Fixture

WRU LEAGUE DIVISION 1 EAST

Dowlais: 8

Risca: 10

A heartbraking last-minute loss for Dowlais this week at home against Risca.

Things seemed as though they were starting out bleak for Dowlais as they barely visited the Risca half in the first minutes of the game, however in an attacking movement of a quality unseen for a while, Dowlais rushed into the Risca half. After a powerful drive from a 5m scrum, the try was touched down by Simon Griffiths, and despite a failed conversion, it looked like Dowlais was going to fare much better than than their two previous harrowing losses against Risca last season.

Despite the powerful attack, things settled down immensely for the rest of the half and not another point was added to the board, Dowlais failed to strengthen their lead and Risca failed to close the gap.

As the second half began with Dowlais 5-0 up, it looked as though more of the same could be expected in terms of points, until a shocking comeback. From the Risca twenty-two, a series of soild attacks and penalties landed Risca in front of the Dowlais try-line in no time.

Dowlais valiantly held their ground on the line but seemed unable to escape their twenty-two for more than seconds at the time before they were in the thick of it again. Eventually, the defense could hold no longer, and a drive from a Risca scrum tipped them over the line. With that and a conversion, Risca was now ahead 7-5.

Now, on paper it would seem like this wouldn’t be a hard hurdle to pass, but unfortunately, Dowlais’ luck failed to improve, although time and again a try came painfully close, no points of any kind came and it looked as though the second half would be settling into a similar pointless rut to the first.

That was, with minutes to go, Dowlais’ luck was set to change. As the team closed in, a try still seemed far from reach, Dowlais was actually awarded a penalty.

With the wind howling across the field, Steve James mangaged to make the kick and it looked as though Dowlais were going to survive by the skin of their teeth. After all, with less than five minutes left on the clock, it seemed unlikely after their last war of attrition- esque try that Risca could score again when they were so short on time.

However, in a baffling display, Dowlais didn’t do the seemingly logical thing and kick the ball as far away from their half as possible. Instead they attempted to play the ball in hand. Almost too predictably, the ball was soon turned over. A combination of Risca slowly making ground with each play and yet more penalties brought Risca steadily back to the Dowlais twenty-two and before long, nightmarishly close to the end, the last play, Risca was given a penalty kick.

Despite the Dowlais supporters’ prayers of a particularly strong gust of wind sending the ball careening away from the posts, the kick was successful and Dowlais had lost at the last possible moment, 10-8 to Risca.

At the very least, in terms of ball carrying and tackling, there was a clear improvement this week compared to the harrowing loss away at Penallta last week. But that improvement and closeness to victory only served to make the last second loss all the more painful.

Next week Dowlais plays Ynysybwl at home.