Rugby Notes

Excellent 12-9 win by Ebbw Vale over Cardiff last weekend. Despite a poor showing by the ref Phil Fear, and Cardiff’s ability to be permanently a yard offside, Ebbw held up well. After trying a wide range of kickers with mixed success this year (McCarthy, Bramwell and Shelbourne to name but three), this week winger Simon Hunt stepped up and landed 4 of 5.

Until the last five minutes when panic started to set in, Cardiff seemed unwilling to play any sort of attractive rugby, settling instead of hoofing it downfield or keeping it up the jumper.

Ebbw’s pack was awesome again, but need to be a bit more organised to stop the opposition disrupting at scrum and maul.

You can read some more reports in the Western Mail, the South Wales Andrex or on Ebbw Vale’s own website.

Scorers: Four penalties by Simon Hunt.

Highlight: Excellent defence late on. As the Western Mail says, Cardiff had eight phases of ball at the death, and didn’t make a yard, let alone look like scoring a try.

Lowlight: The shambolic line-outs. Cardiff had clearly been watching the World Cup, as the new tactic of stepping away from the opposition when they start to form a maul was much in evidence. It leads to the bizarre sight of the opposition running away from the maul. The rules have to be changed to a) stop the game be ruined, and b) stop Cardiff looking as though they don’t want to play any rugby.

Man of the Match: Nio Aniono for his tireless work.