Fixture

An impressive crowd for Caldicots opening pre-season fixture versus Brynmawr, witnessed an equally impressive performance by Caldicots young but committed senior squad.

With over 50 players having attended pre-season training and 30 available for Saturdays game, Head Coach Jason Elliott opted for four 20 min quarters in order to rotate the players throughout and give as many people game time as possible.

The opening quarter represented a tremendous start to the season with Caldicot scoring two tries through Ashley Donovan and vice captain Matthew ‘Millsy’ Hill, both converted by Ashley, giving Caldicot a 14-0 lead. Ashley’s try, a lovely individual side stepping run through the oppositions 22, was set up by a well- executed rolling maul, straight off the pre-season training paddock, much to the delight of Forwards Coach Tim Hanks. Not for the first time the opposition were forced to pull it down, on this occasion just short of their try line but they couldn’t prevent Ashley conjuring his magic. Definitely a try scored by the backs but made by the forwards.

Caldicot made 4 changes for a scoreless second quarter notable for some great team defence by forwards and backs alike, again demonstrating pre-season drills being well executed come game time, Joe McClean showing up well with some big collisions in the tight along with back row colleagues Joel Price and captain Joe Cullimore.

Turning around at half time with the wind to their advantage Caldicot made 9 changes which may have contributed to some uncharacteristic defensive lapses allowing Brynmawr in for two converted tries bringing them level at 14 apiece.

The final quarter saw a real arm wrestle eventually settled by a brilliant individual try by Hooker, Martin Beddows, with only minutes to go. One of the few Caldicot players to have played every one of the 80 minutes on the day, in a performance typified by abrasive tackling throughout, Skippy broke through the opposition defence just inside his own half with a lovely dummy, outpacing the cover and side-stepping the full back to go in under the posts, allowing scrum half Sion Lewis the easy conversion.

Caldicot successfully closed out the game, continuing the commitment within the team to shut down the opposition and secure the win. Players, coaches and supporters alike were able to celebrate a well-deserved victory with a party that defied the rain and went on for some time afterwards . . . apparently!

The players and coaching staff would like to thank everyone for their support and invite you to please join us next Saturday, 16th August, 2.30pm, at home, for our second pre-season friendly versus Penallta RFC 2nd XV.

A hard fought win, refereed well by local referee Stephen Allsop, this game being Stephen's first at this level following his promotion to the WRU Senior list of Referees.