Ifor Glyn puts pen to paper as he takes a look at what's happening right now in our region.
The start of 2020 – my view on the Rugby Union situation in North Wales
As a short response to Gary Williams’ request for articles to the ‘Oval Zone’ website, please find my personal views on this popular game’s situation here in North Wales, as I see things at the moment.
Division 1:
Llandudno remain unbeaten and appear to be more and more likely to be the Division’s ‘Champions’ for the season. I’ve got the feeling, although Bethesda are really playing well and battling hard that their gallant efforts will fail in trying to reach the top spot. The ‘fight’ for the third spot is an interesting and exciting ‘battle’ between four sides (Bala, Nant Conwy, Pwllheli a Ruthin – in alphabetical order). There are really close matches when these sides play each other and, perhaps, it is in these matches that we see North Wales rugby at its very best! After noting that, more and more unexpected results come through on ‘What’s App’ and the ‘Oval Zone’ website on Saturdays e.g. the results of Pwllheli v Dolgellau and Llangefni v Ruthin yesterday which says, in all honesty, that any of the sides in Division 1 these days, have the ability to win against any other side in the Division. Indeed – exciting and interesting matches and days ahead of us.
Division 2:
I have the feeling that in this Division it is the three North East sides that will ‘battle’ for the top spot at the end of the season. I foresee that Rhyl, Mold and Wrexham will go all out to win promotion to Division 1 for next season. To my mind, it will be two teams from Conwy CBC area that will be vying for the fourth spot in the Division whilst the Clubs of Shotton, Welshpool and Abergele will play for the next batch of positions. Things are difficult to predict towards the bottom of the Division as well but I feel that Llanidloes have a lot of hard work to do in order to climb the table before the season’s end.
Division 3:
As in Division 1, I wonder if there’s any team that will beat Ruthin (2) in this Division this season? The big games will be between the representatives of the ‘Clwyd’ area and the ‘Anglesey’ (Holyhead) and Mid-Wales (Machynlleth) representatives. Again, I feel that all the Clubs do have the ability to win against each other but I see it as a very difficult task for Rhosllanerchrugog to climb from the bottom spot.
The 2nd Teams League:
To be honest, the number of matches played in this League during 2020 has been miminal but, and this is a very noticeable BUT, there has been an impressive increase in the number of ‘friendly’ matches arranged. It is so good to see the 1st Teams of Llangollen and Porthmadog having played several matches so far with quite a few other ones scheduled to be played before the end of the season. It is also so good to see that 2nd Teams of Clubs such as Abergele, Colwyn Bay, COBRA, Dolgellau, Holyhead and Welshpool playing occasionally as well. In the League itself, as in Division 1 North, it is a ‘battle’ between the 2nd Teams of Llandudno and Bethesda for the title of ‘Champions’. Again, several interesting days ahead of us!
In general:
One ‘issue’ that, to my mind, has become more prevalent this season at all standards of rugby including televised ones, is how a player that ‘carries’ the ball holds his ‘free’ elbow at his neck level or even higher. Perhaps that this is a defence mechanism to try and push any tackler’s arm high on to the carrier’s head! But, quite often, this elbow hits the ‘tackler’ around his face and/or head area which causes an injury. Hitting the face with a punch would result normally in a red card but it is very rarely that this type of ‘elbowing’ is penalised. I suppose that one could argue that there is a difference in that a punch is an ‘intention’ and it could be argued that elbowing is accidental. I feel that the effect of hitting the head either with a fist or an elbow has similar bodily effects! What do you think? Am I reading too much into things and that, by now, I am looking for this type of incident during play? It would be interesting to read / hear your views on the matter.
All the best with the rugby until the end of the season and enjoy whatever match that you will be attending.
Dechrau 2020 – fy nholwg ar sefyllfa Rygbi’r Undeb yng Nghogledd Cymru
Fel ymateb bychan i gais Gary Williams am gyfraniadau ar gyfer gwefan ‘Oval Zone’, dyma fy ngholwg i ar sefyllfa’n gem boblogaidd yma’n y Gogledd fel y gwelaf bethau ar hyn o bryd.
