Steel Egg

Spent part of New Year’s Day on Tresaith beach. Bit too brisk for a dip, but Marvin indulged. New Year’s Eve was a night in. Our house is in a perfect spot to see the fireworks over Pontypridd at midnight.

Saturday night was spent at the Welfare, the Ebbw Vale RFC clubhouse. Steel Egg, an occasional local rock band were playing. Fronted by Kevan Lines, a local lawyer and EVRFC director, the 40-something band knocked out 70s rock classics like Paranoid, Smoke on the Water, and Whole Lotta Rosie. Good fun.

Also good to catch up with Rob, DNG and DJL (and TFML?). Still can’t get my head around the extended pub hours, or perhaps its just my age. I want to go home by 11 or so, despite the pub still going strong.

Rugby Notes

Ebbw Vale saw off the (frankly poor) challenge of Cross Keys on Saturday, 21-3. Ebbw are somewhat injury-ravaged at the moment, especially in the pack. They made a new signing Friday in ex-international Hywel Jenkins after the No. 8 was released by Neath, and he was in the side Saturday. Apparently we had just 10 fit forwards available on Saturday morning. Jack, Dan, Nio and Gavin Donaldson were all missing from the back row, Ceaig Blunsdon and Matt Griffin from the 2nd row and a couple of hookers too.

Nevertheless, we comprehensively out-played a spectacularly one-diensional Cross Keys team, who wouldn’t have scored a try if they were still playing now. The scrum and rolling maul were superb and Dai Langdon at No. 10 had his best game for Ebbw, setting up two great tries.

Scorers: Tries for Kristian Owen and Gareth Miles and a late penalty try (for a collapsed scrum), conversions for Langdon (two) and Mills.

Highlights: Hooker Richard Wilkes’ openfield tackle on the Keys winger which completely stalled one of he few Keys attacks, and the regular big hits from John Bowd.

Lowlight: Late injury to Keys (and ex-Ebbw) back Jonathan Williams (Psycho) after a collision with a team-mate. Looked like a knee to the head, and he was taken off to hospital by ambulance. Hope its nothing too serious.

Crowd highlight: Best call from the bank for a while. Another Keys player was lying in the mud, being treated by their physio. Shout from the bank: “he’s got a crushed ego!”

NFL Notes

So it has all been sorted out and the playoffs are now set.

In the AFC, it’s the NY Jets at the New England Patriots and Kansas City at Indianapolis next weekend with San Diego and Baltimore getting byes. In the NFC, it’s Dallas at Seattle and NY Giants at Philadelphia with New Orleans and Chicago getting the week off.

My predictions? Wins for New England, Kansas City (Larry Johnson to run all over the Colts), Seattle (Dallas are too fragile) and the Eagles.