Fixture

Carmarthen Athletic RFC | 1st Team 17 - 7 Tumble RFC | 1st Team

Match Report
23 August 2019 / Team News

Uncompromising physical pre-season encounter at the Athletic

The Magpies traveled to Athletic Park in Johnstown on Thursday night to face Carmarthen Athletic RFC in their second pre-season run-out. Tumble made a number of changes from the team that faced Lampeter the previous Saturday and saw a number of players make their debut or return in the black and white hoops, including Steven Hewitt, Richard Davies, Tom Miles, Mat Samuel and Mike Powell. The game was a tough and uncompromising encounter played in the great spirits. Whilst the new look Magpies backline looked sharp with captain Steffan Price making inroads into opposition territory when they had the ball Tumble found themselves defending for much of the first half due to a lack of first phase ball from the lineout. Whilst the Athletic had much of the ball in the first quarter they found it difficult to break through a well organised and hard hitting Magpies defence. The deadlock was broken after 21 minutes when the Athletic number 8 scored under the posts from a scrum v. The conversion was added to make the score 7-0 which is how it remained until the interval despite the best efforts of young wing Curtis Bowdler who was prevented from scoring in the corner on the stroke of half time by a last ditch cover tackle. 

The second half saw the Magpies start in determined mood typified by hard running from Price and number eight Nathan Willard. After strong and elusive runs from Price and former club captain Mike Powell, playing his first game in 6 years returning fly half Steve Hewitt broke through the Red and Black defence to score near the posts. Hewitt converted his own try to make the score 7-7. A rolling maul 11 minutes into the second half saw the Athletic take the lead once with a converted try. Unfortunately, the physical nature of the game was starting to take its toll on the Tumble squad with Willard joining Osian Flint and Matt Eynon on the sidelines with nasty looking injuries. They were soon joined by Hewitt and wing Owain Williams which saw the Magpies play out the final 20 minutes of the game a man down. Despite the numerical disadvantage the Magpies still contributed much to the game and looked to be pressing for an equalising score when a loose pass on the edge of the Athletic 22 saw the ball turned over and the Red and Blacks exploit their numerical advantage to get the ball wide and score from 60 metres out. With the Magpies bench looking like an army field hospital the referee blew up for full time in what had been a useful runout in preparation for the new season.

The Magpies now wait a week before they are due to play Llanybydder RFC at Parc y Mynydd Mawr next Thursday night (29 August) in their final preseason fixture (kick off 7.15pm).

Ymlaen Y Piod

Players Fixture player info not published.
Gallery

There doesn't appear to be any tagged photos.

Upload and Tag Photos