Adran 1:
Llandudno’n parhau’n ddiguro ac yn edrych yn fwyfwy tebyg fel pencampwyryr Adran am y tymor. Rhyw deimlo,serch ymdrech lew, fod ymgais Bethesda i orffen ar ben y tabl ym mis Ebrill am fethu ond yn bur sicr o’r ail le. Brwydr hynod ddiddorol wedyn am y trydydd safle rhwng pedwar tîm (Bala, Nant Conwy, Pwllheli a Rhuthun – yn ôl trefn y wyddor). Gemau agos iawn, iawn pan mae rhain yn chwarae’i gilydd a hwyrach, mai yma’n y gemau hyn y gwelir rygbi ar ei orau! Wedi nodi hynny, gwelir mwy a mwy o ganlyniadau annisgwyl e.e. canlyniadau Pwllheli v Dolgellau a Llangefni v Rhuthun ddoe sy’n dangos wir, fod y gallu erbyn hyn gan unrhyw un o’r timau i guro unrhyw dîm arall yn yr Adran. Ie wir – dyddiau a gemau difyr o’n blaenau.
Adran 2:
Teimlo’n yr Adran hon fod y tri Clwb o Ogledd Ddwyrain Cymru gryn dipyn ar y blaen i weddill y timau’n yr Adran. Brwydr fydd hi’n y diwedd rhwng Rhyl, Yr Wyddgrug a Wrecsam i ennill dyrchafiad i Adran 1 ar gyfer y tymor nesaf. Rhagwelaf y ddau dîm o Sir Conwy’n brwydro am y pedwerydd safle tra bydd clybiau Shotton, Y Trallwng ag Abergele yn chwarae am y safleoedd nesaf. Pethau’n weddol anodd rhagweld yng ngwaelod yr Adran hefyd ond gwaith mawr i’w wneud gan Lanidloes i ddringo’r tabl cyn diwedd y tymor.
Adran 3:
Fel yn Adran 1, tybed a oes yna unrhyw dîm sy’n mynd i guro Rhuthun (2) yn yr Adran hon eleni? Y gemau mawr fydd y rhai rhwng cynrychiolwyr ardal Clwyd a chlybiau Môn (Caergybi) a’r Canolbarth (Machynlleth). Eto, gwelaf y gallu gan y Clybiau eraill i guro’i gilydd ‘ar eu dydd’ ond fe’i gwelaf yn anodd i Rosllanerchrugog ddringo o’r safle isaf.
Cynghrair yr 2ail Dimau:
Ychydig iawn o gemau a chwaraewyd yn y gynghrair hon yn 2020 ond, ac mae hwn yn OND pwysig, gwelwyd cynnydd mawr yn y nifer o gemau ‘cyfeillgar’ a drefnwyd. Da gweld timau cyntaf Llangollen a Phorthmadog yn chwarae nifer o gemau a sawl gem arall wedi’u trefnu ganddynt cyn diwedd y tymor. Da hefyd gweld 2ail Dimau megis rhai Abergele, Bae Colwyn, Caergybi, COBRA, Dolgellau a’r Trallwng yn chwarae’n achlysurol yn ogystal. O ran y gynghrair ei hun, yn union fel yn Adran 1 y Gogledd, brwydr rhwng 2ail Dimau Llandudno a Bethesda yw hi am y safle ‘pencampwyr’ ar ddiwedd y tymor. Eto dyddiau difyr o’n blaenau!
Cyffredinol:
Un mater sydd, i’m barn i, wedi dod yn fwy fwy amlwg eleni ar bob safon o rygbi gan gynnwys gemau a welir ar y teledu, yw’r modd y mae chwaraewr sy’n cario’r bl yn dal ei benelin ‘rydd’ yn uchel o’i flaen. Hwyrach, mai i geisio cael braich unrhyw daclwr lithro i fyny at ardal y pen y mae hyn! Ond, yn aml iawn, mae’r benelin yma’n taro’r darpar daclwr yn ei wyneb gan beri anafiadau. Byddai taro wyneb gwrthwynebwr gyda ‘dwrn’ yn arwain at gerdyn coch fel arfer ond yn anaml iawn, iawn y gwelir cosbi taro wyneb gyda phenelin. Mae’n siwr mai’r dehongliad o ‘fwriad i frifo’ sydd y tu ôl i hyn ond teimlaf fod effaith taro’r pen gyda naill ai dwrn neu benelin yn cael yr un dylanwad corfforol! Beth yw eich barn? Tybed a wyf yn darllen gormod i mewn i bethau a fy mod erbyn hyn yn ‘chwilio’ am y math yma o chwarae? Buasai’n ddifyr clywed a ydych yn cytuno ai peidio.
Pob hwyl ar y rygbi tan ddiwedd y tymor a mwynhewch pa gem bynnag yr ydych yn ei gwylio.
Ifor Glyn 19.01.2020
There are no events to show yet.