Fixture

Stop it! No! Stop it right now! Four games unbeaten? Are you having a laugh? A ‘form table’ like what they have on Match of the Day would have us sitting joint top of Division Two (East) right now and the question remains, can we maintain this form through to the end of the season? The last time we strung four games together without a defeat was April 2019, nearly five years ago (but we did put together an unbeaten run of 18 games in our league winning season). Last Saturday wasn’t necessarily a six pointer but it was critical if we were to pull away from the relegation zone and pass the team directly above us, the team who we were to face, Caldicot RFC, the boys needed to put in a full shift.

Competition for places was fierce throughout the week at training and a number of players were unfortunate to make the matchday squad, they did though turn up to support their teammates (top team spirit).

The opening exchanges were even but were predominantly played in the Caldicot half. Their only relief being when they kicked out of their half only for the ball to be run back straight at them. In the 12th minute, a penalty conceded by Oakdale allowed the home side to get some territorial advantage which they maintained for as long as the Dale were dominant in the first period of the game.  Though, each time they got near the Oakdale line they conceded a penalty at the ruck which allowed Oakdale to relieve the pressure.

The breakthrough came on 21 minutes and it was the away side who notched up the first points. From a lineout which was not gathered by either side, the ball tumbled into midfield waiting for someone to gather possession. It was Oakdale who were quicker to the loose ball and when the ball was fed to Caian Rees he spotted a gap and went looking for yards. When Rees was tackled he slickly popped the ball out of the back of his hand to the supporting Charlie Deacon who was right by his side. Deacon was taken to the floor almost immediately but had the sense to pop the ball up as he hit the floor for Trevor James to gather. James, in his twilight years realised he did not have the gas to reach the line so calmly waited for his (much fitter) brother, David, to steam through, take the pass and dance his way past two flailing defenders to score just left of the posts. The conversion was successful from Morgan Yemm (WTF?) and Oakdale moved into the lead with a 7-0 scoreline.

On 28 minutes, Oakdale conceded a penalty and ‘Oakdale Boy’ Josh Parr kicked deep into the Oakdale 22. Caldicot gathered their line out ball and trundled on towards the goal line. Oakdale were resolute in defence forcing Caldicot to spin the ball wide. Their centre decided he would go back straight into the traffic rather than out wide and fair play to him managed to bump off 3 or 4 tackles. When he was brought to ground their number 9 put a deft chip over and into the goal area but Trevor executed a perfect Stone Cold Steve Austin clothesline move and the poor lad went straight to the ground. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the home side a penalty which was successfully converted and the scoreline moved to 7-3 in favour of the Dale.

There was a momentary pause before the restart as several Oakdale players decided to change boots. It transpired that no-one liked the sky-blue slippers that Captain Hoskins premiered the week before and anyway Hoskins’ sole of his one boot had completely sheared away from the main body making him slide around like Bambi on that icy lake.

Deep into first half injury time, Caldicot were awarded a penalty just to the right of the Oakdale posts. Rather than take the penalty kick and go into half-time one point down, they kicked to touch in preference for a five-metre lineout. They successfully gathered the ball and trundled all the way to the Oakdale line. The referee could have scored the try himself, he was right in the mix of the maul but his right hand went up for an unconverted score to take both teams into the break with the home side edging in front as the clock went red.

HALF TIME – CALDICOT 8 v 7 OAKDALE

It was Caldicot who were fastest out of the blocks when the game resumed, and they managed to force a penalty from an Oakdale scrum with the first play of the game. They pushed the ball into the Oakdale 22 and pummelled the away side defence. But for a forward pass in the backs, they were sure to score a try but the referee’s whistle gave some respite to Oakdale. From the resulting Oakdale scrum, number 9, Dylan Jones’s pass failed to reach Deacon at Outside Half, reducing the time he had to clear his lines. The Caldicot scrum half sniffed an opportunity and chased the kick down successfully blocking its path and the ball ricocheted into the Oakdale goal area. It was that 9 who reacted first, and he sprinted past two Oakdale players to touch down first giving an easy conversion attempt and take Caldicot further ahead with a 15-7 scoreline to the home side.

Oakdale lost Charlie Deacon and Caian Rees straight after the conversion as they had to shoot to Cardiff for their audition for the Voice UK. We wish the Swffrydd Shalabamas all the best with their journey to stardom, but our focus was on the next 37 minutes of this league game.

