
unpopular and tone deaf. The Rat Pack thought water was something you fell in
after a night on the tiles. Bottled Bourbon, not bottled water, was their thing.
Frank Sinatra famously said, “I’m for anything that gets me through the
night, be it prayers, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” Ol’ Blue
Eyes would have been a great rugby tourist.
Everything in moderation of
course, especially on Lions tours, because modern rugby is a hard enough game as
it is and too much alcohol can make a combatant hors de combat very quickly. But
even players who have signed the pledge can get struck down with injury. And
when they get tired another modern innovation, The Bench, supplies relief the
Red Cross would approve of.
Not everyone approves though, and a famous rugby writer whose name I forget, has
criticised the over-use of replacements. Why, he asks, can’t a fit player last
the pace? Why upset the balance of a team by bringing on a player who has been
shivering on the sideline for the past hour?
We shivered at our last home game against Llanelli but got warm after a great
comeback and a 16-0 win. The party after was typical Ebbw because the match
sponsor was William John Bowd, father of our captain John. The mascot was a
delightful 20 month old, Ruby Meredith, whose favourite player was of course,
her uncle, John Bowd. What a happy occasion for a happy family Club.
But back to water, last year an All-Black, under public gaze, relieved himself
on the pitch which he found a great convenience. It’s all that H20 isn’t it?
What goes in must come out.
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WASPS PROGRAMME A BIG HIT
(211207)
I know it’s Christmas, a season
of goodwill and all that, but I have a serious warning for Ebbw Vale supporters.
Don’t roll up a match programme and hit an opposition player with it,
otherwise you’ll be banned from the Supporters' bus and forced to watch
repeats of Scrum Five.
For those who have just landed from Mars let me explain. While Ebbw Vale were
playing at Llantrisant, where they have a Mint without a hole, a man in the
crowd at Wasps aimed a blow (more of a puff really) at a French player. Not with
his fist, or his head, but a rolled up match programme. What’s the game coming
to?
It was a Heineken Cup game, a competition aimed at bringing the best in European
rugby together in sweet harmony, as well as bringing big money into club coffers
which is needed to pay for more overseas players in the twilight of their
careers.
The Wasps match was televised but those not at Llantrisant relied on texted
up-dates to know the score. The half-time message eased our furrowed brows and
we reached for a beer. Then we got a shock, the magic mobile trembled and gave
the final score as Llantrisant 113 Ebbw Vale 46. Which made us reach for the
brandy.... Clearly, technology is not to be trusted in the clumsy hands of
elated Ebbw supporters shaking with excitement and under the influence. I
suggest next time the voice should be used, not a mechanical device. Brandy is
more expensive than beer.
One of the surprises of Cup day was the scoreline at Pontypool, 62-13 to Cardiff
and by 9 tries to 1. The winning coach was suitably pleased, unlike one of his
predecessors in 1992 after the biggest Cup shock ever. St. Peter’s beat
Cardiff at the Arms Park 16-14 and like a true Aussie, coach Alex Evans blamed
the man with the whistle, calling him “a $5 dollar referee in a £20,000
competition.” Mixing metaphors is one thing, mixing money is another.
Challenging the St. Peter’s result as the most dramatic win by an under-dog is
a first round match down West in 1980/81. Penclawdd defeated Newport 4-0, which
proved that muscles were no match for cockles.
Caerphilly will come to our ground on January 26th determined to add to the
Cup’s list of shocks. There will be four all-Premier Division ties, so a win
in January will open the door to the final a little wider. A programme will, as
usual, be provided but for reading not brandishing.
After all, this is Ebbw Vale not the Home Counties.
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Ghosts of Christmas Past
(131207)
Two days before Christmas 1978 we
played a Cup tie at Hendy – on their second team pitch. It was icy cold and
raining so hard Noah got his boat out, and when one of our forwards changed a
right boot he put a left one on and didn’t notice. It was the first case of
trench foot recorded in peace-time.
Clive Norling was referee and something unusual happened in the final quarter.
Because of the conditions the Hendy captain suggested ending the game with Ebbw
leading 4-0. Phil Gardner asked if the score would stand, and when told it would
he quickly led the retreat to avoid frost-bite.
The dressing room was like a first-aid station on the Eastern Front and Phil
Gardner called for a bottle of brandy which, despite objections from the
Treasurer, we bought for a fiver at the Hendy Co-op. Phil survived and was soon
full of the Christmas spirit, after all we had won and the jingle bells on
Hoffi’s bus tinkled as we sang carols all the way home.
