Fixture

Tumble welcomed Llandybie RFC to Parc y Mynydd Mawr on Friday night in a rearranged Admiral National League Division 3 West B fixture. In what proved to be a highly competitive encounter Llandybie started off strongly and had the Magpies under early pressure until centre and captain Steffan Price gathered the ball and made a break from his own 22 up to the halfway line before the referee blew up for crossing offence. The red and blacks were constantly putting the Magpies under pressure with Tumble having to soak up tackle after tackle in their own 22, and players like Steffan Owen and Darren Williams defending manfully. On the quarter of an hour mark, after what seemed like constant defence the Magpies gathered possession and made their way up to the 10-metre line. The ball was spread out to centre Alex Jones who gathered up a loose pass from his boot laces. Jones pinned his ears back, straightened and burst through a would-be tackler. On to the Llandybie 22 line a long pass inside found the supporting scrum half Iwan Morgan who was hauled down just short of the posts. Number 8 Nathan Willard picked up and was held out before hooker Rhys Lewis gathered from the ruck and dived over the line for a try which in all honesty was against the run of play. Outside half Steven Hewitt slotted over the conversion to give the Magpies a 7-0 lead. Again, Llandybie maintained the pressure on Tumble and drew the score level, 7-7 six minutes later with a converted try from a blindside break from a scrum near the Magpies line. On 26 minutes Llandybie took the lead for the first time in the match after they were awarded a penalty, 7-10. Half hour in and Tumble went close through Steffan 'Mawr' Davies following another midfield break from captain Price. Unfortunately, the ball was adjudged to have gone forward. The game was getting increasingly physical with some hard carrying from the likes of Willard, Price and Alex Jones. The physicality boiled over into punches being thrown on 33 minutes. On 37 minutes a line out near the halfway was cleanly won off the top by Willard. Scrum half Morgan spread the ball out into midfield where the Magpies went through the phases stretching play out to the opposite touchline before switch the ball back right. A draw and give from Price saw him put co-centre Alex Jones through the gap before Jones popped the ball back inside to Price. A lovely pass from Price saw the ball in the hands of young winger Kieran Jones who sprinted over for a try from 10 metres out. Hewitt stepped up to slot over a superb conversion from near the right-hand touchline to make the score 14-10 to the home team. Right on halftime Llandybie were awarded a penalty on the Tumble 22. The kick was landed to make it 14-13 to Tumble at the interval.

The second half saw the Magpies come at Llandybie like a train putting the visitors under pressure from the whistle. Tumble worked their way into the Llandybie half and slick hands coupled with direct running saw them into the 22. The ball was spread wide to the right for Hewitt to spot a gap and break through the defence. The covering defender was drawn for the ball to be passed to scrum half Iwan Morgan who went over under the posts. Hewitt added the easy conversion to make it 21-13 after only three minutes. The Magpies were on fire and only two minutes later they went over for another try. A line out take on the Llandybie 22 by Willard saw the Magpies forwards drive the ball on before being released to the backs. A long pass out from Hewitt found pacy fullback Elis Lewis who fed wing Mike Edwards. Edwards rounded two covering Llandybie defenders before popping the ball to Price who shrugged a would be tackler off and powered into the left hand corner from 10 metres out. A lovely try but Hewitt was narrowly wide with the conversion attempt off the touchline, 26-13, bonus point secured and looking good. Tumble had started the half impressively but if they thought their opponents were going to roll over then they had underestimated Llandybie. A penalty from 40 metres saw them pull the score back to 26-16 on 50 minutes. Llandybie were putting Tumble under severe pressure with the Magpies tackling their hearts out. The hardworking Darren Williams left the field of play after an evening of hitting what looked like every ruck in the match up to that point, replaced by Callum Williams. Fullback Elis Lewis also departed with a dead leg. On 64 minutes the Llandybie pressure paid off when they went over for a try near the left-hand corner flag, the conversion was missed making it 26-21. Now the Magpies support was getting nervous. The game was now in the balance and another round of fisty cuffs on the halfway line saw the majority of both sides involved and Magpies’ captain Price yellow carded. With a numerical disadvantage the Magpies were really up against it and despite some heroic defending finally conceded a try on 76 minutes after Llandybie exploited the overlap. The score was now 26-26 and with hearts in mouths the conversion attempt was pulled wide. With Price back on the field and Tumble back to a full complement they pushed for another score, putting concerted pressure on the Llandybie defence. With two minutes of regular time left Tumble were awarded a penalty within the Llandybie 22 for a defender being off side. Hewitt stepped up but struck the right hand upright and saw the ball ricochet back into play and the hands of a Llandybie defender. Again, Tumble pushed, battering the Llandybie try line with only a hint of offside from the defensive line. Unfortunately, the ball finally was knocked on to bring the game to an end in a thrilling 26 all draw. There was much disappointment in the closing stages with Magpies’ flanker Steffan Owen being helped off the field with a serious looking leg injury. Replacement prop Dafydd Humphreys was also shown a yellow card by the referee. There is no league game now until the visit to Furnace United on 5 March, but before that the boys travel to St Clears RFC in the last 16 of the WRU National Bowl on 19 February.

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