Ava's Diary

Told my first joke today.

Why did the cow cross the road? To get to the moo-vies.

Rugby Notes

Wasn't at last weekend's Ebbw Vale game, as the weather was too good to turn down a last fling of summer down in sunny West Wales.

Sounds like it was another impresive performance though, with Ebbw beating Pontypool 55-8, nine tries to one.

Fellow blogger/accountant EyeJay was there, and so there are reports on his blog and on the EVRFC website:
http://thesteeldaffodil.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/ebbw-vale-55-pontypool-8-swalec.html
http://evrfc.co.uk/

Next Saturday is another Gwent derby, this time featuring Newbridge's visit to Eugene Cross Park.

Twitter Notes

Now, I'm down with the technology. I've been known to Twitter and FB, and of course blog.

But sometimes all this social media can bite you in the bum. And that's what happened to Waitrose last week. They were trying to generate some interest with the post "I shop at Waitrose because.." They should have known what was coming.

Some of the best responses included:

"I shop at Waitrose because I don't like being surrounded by poor people."
"I shop at Waitrose because Clarissa's pony just will not eat ASDA value straw."
"I shop at Waitrose because the toilet paper is made from 24ct gold thread."
"I shop at Waitrose because darling, Harrods is just too much of a trek mid-week."
"I shop at Waitrose because I was once in the Holloway Road branch and heard a dad say 'Put the papaya down, Orlando!'"

Rugby Notes

Another good win down at Tata Steel last Saturday. A 36-14 win, but without the winning bonus point, was a good result given the shocking refereeing display that meant that Ebbw saw three yellow cards. One was well deserved (spear tackle, albeit instinctive), one was for retaliation and the third for not committing a foul at all. 

So, despite 14 points from a possible 15, Ebbw drop to third in the table. Pontypool home is next up. This report from the EVRFC website:

Ebbw emerged as comfortable victors in this tough clash between reigning champions of Division Ones West and East. Playing on a table top surface, Ebbw always looked in control and put Tata under a huge amount of pressure, reflected in a penalty count of 16 to 10. Yet referee Mr. Morgan of Swansea saw fit to brandish three yellow cards to Ebbw and just one to Tata. Dan Haymond's immaculate kicking, the power of Spencer Gibson and Polu Uhi, and the excellence of flankers Cameron Reagan and Ronny Kynes represented the difference between the sides, while Ashley Sweet was prominent in tight and loose play. 

Gibson got the Steelmen's first try when he took a pass from Kynes 25 metres out on the right flank and crashed through five tacklers to touch down. Haymond's conversion added to his three previous penalties to make it 16-6, a lead Ebbw took into the break, despite being down to 13 with Haymond and Robert Sevenoaks in the sin bin. Tata had offered little, but winger Gbemi Fisher had featured prominently in their attacking play, and the pack, well led by former Maesteg favourite Gareth Edwards, had succeeded in slowing Ebbw's tempo by playing on, and sometimes over, the offside line.

A third Gareth Walters penalty early in the second half made it 16-9, but that was the closest his side got. Two more Haymond penalties stretched it to 22-9 before lock Ben Davies squeezed in at the corner when Ebbw were back down to 14, Kynes having been mystifyingly carded when seemingly competing fairly for the ball on the floor. Almost immediately, the Steelmen struck back with Polu Uhi showing fantastic strength and power to shrug off half a dozen tacklers in running in from 20 metres. Haymond's extras took the score to 29-14 and the scoring was completed when Ronny Kynes broke from a great line out drive to capture a third try which Josh Lewis goaled. 

Ultimately there was no bonus point for Ebbw, but they would have been satisfied by another big win, especially over the champions of the West who will certainly be in the mix at the end of the season.

Charlie Simpson, Tom Ashmead, Josh Lewis, Polu Uhi, Daniel Ajuwa; Dan Haymond, Josh Davies; Ross Jones, Mathew Williams (c), Robert Sevenoaks; Joe Bartlett, Ashley Sweet; Cameron Reagan, Ronny Kynes, Spencer Gibson. Bench: Josh Powell, Jonnny Bowen, Rhys Clarke, Will Owen, Jamie Jones.

Rugby Notes

Strange rugby days.