There was no such happy ending in the Sixties when we played Newport at home on
Christmas Eve. We led 3-0 with minutes left, then their wing-forward scored a
try, Norman Morgan (who worked in our steelworks) converted and we lost. One
stricken supporter lamented, “He’s ruined my Christmas.” Playing with the
little one’s train set next day was no compensation.
Our current end-of-term report is as good as it was a year ago and we have
strong hopes it will continue. From December 16th 2006 to January 6th 2007 we
played and won four matches against Maesteg, Llandovery, Cross Keys and Bridgend.
We play the same teams over the same period this time around, so a repeat would
be a very acceptable Christmas and New Year present.
Which is why I haven’t bothered to ask Santa for something: he knows exactly
what I want.
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SPINNING A YARN (091207)
Ebbw Vale have had one season in
the European Cup, 1998/99, and I am about to spin a yarn about it, with the
emphasis on “spin”, a modern term made infamous by politicians who speak but
say nothing. They don’t only tell fibs, they leave important facts out.
Remember that and read on.
We were in Pool C and it wasn’t easy. Our opponents were Ulster, Toulouse and
Edinburgh, three teams packed with well paid internationals. And it showed. We
lost to Edinburgh Reivers 17-41 and 16-43 but we could at least claim
consistency. We didn’t do well (to put it mildly) against Ulster, losing 28-61
and 18-43, but in the final match of the competition we shocked the rugby world,
at least the South Wales part of it. We beat Toulouse at home 19-11.
That benefited Ulster because if the Frenchmen had beaten us they would have
been home to Ulster in the quarter-finals. Instead they lost to them 13-15 on a
typical wet and cold Belfast night. Ulster sent us a Thank You card and went on
to win the Cup.
Jason Strange converted a penalty try and kicked four penalty goals, but
unpleasant scenes followed. A Toulouse prop had been sent off by referee Ed
Morrison who, according to a report, was jostled by French players. A
touch-judge was also targeted and one of the bobbies who escorted the officials
off. had his helmet knocked off muttering sacre blinkin’ bleu in Wenglish.
Toulouse left the ground without attending the after-match function, which was a
pity but it left a lot more food for the winners.
So we can boast a win over a famous French club. That’s a good yarn to spin,
but being an honest man who has never EVER exaggerated an Ebbw Vale win or
covered up a major defeat I feel it my duty to record the missing result of the
six European games we played that season.
With a reminder to always read the small print, here it is:-
Toulouse 108 Ebbw Vale 16
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Crossfire (031207)
There were great characters in Llanelli and Welsh teams of the 70s and 80s and
Ray Gravell was one of the greatest. When he ended a distinguished playing
career he became a TV and radio personality, full of fun and as an interviewer
always kind. A powerful centre he wore the red jerseys of Llanelli, Wales and
the Lions and was as courageous on the field as he was in his final year. When
he left us the nation he was proud of went into mourning.
Ray was cheerful and full of good humour, qualities that rugby must never lose.
We must keep the smile in the game and hopefully a chuckle or two while reading
pre-match notes in programmes helps. I hope the young accept my reminiscences of
the previous century and not the present because the 21st is only seven years
old and has produced just one season to be proud of. That was in 2005 when the
bus came from Glamorgan and the coach from Gwent.
One match, among many, worth recalling is a home fixture with Llanelli in the
1950s when we scored four tries from cross-kicks and Carwyn James played for the
Scarlets. The original cross-kick came from a wing who banged the ball into
midfield where his mates were steaming up like dervishes. A cross-kick today is
a punt to a wing, a booted version of American Football’s Hail Mary.
There are few instances of a No.8 (once known as a lock) dropping a goal and out
of loyalty to the tribal name I refer to the 1993 Swalec Cup Final. The bare
facts are that Llanelli defeated Neath 21-18 thanks to a drop goal by No.8 Emyr
Lewis who got possession following a free-kick.
The law prevented a team from using a free-kick to set up drop-shots at goal.
But Emyr was out in the open and in the opinion of unbiased spectators, who just
happened to be clad in scarlet, it was not a set move. After checking the video
later the consensus of opinion was that it was a valid score. By which time the
Felinfoel and Buckley Breweries had run out of beer.
The advantage of telling tall tales is that not many readers can verify them so
history can be re-written and embellished, but I assure doubters that the
“cross-kick” story is genuine. If you don’t believe me ask Roy Evans our
great scrum-half of that time who made his debut that day.
