News

It was exactly 174 days ago that Oakdale travelled out to the Kings Head Ground and although we scored 24 points on the day we probably put in one of our most abject performances in a long time, going down 48-24. It was surprising then to find a mood of positivity and excitement at the thought of locking horns again with the Crows after their impressive opening week performance where they thrashed Chepstow 44-5. Clearly, that positivity ran through the team as well as the supporters as the Dale put in a good shift and an impressive performance to run out 28 – 22 winners in an absorbing Division Three East ‘A’ encounter on a sunny autumnal Saturday afternoon.

Captain Sugar Tits won the toss and decided to play up the slope in the first half but with the advantage of the wind behind their backs although it was the home side that started quickly showing why they clearly are one of the fancied teams this year. A couple of good drives saw them eat up the Oakdale yards and before too long the Oakdale defence infringed at the ruck and the Braan were awarded a penalty which was sweetly struck through the posts to take the home side into a 3-0 lead after two minutes.

Oakdale had the chance to score their first points two minutes later when David Fortune picked up from the base of the scrum and went left. He fed a long pass to Lee Matthews who had the sense to pass to Elliot Jayne on the wing. Jayne had a clear run through to the line but the excitement got the better of him and he fumbled the ball forward like a girl playing cricket.

With eleven minutes on the clock, cross-dressing hooker, Simon Veall (above), playing at outside half on the day, hoofed the ball high out of 22 to relieve some intense Braan pressure. The ball went higher than it did long but the Braan full back fumbled and one of the retreating backs decided he would gather albeit in an offside position. The referee immediately awarded a penalty to the Dale as Veall told his team mates he meant to do that poor up and under to hoodwink the Braan into conceding the penalty. The shot at goal was less than a metre inside the Braan half but that didn’t deter Veall who stepped up and stroked a sweet shot clean over the posts. Veall didn’t wait to see if the penalty was successful, instead turning to look for Simon Barber, to give him a knowing wink as he ran back to his restart position.

The Braan didn’t take too long to capture the lead back when on thirteen minutes their forwards produced some good driving play to take them into a good attacking position. They managed to manoeuvre Oakdale into submission and fed their number eight who danced around Lee Matthews like a D list celebrity on Strictly and he went under the posts for a converted try which sent the Braan back into the lead at 10-3.

The points kept coming and three minutes later the Dale were awarded another penalty when a Braan tackler was penalised for not moving away from the tackle. Surprisingly, the penalty was practically right in the same spot as Veall’s first attempt and he made no mistake again with a long range attempt to claw the Dale back into the game at 10-6.

On 23 minutes Oakdale were pressurising the home side deep in their 22 but the Braan managed to get themselves out of it by hoofing the ball away into the middle of the pitch. Waiting there was Davide Fortuna who decided to show everyone his continental football skills trapping the ball with his foot and the flicking it up into his hands. He ran forward and it took a couple of home players to bring him to the floor. A couple of good Oakdale drives got them going forward and when the ball found Scott Evans he showed the old master exactly what Jazz Hands are as he bamboozled the home side defence went through a gap and popped it to Captain Sugar Tits who had the speed to dart over the line for a try converted by hooker Veall to take the Dale into the lead for the first time in the match at 13-10.

The Braan had the opportunity to show that anything hooker Veall could do they could do just as well when they were awarded a penalty themselves just inside the Dale half for an indiscretion I didn’t see. Unfortunately, their kicker didn’t have the ‘weight’ behind his kick that Veall could produce and his attempt went left of the posts, maintaining the score in the Dale’s favour.

Both sides were now playing a fluid and attacking style of rugby which made for a really entertaining game. Everyone was treated to a light hearted moment on 33 minutes after hooker Veall received the ball close to the halfway line. Boosted by his success at his previous two long range penalty attempts he thought that a drop goal from way out would cap an impressive first 45 for him making his season’s debut after returning to the club. Unfortunately, for him, his effort was more akin to something Heather Mills would have produced and instead of sailing 40 yards it was more like 4 in total which did bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

One minute into first half injury time the Dale found themselves with a scrum in the home side’s 22. The Oakdale 8 had the strength to provide a solid platform but the ball popped out a bit too quick for Barber, playing at 9 for the day. He whipped the ball out to Veall who picked up well from his shoelaces and with his backs running in all sorts of directions no-one saw our ginger prince, Gavin Price hitting a good line straight through the Braan centres. Flat-footed, they didn’t have the opportunity to adjust giving Price the chance to score his first try of the season which he took gratefully. Veall did well to send the conversion three streets over making no mistake and sending Oakdale into an impressive half time lead.

HALF TIME – CWMBRAN RFC 10 v 20 OAKDALE RFC

It didn’t take long for the home side to gift the Dale their chance for more points after the game resumed, about 17 seconds actually. From the restart the Braan were penalised at the first ruck and this gave hooker Veall the opportunity for a further three points from the 10 metre line and against the wind. He made no mistake and an unexpected three points were gladly accepted by the Dale to extend their lead to 23-10.

