This Halliwell Jones Anglo-Welsh Challenge was a great game considering the conditions with the hosts coming out on top.
Report by Barry Williams
RGC found themselves coming up just short in the first Halliwell Jones Challenge, as they were undone by a physical and organised Chester side in tough conditions in Cheshire.
It was RGC who started the brighter, as they looked to exploit small gaps in the Chester line. The home side, however, were up to the task of keeping their opponents away from their line, allowing RGC to over-extend themselves and become isolated, resulting in turnovers for the home side.
Chester appeared the more comfortable with the conditions, and were able to make plenty of yards through a short catch-and-drive approach – whilst this was not pretty, it was undoubtedly effective, minimising the chances of knock-ons or players becoming isolated whilst maximising the yards made.
With RGC being judged to have strayed offside in their own 22, the first clear-cut opportunity of the game fell to the home side after around 5 minutes, who opted for a scrum near the RGC line. With an overlap clear to everyone except the RGC backline, Chester were able to spread the ball along their backline and a try seemed to be inevitable. However, the RGC blushes were spared as Chester were unable to keep hold of the ball, giving RGC a scrum, which became a penalty, and then a line-out on the half way line.
A narrow escape for RGC, whilst Chester seemed to lose confidence in playing a wide game after this, with the majority of their play in the remaining 70 minutes coming up the middle of the park.
To credit RGC, they continued to try and bring the game up to a tempo that better suited them, but their hosts always managed to reel them back in, ensuring that the game was played the way they wanted. However, the fact that the pace better suited the home side was not all as a result of their own endeavour, as RGC gifted them possession throughout the game at line-outs, with several good attacking positions lost as a result of long line-out throws gone awry.
With the home side placing kicks into the RGC 22 and looking to steal at the resulting line-outs, they began to get the better of the game, and were rewarded with the first score of the game.
After RGC’s scrum-half Alex Schwarz was forced to touch down in goal following pressure from Chester at a scrum, Chester cleanly secured the ball at their own scrum. Rather than looking to push their way to the line, the ball was fed out to the centres, and the RGC line looked to have been breached. However, the visitors were able to keep the ball in the air for a temporary reprieve and another Chester scrum.
This time, the Chester pack turned the screw on their young opponents, turning the RGC pack this way and that, walking the ball over the line for the first try of the game after 19 minutes. An easy conversion followed, giving Chester a 7-0 lead after the first quarter of the game.
It was not long before RGC responded. With 23 minutes on the clock, they secured their own line-out ball on the half way line and looked to spread the ball quickly along the line. After initially being forced back by Chester, a gap became evident, and centre Llywarch ap Myrddin broke through, rounded the Chester full-back and scored, with Rhodri Carlton-Jones converting to level the scores at 7-7.
With both teams struggling to build any consistency in the slippery conditions, the next few minutes were a tit-for-tat affair, with both sides spilling the ball and giving away penalties for offside.
As a result of RGC infringing, Chester were allowed to gain a foothold into the RGC 22. From a clean take at a lineout, Chester set up a rolling maul, which RGC were powerless to halt without infringing. As the maul rolled ever closer to their line, the only option left to the visitors was to try and bring the maul down. Unfortunately for them, the referee was wise to the tactic, and was left with no option but to award a penalty try to Chester, which they duly converted for a 14-7 lead, which they would hold into half time.
With the rain getting ever heavier during the interval, it seemed like the second half was going to be a war of attrition, with few chances for the flowing rugby that characterises RGC.
For their part, Chester were happy enough to continue playing up the middle of the park, but soon found themselves under pressure when they were reduced to 14 men after going off their feet at a ruck again.
Despite being a man down, Chester were able to keep the pressure on RGC, and were rewarded with a penalty 3 minutes into the half, which they were able to convert into a line-out 7 metres out from the RGC line. After taking the ball cleanly, they set up another maul, and again RGC infringed. This time, the referee had decided enough was enough, and RGC’s Huw Worthington found himself taking a 10 minute break, thus negating RGC’s numerical advantage.
Again Chester went to the touchline, and again they went for the catch and drive, and with 5 minutes on the clock, they extended their lead to 19-7 after a simple try.
As the old saying goes, the next try was crucial – for Chester, another try would surely mean victory, despite there being over 30 minutes on the clock, whilst a try for RGC would put them right back into the game.
With the rain easing, RGC looked to resume a more normal service, and began to put the ball through the hands a bit more, and began to build some pressure on their opponents. From an RGC scrum inside the Chester 22, outside-half Rhodri Carlton-Jones swept to the left of the field, creating an overlap which RGC were only too happy to exploit. With slick passing getting the ball along the line, Carwyn ap Myrddin was able to cross in the corner for RGC’s second try. From a very wide angle, Rhodri Carlton-Jones was able to slot over the conversion to make it a 5 point ball game with 25 minutes left on the clock.
Chester, however, were not so easily dissuaded from their task, and quickly forced a penalty from their opponents from 25 metres out. Opting for the posts, the first such decision of the game, they were able to push themselves back into a 22-14 lead.
Knowing that they would need to score twice, RGC began to throw the ball around, and were almost rewarded with a try with 20 minutes gone. Breaking down the blindside from a scrum, their winger was hauled down near to the Chester line and RGC were unable to gather the offload cleanly, allowing Chester to bundle the ball into touch.
RGC continued to pressure, and again found themselves with a man advantage when Chester were again punished for going off their feet at the ruck. With Chester seeming to be tiring, another RGC score looked inevitable.
Chester wisely chose to slow the tempo and keep the ball tight whenever possible, but RGC made every contact area a battleground, forcing Chester to kick up-field whenever possible. With 10 minutes left, RGC gathered one such kick near their own 22 metre line and quickly made up 20 metres before spreading the ball to the left. Finding plenty of space to run into, the RGC backs made 50 metres before they could be halted, the Chester full-back bravely putting himself between ball and try-line. Spreading the ball now to the right, RGC nearly lost the ball, but were judged not to have knocked the ball on and continued to pressure. With the try line nearing, RGC looked certain to score, but again Chester managed to clear their lines, intercepting a stray offload and clearing to touch.
RGC were not done yet, and forced their way back into the Chester 22. Putting the ball through the phases, it seemed like they were just waiting for a gap to emerge. With nothing presenting itself, the ball was threaded through the Chester defensive line towards the corner. The ball was seized upon by the RGC winger, who touched down for what appeared to be a try, only for the touch judge to rule that he had gone into touch.
With only minutes left on the clock, Chester seemed to have weathered the RGC storm, and the young North Walians appeared to have realised it. Tempers began to fray, and scuffles began to break out at rucks. With RGC being quicker to lose their cool, Chester were able to earn a penalty and clear their lines again.
As the clock ticked down, Chester opted for the slow approach that had worked so well for them throughout the evening, securing tight ball at the line-out. After each short pick and drive, with the accompanying cries of ‘offside!’ from the Chester supporters, Chester eyes turned to the referee. With time still remaining, the ball was picked up again, driven forward a marginal amount and then reset. Eyes to the referee again, shake of the head, go again. After over half a dozen drives, the referee finally responded favourably to Chester’s enquiries, and the ball was put into touch to seal a hard-fought win for the home side.
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