Fixture

Tumble’s will to never give up was exemplified in a thrilling 22 all draw with high flying Amman United.  The Magpies showed early promise for the kickoff and attacked deeply in the home 22 only to concede a penalty to relieve pressure.

Amman looked sharp and some fine forward drives coupled with weak tacking from the away side, enabled them to gain territory into the visitor’s 22. With Tumble under pressure, the normally safe Steve Hewitt dropped the ball in his own goal area allowing Amman to score with seven minutes gone.

Tumble’s pack drove hard at Amman’s defence and some charging running from No 8 Nathan Willard made inroads. When the ball was moved slickly through the hands, full back Scott Jones and Owain Williams looked dangerous. Tumble got their reward after thirteen minutes when they created a three to one overlap with the incisive Iwan Morgan speeding the ball out to his back for Scott Jones to score an unconverted try wide out.

With the Magpies threatening with ball in hand, a further break by Rhys Lewis supported by his fellow forwards saw play in home twenty two, Amman piled in to defend and were caught offside, Tumble continued play and Richard Davies went over. This try was cancelled out as the referee called Tumble back for the penalty. Hewitt’s kick hit the upright to add insult to injury and Amman got in the relieving kick with five minutes of the half remaining.

Amman seemed to pick up the impetus from the miss and some mazy running from Rhodri Lewis saw them gain territory in Tumble’s twenty two. Again the ball was recycled quickly and with Tumble struggling to cover, Amman went over for a converted try. Thirty nine minutes had gone with that score and still Tumble had a chance to even things up.

From the kick-off Amman fumbled, Tumble attacked, created several rucks but were held up short, lithesome prop Osian Flint charged and broke through but was tacked inches short of the line. In the act of placing the ball over the try line, the referee adjudged a double movement and penalised Tumble. Amman’s kick to touch signalled the end of a pulsating first half.

The second half saw Amman play with slope and they soon put the Magpies under pressure, some stearn defence by Ryan Lewis and the energetic Tom Miles at flanker put in try saving tackles. When the Magpies broke the stranglehold they worked their way up field. On forty six minutes, Tumble looked to move the ball blind on the home 10 metre line and the intended pass to wing Sam Jones was intercepted and Amman ran the ball down the field for a score again wide out. Tumble were looking ragged and, coupled with some cheap late tackles, were feeling hard done by.

Amman pressed for their fourth try and a bonus point but they were denied with Lee Colling and Osian Flint tackling hard and effectively. With all this pressure, a score was inevitable but their only reward was a 40 metre penalty with seventy minutes gone.

Seven minutes remained when the greatest comeback since Lazarus was witnessed. Tumble gained a foothold in the home twenty two, a succession of driving mauls saw scrum half Iwan Morgan snipe over. Hewitt’s conversion attempt hit the post leaving the score 22-10.

Amman were still comfortable, but Tumble weren’t finished. They ran back at the home side and, with the defence at sixes and sevens, Hewitt’s chip to  the corner saw Morgan grab his second try, again unconverted. Amman looked relieved as the referee indicated the restart was the last play of the match. Tumble gathered, Amman infringed. Penalty kicked into Amman territory 30 metres out, the lineout was won by Beynon, Amman infringed, second penalty to Tumble kicked this time to Amman’s five metre line. Lineout. Beynon soars like a stag, the ball gathered and with the seasoned Mike Powell securing, they inched over the line with Powell scoring (40 metres he was claiming). The conversion to come. Up stepped a bruised Steve Hewitt to convert the two points and the referee blew for no side.

Man of the Match - Nathan Willard. The number 8 ran hard all afternoon always looking to put his side on the front foot with a typical charging run.

Back to league again next Saturday with Llangadog RFC the visitors to Parc Y Mynydd Mawr. Kick-off is at 2.30pm come and support the boys.

Ymlaen Y Piod