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Whiteheads 6 - 29 Girlings
8th April 2006
Girling put in another strong performance on Saturday when they defeated their closest league rivals 29 points to 6. After their victory over St. Julians the previous week Girling were looking to take their recent winning record to ten games and it was Whiteheads who eventually succumbed to the Girling sword.
Girling opened the scoring early in the first half when a superb arcing run by outside half Andy Bates put fullback Adrian Smith over for an excellent try. The second score, although totally different was just as good. With the Girling forwards gaining dominance as the half progressed, a rolling maul from twenty metres out ended with scrum half Ian Cantelo scoring in the corner.
or all their efforts though the visitors only had a four point cushion at the break following two Whiteheads penalties. In the second half the powerful Girling pack continued to push forward and it wasn't long before number eight Steve Sheppard added to the scoresheet. The victory was finally sealed when captain Don Jones, playing on the wing, scored a brace of tries in the final fifteen minutes. Bates added two conversions to give Girling a well deserved and hard earned victory.
Cathays 7 - 76 Girling
4th March 2006
Cathays were the unlucky team who came up against a girling side firing on all cylinders on Saturday with by far their best performance of the season. the early exchanges were fairly even but after twenty minutes outside half Andy Bates broke through three or four would be tacklers to score under the posts. This score was quickly equalised when Cathays broke away to score a converted try, but then the floodgatesopened. Even though they were playing against the slope Girling scored further tries through Owain Tudball, Ian Howells, Ian Cantelo and a second for Andy Bates which gave them a comfortable half time lead.
Unlike previous weeks, when Girling allowed teams to get back into matches after taking a lead, this time they kept the pressure on. Before the final whistle blew prop Duane Gardner and fullback Adrian Smith had both scored two apiece with Ian Cantelo, kevin Cantelo and Geraint Smith all adding to the scoresheet, Bates kicked a total of eight conversions to give him a personal match tally of 26 points. Credit must be given to all involved in such a fast, open and entertaining game.
Hafodyrynys 29 - 34 Girling
25th February 2006
The dominating force in this match was the strong wind which meant that the game was one of two halves in more ways than one. Playing with the wind at their backs Girling quickly got off the mark when left wing Shane Tudor touched down in the corner after a break by scrum half Andy Bates. The visitors soon increased this lead with Terry Me acham, Owain Tudball all scoring in quick succession.
The wind made it hard for the home side to break out of defence and they were penned in their own half for most of the first 40 minutes but one of their rare sorties up the pitch resulted in an unconverted try. Just before the break however Geraint Smith scored Girlings sixth try to give them what seemed to be an unassailable lead. This was not the case however and the wind together with some poor defensive tackling enabled Hafodyrynys to get right back into the match with four unopposed tries.
At twenty nine all the game looked set for a draw but with the last move of the match the Girling backs broke out of defence and Captain Don Jones scored wide out on the left to seal victory and deny the home team any part of the spoils
Newport HSOB 7 - 31 Girling
28th January 2006
It took a long while for Girling to get into their stride at Newport HSOB but once they did the result was never in doubt. Although they scored the first try of the match within seconds of the kick off when scrum half Andy Bates forced his way over, Girling struggled to get any sort of rhythm and a converted try put the home team in the lead which they held until half time.
The second half was a different story however and Girling regained the lead when Don Jones scored close to the posts with Bates converting. Next on the score sheet was winger Shane Tudor who scored wide out after a strong run down the left. At this stage the forwards began to get their game together against their bigger opposition with Mark George, Jason O'connell and Lee Williams the pick of the bunch. Two further tries from Bates and Jones gave Girling a comfortable victory at the end of a tough encounter 31 - 7.
Girling 22 - 8 Pill 2nds
21st January 2006
Girling progressed into the semi final of the Worthington Newport and District cup at the expense of a well drilled Pill Harriers team. Both sides were fairly evenly matched in the early exchanges but Pill were first to trouble the scorekeepers with a penalty, followed by a well taken try as their right wing raced in unopposed from 30 metres. It took the home side at least 20 minutes to get into top gear but arguably the best try of the game kick started their efforts when hooker Chris Edwards took the ball from the back of a maul and scored in the corner after cleverly interpassing with winger Andy Bates.
