Rugby Union: New boys Abergele get reality check at COBRA

Sep 16 2010

COBRA 29 ABERGELE 21
Division Two North

ABERGELE were handed a reality check in their second foray into Division Two as they suffered an eight point defeat at the hands of COBRA on Saturday.

The Green army travelled to the Vyrnwy Valley in buoyant mood following the bonus point win at Bangor the week before but found a COBRA team full of venom and keen to build on their own fine result on the opening day of the season.

Playing against the elements in the first half, Joe Lavin’s men started with a degree of lethargy and soon found themselves playing catch up, falling behind to a slick 15-man move that added to COBRA’S initial penalty.

Gele’s scrambling defence was proving to be resistant but there was surely no way they could spend the whole afternoon trying to repel constant COBRA attacks.

The visitors required possession and needed to use it effectively and gained some encouragement as the big runners carried the ball, giving the COBRA defence cause for concern. Ill discipline was starting to cost the home team as stand-in kicker Danny Lawrence slotted three impressive penalties to reduce the deficit COBRA had increased with a second try.

Gele entered the break with some belief and only chasing 10 points.

If they started the second half in the way they finished the first, there was hope that the visitors could earn something from their first visit of the season to Mid-Wales.

The Aber scrum that had creaked at times earlier in the game was starting to gain some parity and the back row were using this platform to launch some potent surges into the COBRA danger zone. A series of constant infringements by the COBRA pack gave Gele some good field position and despite some lenient choices by the referee as to what was classed as persistent offending, the Greens kept their foot on the throttle.

Gele’s reward came with a deserved score from the explosive Ashley Wynne who spilled more than his fair share of blood as he touched down in the corner.

COBRA hit back immediately with a hotly disputed score as the referee adjudged that sufficient downward pressure had been applied although the reaction of players on both sides seemed to contradict.

Undeterred, there was still plenty for Gele to play for but the hard battle was taking its toll on the Green Army. Having already lost Narmer El Lamie, Simon Hughes and Mark Davies to injury, Llion Mortimer was forced off the field with a nasty ankle knock. In addition there were several men still standing that were simply walking wounded.

Another cruel blow to Gele’s comeback saw the hosts gifted another dubious looking score as yet again the player looked to have lost the ball in the act of touching down.

Abergele, though, got the final say as some powerful running from Gethin Jones and Chris Smith on the right hand side set up the opportunity for the play to be switched and some lovely footwork by Richard Meddlicott gave him the score. A fine conversion from Alun Pritchard closed the gap but it was not quite enough to give Gele the losing bonus points that their efforts and hard work deserved.

It was a good test for the new boys and one that everyone should take heart from.While the bodies and minds might be a bit bruised and battered, everyone needs to regroup quickly in readiness for the next challenge as they host Bala this Saturday.