Narberth beat last season’s Div 1 West champions Tata Steel last week, so should have been a tough game. But Ebbw Vale won well 45-16 on Saturday without looking very good. Perhaps we’re used to watching Ebbw win and win well each week and so we’ve become greedy. But there was plenty for the coaches to work on: sloppy ball retention, some struggles in the scrum, and a few penalties given away.

Outstanding was No. 8 Spencer Gibson, whose running with ball in hand scared the bejesus out of the Narberth team. The rest of the back row, Ronny Keynes and Cameron Reagan were excellent too. Matthew Williams, “Chunky”, was a good cool-headed captain who appeared to leave the pack leader duties to the ever-solid Ross Jones.

The centre partnership of Josh Lewsi and Polo Uhi looked strong, whilst Dan Haymond at outside half connected well and scored a belting individual try. By the end the Narberth full back resembled a rather shell-shocked turnstile.

Tries for Dan Haymond, Polo Uhi, Josh Lewis, Ashley Sweet, Cameron Regan and sub Jamie Jones, all six tries goaled by Dan Haymond who also kicked a penalty.

Match reports feature on both the Ebbw Vale RFC website and the WRU’s, and there are lots of pics on the ebbwplayers website taken by Robbo (get well, Gra – I had to tell him to take lens cap off again).

Next up is a tough game away at Tata Steel (is it Ta-ta or Ta-tar?) down in PaTalbutt.

Christmas Notes

Argh!

Its the first week of September. The sun is shining. Its the first week of the new school year. Everyone is just back from their summer holidays, all relaxed and tanned.

So, what's on the supermarket shelves? 

Christmas stuff. This selection box was spied in the Co-op /Somerfield in Aberystwyth. I had to check to see if it was early for this Christmas or left over from last Christmas.

In the good old days, the Crimbo rush didn't start until after Bonfire Night or Halloween. Talk about wishing our lives away. 

Rugby Notes

Missed a good first outing for Ebbw Vale last Saturday. They went to Ely and handed out a thrashing to Glamorgan Wanderers.

Wasn't there though (I was enjoying a last glimpse of sun in Tresaith) so here's what the EVRFC website thought of the game:

Ely stroll for 12-try Steelmen: Glamorgan Wanderers 13 Ebbw Vale 76
Ebbw opened the new National Championship with their highest ever league score, running in 12 tries in a 76-13 victory. Ronny Kynes got the scoreboard rolling from a lineout drive, Josh Lewis converting to make it 7-0. Ebbw attacked from the restart but, with an inviting overlap, there was an interception and the Wanderers ran in a good try. Any thoughts of a tight tit-for-tat match were dispelled by half time, with Ebbw having added tries from Josh Lewis, Mathew Williams, Wes Cunliffe (for the bonus point), Cameron Reagan and Luke Davies to give them a 38-8 advantage. 

Ebbw carried on where they left off the interval and could certainly not be accused of relaxing as Charlie Simpson (2), Spencer Gibson, Ronny Kynes (2 to make it a hat trick) and Tom Ashmead touched down. Conversions came from Josh Lewis (5) and Dan Haymond (3).

In an excellent team performance, the experienced Mathew Williams led by example and debutants Spencer Gibson and Polu Uhi made very impressive first appearances, causing constant problems for the home side. There will be much tougher challenges ahead, most notably and immediately at home  next Saturday to Narberth. who dispatched last season's D1W champions, Tata Steel, 45-21 in their first game, but, as one old stager reminded us all, "You can only play what's in front of you." Ebbw did that extremely well and there were a lot of happy, smiling faces heading back up the A470 on Saturday evening.

Team was Charlie Simpson, Wes Cunliffe, Luke Davies, Polu Uhi, Tom Ashmead; Josh Lewis, Chris Thomas; Ross Jones, Mathew Williams, Robert Sevenoaks; Joe Bartlett, Ashley Sweet; Cameron Reagan, Ronny Kynes, Spencer Gibson.
Bench: Josh Powell, Jonny Bowen, Rhys Clarke, Dan Haymond, Josh Davies.

Tomorrow Ebbw have a far tougher challenge against former Division 1 West outfit (as they say) Narberth. I'll be there.