Girling were still behind at half time however but in the second half the home pack gradually gained the upper hand. Girling second row Duane Gardner powered over the line to give Girling the lead early in the half and the platform set by the forwards soon gave outside half and captain Don Jones the opportunity for two well deserved tries which put the game beyond the reach of the visitors.
After many troubled months when Girling when Girling were struggling to field a team this result will hopefully turn the season around and give them a successful second half to the 2005-06 campaign.
Girling 51 - 3 Cwmbran 2nds
14th January 2006
In a one sided affair Girling came away with the spoils in their local Derby against Cwmbran Athletic on Saturday. From the first ten minutes the tempo of the game was set and two early tries from the Smith brothers, Geraint and Adrian, set the wheels in motion for a 51 - 3 victory. The plucky Cwmbran side of youthful and more mature players were no match for the home team who scored a total of six first half tries to seal victory early in the game. Tries by Shane Tudor, Don Jones, Ian Cantelo and Owain Tudball put Girling firmly in the driving seat with a thirty four point lead at half time.
At this stage the visitors could have given up but to their credit they stuck to their task and limited Girling to three second half tries for Stuart Mapps, Andy Bates and a second for Geraint Smith. Both sides should be congratulated for an entertaining game of open rugby which was only marred by an unfortunate injury to Girling second row forward Byron Weaver midway through the second half.
Rogerstone 5 - 20 Girling
7th January 2006
With the availability of players being a major problem for the coaching staff, Girling once again struggled to field a full fifteen but despite these problems the team that took the field gave their all to come away with a victory at Rogerstone on Saturday.
With three players making their debut and another three playing for the first time this season it was always going to be a tough task for the away team but they rallied together to put in an impressive performance. From the start it was obvious that the game would revolve around the forward battle and although the early exchanges were fairly equal the Girling pack eventually took control.
The first try went to outside half Don Jones who broke through the centre of the Rogerstone defence to score under the posts. This was followed by a try for debutant Lewis Jones who scored in the corner shortly before the break. The second half saw Girling gain a succession of good ball as their forwards gained the upper hand and two more tries were scored by flanker Steve Sheppard and scrum half Ian Cantelo. Rogerstone scored a consolation try towards the end of the game but the spoils deservedly went to the away side.
Girling 15 - 12 Cathays
22nd October 2005
An understrength Girling team put up another spirited display on Saturday to defeat a well drilled Cathays outfit by the narrowest of margins. Even though a few faithful veterans had to play, Girling still played with one man short but it was hardly noticeable as they attacked from the first whistle.
Midway through the first half a swift handling movement resulted in winger Nick Witcombe crossing for an unconverted try in the corner. This gave the home team a lead they never relinquished. The forwards who were working on overdrive then produced a succession of good possession which eventually saw prop forward Duane Gardner picking up a loose ball to sprint 30 yards for an excellent try. All there efforts were reduced to a 3 point half-time lead however when the cover defence was outpaced by the visiting winger who scored under the posts shortly before the break.
The second half was tight affair and a second try from Witcombe was quickly cancelled out by Cathays who were now determined not to be beaten. The home defence stood firm however and Girling deservedly won the match by 15 - 12.
Girling 16 - 15 Machen
8th October 2005
It was backs to the wall stuff for Girling on Saturday as a hurriedly formed team hung on for a well earned victory against Machen in the first round of the Newport and District Cup.
With no substitutes available, Girling were reduced to fourteen men within minutes of the kick off when their outside half badly injured his collar bone, but it was they who scored first with two well taken penalties from scrum half Andrew Bates. Both sides then strove to play open entertaining rugby and both defences were put repeatedly to the test. The only try in the first half was by Girling prop Gary Hitchens who powered over the line from a quickly taken penalty.
With a useful half time lead, the home team then faced a second half onslaught. Machen quickly got back into the game with a couple of penalties and the Girling line soon looked akin to Rourke's drift as wave after wave of attacks were repelled by the home defence. To the forefront were new recruits Stuart Mapps, Byron Weaver and Duane Gardner, who all had excellent games.
With the defensive line reduced to twelve players towards the end of the match, Machen eventually scored an unconverted try to reduce the Girling lead to one point, but in a nail biting finish the home team hung on to progress to the next round by 16 - 15. All players should be commended for their performance in a highly entertaining match played in good spirits by both sides.