The next 33 minutes was a turgid affair, not helped by some poor pitch conditions brought on by the endless rain during the week. Caldicot dominated territory but lacked the cutting edge to breach a resolute Oakdale rearguard, many times either knocking the ball forward or conceding penalties at the ruck. It was though, with three minutes left on the clock that Oakdale managed to get into the Caldicot 22. Numerous times they darted for the line but were held up by a scrambling defence which, eventually conceded a yellow card. That being said Caldicot managed to hold out the next Oakdale scrum, even being awarded a goal line drop out when the Referee could not decide if Oakdale had managed to put the ball down over their opposition’s line. From the resulting kick Trevor gathered close to the 10-metre line and proceeded to bosh off two players before being brought to ground. Jones fed Hoskins in the 10 slot and he threw a daring miss pass out to Jacob Rees. With one drop of his shoulder, Rees found the defence completely open up for him and he sprinted from the 22 straight to the tryline to give Oakdale their second try of the game with time ebbing away. Yemm missed with his conversion but Oakdale were now holding a losing bonus point with the score at 15 points to 12.

By the VEO clock, the game was now in injury time but there had to be a couple of minutes as there were a few injuries to both sides in the second half. Caldicot kicked off and there was no thought from Oakdale about clearing their lines, possession and yardage was the only thing on their minds.

With good support, and Dylan Jones commanding his team from the 9 spot, it was gap punching time and Oakdale stole yards with every phase of play. After a slight slip by the Caldicot defence it was Luke Lovell who burst through on the far touchline to take Oakdale into the Caldicot 22. After 21 phases of play Oakdale were inches from stealing the game when the Referee had to blow his whistle and award an Oakdale scrum. With Caldicot one down from the yellow card they had to muster all their strength to keep Oakdale from pushing them back over their own tryline.

That they did well and Oakdale had no choice but to send Trevor on the rampage. James was hauled down close to the line but Oakdale managed to orchestrate a series of plays that softened the heart of the Caldicot defence. Time and time again they threw everything at their hosts in the hope of scoring a try in the dying seconds of the game. Rather than go to the open side they kept play trundling down the blind channel and when there was no space left it was left it was left to elasticman, Morgan Yemm to take the desperate tackle, absorb the contact and reach his elongated limb over the Caldicot try line to score Oakdale’s third try of the game with no time left on the clock.

Grown men openly cried and young children were thrown in the air such was the joy amongst the travelling support. Oakdale had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and didn’t need the help of their Hindu child-like God to secure the victory. Caldicot supporters didn’t wait around to see the Oakdale conversion knowing that the beer was waiting on the bar, but it didn’t go over anyway. As the ball sailed wide of the posts the Referee put his whistle to his lips and blew for full time, the game was over but more importantly, the game was won.

FULL TIME – CALDICOT 15 v 17 OAKDALE

Bloody hell! That was a close one. With the pitch and weather conditions it was never going to be a barbarian-esque game of open running rugby. It’s what we like and more of this please (the weather). We stuck at it, our defence was solid and we know how we have to play in these conditions. Our hosts must be more than kicking themselves to lose the game in that fashion, they had the majority of the game in the second half but could not extend their lead. They did lose a number of players to injury, some pretty bad, but they had a full compliment of subs. Their losing bonus point will have to do on a day when Pill Harriers also won so that four points that we left Longfellow Road with will go a long way to determining if Division Two (East) is the place for us next season. Viva la Dale.

COST OF ENTRY TO THE GAME - £4.00 FOUR POUNDs!!! Division Two? FOUR POUNDs!! There is a cost-of-living crisis going on and we are charged FOUR POUNDS!! How many more times this season am I going to have to get in the boot of a car to avoid paying?

QUALITY OF MATCHDAY PROGRAMME – There was one at least, it was in colour and on shiny pages. There was no matchday insert but there was a ‘Foreword by the President’ which I did enjoy reading about the new doors and bench seating in the Clubhouse. There was also a 9-point Spectators Code of Conduct in the latter pages and on behalf of everyone at Oakdale RFC we apologise for breaking six of them (only a joke we were impeccable)

QUALITY OF AFTERMATCH MEAL – Probably one of the only rugby clubs in Wales that delivers Fusion cooking on a regular basis (that is combining cuisines). Today we had a treat with Italian herbs and spices delivered in a Pasta Bolognese, all served in an Indian Balti dish and accompanied by the pungent French aroma of a slice of Garlic Bread. Big up to the kitchen crew massive.

FINAL THOUGHTS – Another nail biter after our comeback in the previous league game, not great for the old ticker I hear you say. We like mud, we like a grapple and we like to take it to the wire. This team continues to grow and the spirit amongst the boys is great at the moment. We are all enjoying our rugby which is the only thing that matters. Thank you to Caldicot for hosting the game and apologies for taking the victory in the dying seconds, it’s not a great way to lose after putting in 80 minutes of effort. Onwards and upwards now, let’s see what this match report is like after we play league leaders, Abertillery under lights at theirs next Friday.