There are eagle-eyed types out there waiting to pounce on my errors, and there
is no keener lot than railway buffs. I recently mentioned a wartime baseball
game in which a GI hit a ball out of the ground and into the LMS goods yard. I
was wrong, it was the GWR not the LMS yard. The man who caught me out knows
everything about trains from Stephenson’s Rocket to Thomas the Tank Engine so
I bow to his expertise.
On such clangers governments have fallen and reputations destroyed, but as
Captain Mainwaring would say, “I wondered when one of you would spot that!”
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Passive scrummaging - peace is
not welcome! (291107)
There should be nothing passive about rugby, once described as a hooligan’s
game played by gentlemen, now a big hit jungle in which huge players are getting
bigger and tackles harder. It resembles American Football in some ways where
there really are BIG hitters, heavily padded, motivated and as tough as teak.
One linebacker was once described thus – “If this guy goes into an alley
with King Kong the monkey ain’t comin’ out!”
Now there’s a resemblance with Rugby League which recently staged a World Cup
and if you missed Lebanon v Wales you should be ashamed of yourself. The scrum
in Rugby League is exactly the same as the PASSIVE scrum in Rugby Union.
It’s an abomination, possession of the ball should be won in a contest, not
from a stationary bundle of blokes cwtching up. A team on top up front is
disadvantaged through no fault of its own if the other lot have run out props,
but what can be done? It’s simple, if you can’t have a proper scrum have a
lineout, that’s a contest. It’s not quite the jungle it was, but to get a
ball from it a lot of players have to do something.
The other option is to allow the team with the put-in to tap and run. Anything
is better than the passive scrum. It doesn’t happen very often, but it did
happen to Ebbw recently, and it should be banned.
Passive scrums did not lose us the game against the Wanderers, a smashing club
we have always struggled against, but we were naturally disappointed that our
winning streak ended – temporarily. We hadn’t lost since the first game of
the season and had won eight and drawn one. But be grateful, at the same stage
two seasons before we had played 11 and won TWO. That was really something to be
disappointed about!
It must be frustrating to a pack of hard working forwards when they suddenly
find themselves unable to ply their trade in the scrum. Passive scrums are not
natural in Rugby Union and who ever decided on them should be sent North.
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BUDGIE (101107)
A very special dinner was recently held at our Clubhouse in memory of Clive
Burgess and it was a sell-out and enhanced by the presence of seven members of
the Italian club, Brescia. Clive left Wales to play for Brescia. In 1983 Ebbw
Vale played three games there and a year later Brescia came to us. The influence
of great players like Clive Burgess, and before him Carwyn James, on Italian
rugby is now apparent.
We are fortunate at Ebbw Vale to
have Dover Printers of Abergavenny to produce our match programmes, and they
provided the menu card at the Dinner. It was unique because it carried THAT
photograph. You know the one, Budgie in full flight carrying the ball and
charging the greatest scrum-half in the history of our game, Gareth Edwards.
The occasion was a Cup tie at Ebbw Vale against Cardiff , in February1978.
There was an immense crowd, Cardiff won, but as the years go by that doesn’t
matter anymore.
It will be remembered as
Clive’s Game, and two years later he was voted Welsh Player of the Year for
1980.
In a heyday of Ebbw Vale back-row
forwards we had a Steel Claw and a Grey Wolf, alias Clive Burgess and Phil
Gardner. Clive went to Italy in the 1980s, Phil now works in China, and there
were others at the Dinner who played in the same team. Among them the man
who played more games than anyone else, prop Gareth Howls, flanker Gomer Evans,
scrum-halves Steve Lewis and Glyn Turner, fly-half Mike Grindle, full-back Wayne
Bow, centre Alan Tovey and prop Colin Williams.
It was a Steelmen’s Who’s Who and it was a privilege to be there.
REL
THERE’S A COACH COMING IN
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That’s the big song in the musical “Paint Your Wagon.” In the non-musical
discord that is Welsh rugby we mean a different sort of coach, one with two legs
not four wheels.
The older generation wonder why a
rugby coach is so vital these days. Why can’t players do their own thing,
especially when the game plan goes awry? But free spirits are not welcome,
coaches consider them anarchists, the game plan is The Word. We’ve been lucky
with our coaches in recent years and follow their fortunes when they move on.
Mike Ruddock ( Worcester ), Richard Hill ( Bristol ), Kingsley Jones ( Sale )
and Alex Codling (London Welsh) have been in our coach-house. Patrick Horgan and
Will Thomas are the current residents and we |
