The meeting of Pontypool and Carmarthen Quins at Pontypool Park saw both teams in a “must win” situation. Although, justifiably, the Quins could consider themselves very unlucky at times they were on a three match losing run and getting closer to the bottom end of the league. Pontypool, on the other hand, had just lost their coach as well as every one of their fixtures and were currently rooted at the bottom of the table.

It took just one scrum for the scoring to begin. The Quins won quick ball, spun it along the line to Darren Daniel who dived over in the corner. Less than one minute had elapsed and you would have thought that the visitors would have been able to relax and let their rugby flow. With the match meaning so much the tension seemed to remain, however.

Anthony Rees was a rock at full back and consistent with his touch finders. The pack, although held in the line out, were turning the “Pooler” scrum and winning the breakdown. Jason Harries was making numerous dangerous breaks through the defence and both wings were looking dangerous whenever involved. Perhaps because of the pressure to succeed, however, the final ball was being dropped or going astray. Haydn Pugh and Sililo Martens were brought down metres from the line and Harries failed to beat the ball to the dead ball line after charging down a kick.

It took until the second quarter before Gareth Cull extended the lead with a penalty. Then, minutes later, Martin Morgan ripped the ball from the break down; the ball was released along the line for Harries to chip into the corner. The speedy Richard Carter was first to the ball and the Quins held a 13 point lead.

Against the run of play, Martens was stripped of the ball Geraint O’Driscoll ran strongly and made ground with the Carmarthen defence in disarray and left Steve Taylor free to score for Pontypool. O’Driscoll then added the extras and then five minutes later landed a penalty to make his side only three points behind to the obvious pleasure of the very vocal home supporters.

Cull succeeded with another penalty before the interval but was this going to be a case of deja vu with Carmarthen dominating but not getting the scores on the board?

The second half began cagily with too much ineffective “ping pong” kicking taking place. In this third quarter Brian Edwards created danger crashing through the defence, Daniel was forced into touch just short of the line, Dale Critchley was yellow carded and Sam Pailor red carded for Pooler but the only score came from another Cull penalty.

Then, from a bout of loose play, the Quins released the ball quickly along the line; Daniel chipped behind the defence and followed up for his second try. This time Cull converted.

Pontypool bravely tried to get back in the game running the ball back at Carmarthen but the superior Quins backline were beginning to break them apart. During this time it was only ferocious, last ditch tackling which managed to bring down Ellis Lloyd once and Harries twice just short of the line and stop the score mounting up.

In the last ten minutes the Quins finally broke their shackles, relaxed and let their rugby flow. Harries, dangerous all afternoon, broke through and made 45m. before jabbing the ball through for the pacy Daniel to follow up, make the line and complete his hat-trick of tries. Minutes later with the home team now all over the place, the young flanker Ellis Lloyd completed a fine afternoon for himself when he picked up a loose ball, hacked through and fell on it for the final try. Cull converted the last two tries to make the final score 40 points to 10 in favour of Carmarthen Quins.

Hopefully now, with another win under their belt and a little less pressure on their shoulders, the Quins will be able to go out and show what a good team they really can be.