“A STEP BACK IN TIME”
1968-69 SEASON
7th NOVEMBER 1969
“ICE-COOL BARNETT SEALS VICTORY”
(By kind permission of the Carmarthen Journal)
Quins shine in second half
CARMARTHEN 17 pts., AMMAN UNITED 11 pts.
(By Roger Phillips)
Two penalty goals in injury time by Andy Barnett clinched the game for Carmarthen in a nail-biting, action-packed finish on Saturday.
From first to last it was a thrilling cut and thrust, cleanly fought battle which Amman could have sewn up in the first half if their new county cap, Ryan Bartlett at full back had been on target with the penalties he attempted. In the first half, he was only successful with two out of seven penalty kicks.
Amman looked the more polished and thrustful team behind the scrum, where half backs Huw Morris and Alan Rodgerson and centres Peter Griffiths and John Rees were dangerous attackers and a constant threat to the home side defence. But in the face of determined tackling from the Carmarthen centres Peter Herbert and Phil Hodgson and superb covering by the back row of Dai Thomas, Lyn Powell and Gwilym Beynon, their finishing was poor. Up front, Carmarthen looked sharper and gained possession almost at will from the lines-out through Noir Bryan, Lyn Powell and veteran Clive Evans.
HARD PRESSED
In the scrums, Carmarthen hooker Tony Rowberry, making his debut for the first team, was hard pressed to contain quick striking David Williams. But one thing that stood out like a sore thumb in both teams was their atrocious rucking. Neither side seemed to have any idea, in nearly all the mauls the ball was killed as a mass of crumpled bodies smothered it.
Carmarthen started at a cracking pace and in the tenth minute they went ahead when flanker Dai Thomas was awarded a push-over try. Fly half Andy Barnett converted. But after this Amman had the best of play up to the interval. Full back Ryan Bartlett reduced the arrears four minutes late with a tremendous 40 yard penalty. This was a signal for am all out offensive by Amman and with their back row of David John, Jeff and Martin |Jones disrupting Carmarthen’s attacking tactics, they enjoyed territorial advantage. Bartlett pushed them ahead with a 20th minute penalty goal from 30yards.
NO TRY
In the 30th minute, Amman United fly-half Huw Morris struck up a passing movement with flanker Martin Jones and crossed under the posts. But the cheers from the strong Amman contingent were deadened when the referee adjudged that the final pass had gone forward and ordered a scrum. However, a quick strike by hooker Williams saw scrum-half Alan Rodgerson nip through on the blind side to touch down under the posts. Bartlett made no mistake with the conversion.
Carmarthen rallied and had two chances to reduce the arrears, but each time Andy Barnett was wide with the penalty kicks. There was a complete transformation after the interval with Carmarthen dominating the play and forcing Amman on the retreat. After eight consecutive set scrums near the Amman line, Carmarthen opened the second-half scoring. The ball was flicked to Barnett whose drop goal attempt went across the field and into the hands of winger David Dyer who raced over wide out. Barnett just shaved the upright with his conversion attempt. Minutes later, Barnett was smack on target with a neat drop goal after a scrum on the Amman ‘25.’
FINE WORK
With the scores level and only ten minutes to the end of the game, both sides threw everything into attack in an effort to snatch the winner. Amman’s threequarters launched attack after attack and were only kept at bay by some fine work by full back Brian Furlong whose fielding and touch kicking were faultless. Carmarthen replied with crisp threequarter movements and were only prevented from scoring by desperate defensive tactics by the visitors. With play moving into injury time and a draw seeming inevitable, Amman were penalised for a scrummaging infringement. Fly-half Barnett, showing no signs of nerves, sent the ball straight between the posts from wide out on the twenty-five. Barnett put the issue beyond doubt with a penalty goal in front of the posts after Amman full back Bartlett was penalised for not releasing the ball after a tackle.
Conspicuous in the Carmarthen team were number eight Lyn Powell, flankers Gwilym Beynon and Dai Thomas; prop Anthony Thomas; winger David Dyer and full back Brian Furlong.
For Amman, centres John Rees and Peter Griffiths and half backs Huw Morris and Alan Rodgerson were the pick of the backs, while flankers Martin and David Jones and hooker David Williams shone in the pack.
TEAMS
Carmarthen:
Brian Furlong, David Dyer, Phil Hodgson, Peter Herbert, Spencer Jones, Andy Barnett, Peter Evans, Anthony Thomas, Tony Rowberry, Phillip Thomas, Clive Evans, Noir Bryan, David Thomas, Lyn Powell, Gwilym Beynon.
Amman United:
Ryan Bartlett, Ken Davies, Peter Griffiths, John Rees, Roy Evans, Huw Morris, Alan Rodgerson, Dennis Davies, David Williams, Howard Davies, Graham George, Alan Arnold, David John, Jeff Jones, Martin Jones