Fixture

Caerau Ely RFC | 2nd Team 15 - 14 Barry RFC | 3rd Team
John Christian Dimond
1 Try
Ashley Forrester
1 Conversion
1 Penalty
Dominic Busutil
1 Try

Match Report
20 April 2016 / Team News

Thirds sneak through to Ron Locock final

Tries:         Busuttil, Dimond

Cons:        Forrester

Pens:         Forrester

 

Barry 3rd XV were looking to reach their first final since their reformation on a fine Wednesday night, with Caerau providing their hurdle.

Selector Ken Chow and manager Frank Greig were boosted by the return of Maltese internationals Dominic Busuttil and John Dimond in the back-line, whilst Ashley Brown played his first game for over a year.

The injection in new personnel saw the 3rd XV start superbly, instantly putting their visitors under immense pressure.  Former Welsh international Jon Bryant provided the focus of both attack in defence, and following Caerau indiscipline Ashley Forrester was given the opportunity to take three points, but his kick skewed wide.

Despite playing against the elements in the first interval, Barry were dominant in the scrum and were the side doing all the running.  More incisive running from Bryant, Brown and Jon Morris almost opened the door for the first score, before the ball was recycled to Busuttil who made no mistake from five yards.  Forrester added the extras to give his side a deserved seven point lead.

Barry then somewhat dropped their intensity whilst Caerau improved as the half went on, and despite the away side having precious little invention behind their forwards, they fed on some home errors and indiscipline to kick themselves back to the game.  Three penalty opportunities were all converted to overturn the deficit.

The hosts awoke from their slumber and picked up their discipline, and the result was instantaneous.  After gaining territory via Ryan Corrigan’s boot, intense pressure on the Caerau line finally told when Dimond barged through for a try.  Forrester failed to add the extras but Barry were back in the lead 12-9.

Both sides rang the changes after the interval, with Jack Giddings making his first appearance for Barry this season from the bench, and his industry around the park was rewarded by a penalty opportunity in front of the posts, in which Forrester’s boot made no mistake.

The game wore on relentlessly and ferociously, with players beginning to feel the high tempo of the match.  Barry introduced veterans Jason Evans and Gerwyn Pugh in an attempt to close out the game, but two more kickable opportunities were spurned by the boot as the final whistle neared.

The hosts were made to pay for their lack of ruthlessness in attack when Caerau piled on the pressure in the final ten minutes.  With Barry down to thirteen men, the away side camped for an eternity on the home twenty-two, only to find defenders in their way to thwart that vital score. 

Barry looked to have ridden the storm when they turned the ball over on the line, but somehow gifted possession back to Caerau when the resulting scrum resulted in a knock on of their own.  The resultant phases of play saw the visitors battering on the door, which finally relented with barely a minute to go, resulting in a try in front of the posts.

With the seemingly unmissable conversion to come Caerau looked to be in the driving seat, but the pressure by the charging Barry defenders distracted the kicker enough for him to pull his kick under the posts. 

With still a slender one point advantage, Barry finally put the game to bed by playing out the last sixty seconds as twilight approached, and with it a chance to win silverware at the end of the season sparking wild celebrations.

The management would like to thank all 21 players used for this gruelling contest and also the magnificent support from the fans and members of the club.  We shall see you at the final.

 

Team:   Forrester ©; Bailey, Busuttil, Evans, Peake; Corrigan, Dimond; Fortt, Brown, Taylor; Adams, Chucas; Nicholas, Morris, Bryant

 

 

Replacements:  Compton, Hunt, Evans, Giddings, Pugh, Adams

Sub not used:  Chow

Man-of-the-match:  Bryant

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