Brecon show character to seal opening-day win

At the end of a long, hot, dry summer, which baked the Parc de Pugh grounds, the rains finally arrived just in time for the start of the new season. With the pitch now green and playable, Brecon opened their Championship West season with a match against Gowerton on a perfect, calm, dry, early autumn afternoon.

To some extent, this was a step into the unknown. The Brecon team were coming together for their first competitive match against a side they have rarely faced, in this, their first match following relegation from the Premiership. The first match it might have been, but there was a lot resting on the result for both sides. For Gowerton, it was the opportunity to claim an away win over a former Premiership team, a result that would build their confidence. On the other side of the coin, Brecon were looking to start their campaign with a win to boost their confidence and build a winning mentality.

Off that background, the pattern of the game was somewhat predictable. Both sides made errors. Team plays broke down, partly as a result of a lack of cohesion, and also as a result of trying to force the pace rather than relying on what has been put in place during the pre-season.

The pattern of the game was also interesting. Brecon started brightly for a short period after Joel Price brilliantly chased and won the kick-off. Wing Ben Griffin and full-back Llewelyn Brown showed up well in attack, only for the attack to be finally halted with a turnover at the breakdown. Soon, Brecon were forced to defend as Gowerton gained the upper hand, particularly on their put-in at the scrum, where they regularly won penalties.

In spite of the pressure, Brecon’s defence held out. The back row of Ioan Edwards, Matthew Williams and Mitchell Baller, who all had great games both in defence and carrying the ball, were rock-like, as was the whole of the back line, thus denying Gowerton any clear opportunity to score other than a missed long-range penalty.

Having survived the pressure that built in the first quarter, Brecon took control territorially in the second. However, while some initial plays looked promising, an opening score proved to be elusive. One good build-up involved a lovely wide kick/pass from Dean Gunter to wing Ben Griffin. Ben made good ground before being taken into touch.

Joel Price made a strong run through the gain line, only to lose the ball in the tackle, but finally the lead came after Geraint Workman threatened following a charge down and chase. Some good continuity led to a penalty and a kick to touch on five metres. Ben Pritchard won the ball at the front of the line and Brecon set their maul. They were patient and finally rewarded when prop Henry Hibbs scored.

The conversion failed, but this first maul set the scene for what would ultimately become probably Brecon’s most clinical and effective play.

As the half drew to a close, both sides had a chance to score. Gowerton kicked one of their scrum penalties to the corner but were denied by busy hooker Cory Westermark, who pulled off a great turnover. Brecon set up a great attack, with wing Jack Davis looking quick and dangerous, only to be halted by a forward pass, and so we entered half-time with Brecon holding on to their five-point lead.

The second half started, as did the first, with Gowerton taking control, and they were rewarded with a long-range penalty. They followed that up with a try of their own. Burly centre Gregor Devine burst through two tackles in midfield to set wing Noah Mason away on a try-scoring run. Jake Davies converted and Gowerton took a 10-points-to-5 lead.

That lead quickly increased as Davies struck his second penalty, leaving Brecon with an eight-point deficit as the game reached the final quarter.

From there, Brecon showed character. Prop Iestyn Phillips and second row Keiran Parry put in a couple of great runs to put Brecon on the front foot. With the scrum now settling, they gained territory off a penalty kick into the visitors’ 22. A collapsed maul led to another penalty and a line-out on five metres.

Again, the maul was well set and powerful hooker Ben Staton broke off and scored. Within minutes, Brecon were level. The extra power of Staton, Sam Pinch and Alex Meeson provided the platform for Brecon to gain the upper hand at the scrum, and they won their first penalty at the phase. Llewelyn Brown made no mistake in drawing Brecon level.

Now back level and with less than ten minutes to play, Brecon made an almost fatal error. Off the kick-off, they tried to run out of defence, rather than gaining ground with a kick. A tackle in midfield led to a penalty at the breakdown and Gowerton were back in the lead.

What followed was a real test of character. Keiran Parry made a great tackle and Joel Price won a penalty, just within kicking distance of the posts. A big decision had to be made. Many of the home supporters were betting on a penalty for a draw, but the team took the brave decision to kick to touch.

The line-out formed just inside the 22. Keiran Parry leapt and won the ball cleanly in the middle of the line and the tight maul was set and advanced. First, it rolled towards the right and then back towards the left. With the Gowerton pack struggling to regroup, Henry Hibbs broke off and ran through the splintered defence to score his second try.

Llewelyn Brown converted from wide and, with minutes remaining, Brecon held a four-point lead. Off the kick-off, Brecon were awarded the scrum and, off a solid base, the ball was kicked to touch for the all-important first win.