Playing down the slope obviously suited Oakdale and possession and territory were theirs for the first minutes of the second period. They were given the opportunity to score more points on 45 when the powerhouse juggernaut they call Ryan Jarman ripped possession away from the home side a boshed a couple of players away to make some good yards. The ball was spun out to the backs and when it got to hooker Veall he grubber kicked through for the players outside him to chase. Cameron Barron on the wing didn’t fancy it much but Captain Sugar Tits did and he gave good chase only to see a retreating defender gather and touch it down over his own line gifting the Dale a five metre attacking scrum. With the domination that the Dale held in the scrum the only thing they needed for more points was a bit of patience at the set piece. They trundled forward slowly but with the Braan scrum breaking up as they back peddled Dai Fortune had no option but to pick up and power his way over which he did successfully to score his second try of the season. Hooker Veall missed his first attempt at the posts on the day but the Dale extended their lead by 18 points to 28-10.

Cwmbran were determined not to relinquish their good start to the season and were right back in the game on 50 minutes. From a breakout attack by Oakdale, full back Gavin Price went surging down the right hand side of the field. When the defence closed in on him he passed inside to his supporting team mates but a Cwmbran player gather possession. With the ball in broken play and the Dale defence not set, the Braan flung the ball right across the width of the pitch to find their fast man hugging the line. He beat a couple of defenders and drew the last man to feed inside to one of his supporting players for the best try of the game which was converted to close the gap on the Dale to 28-17.

Boosted by the quality of their try, the Braan started to mount a serious challenge to closing the gap on their visitors and on 64 four minutes they went a long way to achieving that objective. Awarded a penalty in the Oakdale 22 they took the quick option and sent one of their big men towards the Oakdale line. The Dale defence stood firm at the first attempt but the second drive was successful and Cwmbran scored their third try of the game which went unconverted but closed the gap to only six points with sixteen minutes left on the clock.

The Braan were obviously too occupied by their recent successes as they switched off on the restart as two players who should have taken possession didn’t. Cameron Baron did though and he made some good yards before being taken down. Fortune then accepted the opportunity to go looking for the Braan line but his pass feet away from the line went again into a pair of home side hands. From the resulting scrum, when play broke down Oakdale took possession and Fortune again went looking for points. Seeing the Prince hugging the line he passed to the Price Man but his foot was in touch as he accepted the ball and a further try went a begging.

With minutes left on the clock it was time for the home side to throw everything at the Dale in the hope of pinching the win in the dying stages of an enthralling encounter. With an Oakdale scrum in their own 22, the Braan mustered all the effort they could and sent their visitor’s scrum in a backwards direction. Barber did well to pick up but the Braan players were straight on him and pushing him perilously close to his own line. He managed to ship it to his hooker, Veall who kicked left footed into touch but only five metres from the Dale line. This was it, the moment that the Braan had been waiting for, a five metre attacking line. The crowd held their breath and the ball was thrown in. From nowhere, Oakdale’s very own Brecon Beacon, Cerrig Wilson, rose like a Salmon to snatch possession and set the maul. Hooker Veall did clear the Dale’s lines but the Referee awarded the Dale a penalty and Veall took no hesitation in a second attempt to send his team mates back towards the right end of the pitch.

With the last play of the game, the Braan did everything they could to breach the Oakdale defence, even flicking the ball through their legs with a tidy bit of skill. When the ball carrier was held up it was Oakdale scrum time with the seconds ebbing away. Fortune went blind, beat a couple of players but was bundled into touch. That was it, the Referee didn’t play much injury time but that suited us as we made amends for the display we put in back in April and extended our winning start to the season.

Cwmbran are certainly a side which will be up near the top come next April. They are quick, physical and well drilled. It was good to see that dirty b@stard in the forwards not playing as he certainly does bring the quality of play right down and I know a number of sides believe that. It was also good to see the chopsy number 9 (or Chesney as he is affectionately known by the Dale) keep quiet and not spout off, he is a good player when he shuts up. Good luck to the Crows but not when they come to us after Christmas.

That positivity I mentioned at the start certainly carried through into the night as everyone seemed really pleased with the day’s events and eyes now turn to Dai Tovey’s wedding first (on Friday) but then the game with RTB 24 hours later. Good debuts were made by Ged and Gripapa and all the returning players fitted well into the side. A strong bench and players who didn’t make the 20 suggest that if we can stay injury free and no-one has plasterers in to do their kitchens on a Saturday then we could achieve something this season. But we said that last year and it all fell to pieces after the festive period. Fingers crossed.

FULL TIME – CWMBRAN RFC 22 V 28 OAKDALE RFC

Cost of entry to the game = £3.00 – One of the more expensive places to go this season, but they always have been, must have been the big town mentality. We wont begrudge them the extra pound this week with the quality of the game that we all witnessed (and the win obviously)

Quality of match day programme = A good thick production with lots of adverts, one of the best in the league (we need a sponsorship secretary) but I do have some comments to make. The cover is the same as it has been for the last four years, some of the programme is in colour but most in black and white AND THEY USE INSERTS WTF?? Couldn’t even get our side spelt right and the insert was not folded correctly (these things matter…………..)

Quality of after match meal = A mini rugby classic, Hot Dog and Chips. I usually look forward to the Pasta Bolognese that we normally get as you don’t get it in most places but they must have had a Sunday cancellation and therefore needed to use the rolls up. I’m not complaining though, I got fed