photo by Mark Harris

Poor discipline and early injuries resulted in a shock 27-24 victory for the Valley Cougars over the reigning Welsh Champions at Ferndale last Saturday.

Despite missing a number of players including captain Jon Purnell who was competing in the “Three Peaks Challenge” the Blue Bulls had been overwhelming favourites going into the tie but a well-drilled Cougars outfit made the most of Bridgend indiscipline.

The Cougars raced into an early 10-0 lead thanks to a try from Ceri Cummins and six points from the boot of Gary Williams and it got worse for the Bulls when Austen Howells, making his Rugby League debut was rushed off to hospital after suffering an open fracture to his finger.

Bridgend finally got themselves on the score sheet in the 28th minute when some great play from Tevita Manaseitava and Neil Dixon sent centre Ian Higgins racing under the posts, and less than a minute later Higgins was over again thanks to a break from Matthew Owen, Paul Smithson added both conversions to give his side a two point lead. But the score also resulted in Neil Dixon having to leave the pitch with a head injury.

Gary Williams then drew the sides level with his third penalty for the Cougars and Bridgend were dealt another blow when Gerwyn Davies was sin-binned just two minutes after coming off the bench.

But despite being down to 12 men the Blue Bulls re-took the lead just before the break when some great passing from Craig Fox and Karl Hocking sent Smithson over for Bridgends third try and he also added the extras to make it 18-12 to the Bulls at half-time.

In their previous two games against Torfaen and Blackwood the Bulls have come from behind to dominate the second half but it was a different story at Ferndale and indiscipline cost the champions dear.

Cougars Rhodri Morris scored an unconverted try in the 13th minute but Bridgend hit back when Lenny Woodard claimed his sixth score in only three games to make it 24-16 to the Bulls. But the Valleymen dominated the final twenty minutes, an excellent cross field kick lead to a try for Gwyn Williams and with ten minutes to go he was over for his second after he easily beat Woodard to a high ball to score a brilliant try and Gary Williams added the conversion from the touchline to give the home side a 26-24 lead.

Cougars fullback Owen Lewis then extended that lead to three with a one-point field goal and then the Bulls came agonisingly close to grabbing a late win when loose forward Simon Mustoe raced away, he was brought down inches short, the ball then was whipped out to Karl Hocking but the former Crusader knocked on before grounding the ball.

Any chance Bridgend then had of a stealing a win late on evaporated when Tylon Mafi was yellow carded for a high tackle and the Cougars held on to become only the fifth side to beat the Blue Bulls in five years.

Despite the defeat there was a good debut for wing Matthew Owen, but the Porthcawl boy will need to be brought into the game more if his running skills are to be fully utilised while forwards Simon Mustoe and Tevita Manaseitava stood out.

After the game Blue Bulls player coach Karl Hocking said “we all need to take a good hard look at ourselves, our discipline was awful and almost certainly cost us the game. We also made far too many mistakes and with so many guys training every week no place in the squad is safe. We are all really hurting both physically and mentally after this defeat and we don’t want to feel this pain again”.

article by Simon Green
9 June 2007