Report by Will Morecombe, picture by Gary Williams (Oval Zone).
If ever there were a game of 2 halves, this was it. 38 points scored in the first half, 0 points in the second, and yet neither lacked drama, passion or intensity.
It was the home side who opened the scoring when following a lineout close to the Islwyn line, centre Alex Walsh powered over for the first try of the game. RGC's impressive full-back Owen Jones knocked over the tricky conversion for a 7-0 lead. A lead that was partially reduced a few minutes later when Islwyn's right wing touched down in the corner. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful and RGC extended their lead further when Jones both scored and added the extras to give the East a 14-5 lead. These were to prove to be their last scores as Islwyn dominated the remainder of the half, scoring firstly from a 5 metre scrum, secondly when a loose kick was run back from the half-way line and thirdly and finally when following up a kick of their own, a swift turnover allowed them to score under the posts.
With both sides ringing the changes after half-time, initial exchanges were somewhat disjointed. However when the game did settle down it was the RGC East side who were very much in the ascendancy and who dominated the half both territorially and in terms of possession. That they were unable to add to their first half points tally is both testament to the effectiveness of the Islwyn defence and some poor decision-making on their behalf. Time and time again it appeared that they must surely score, but time and time again powerful tackling and poor options prevented them from doing so. The referee blew the final whistle just as RGC East were making yet another attack to give Islwyn a deserved victory.
In spite of the loss Allan James was upbeat about his side's performance, ' I am sure that the boys are just as disappointed as I am that we lost a game we could easily won. However this was a huge improvement on our previous game against Carmarthenshire Schools and at times we played some lovely Rugby with the forwards and backs linking up well. The fact that todays game was videoed means that we can look at it in more detail than is usually the case, at both the good and the bad, and this analysis tool will I am sure both have a positive impact on the players as individuals and the team as a whole.'
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