Caerphilly RFC 36-22 Oakdale RFC
Saturday October 22, Constructaquote Stadium
Caerphilly RFC completed their fourth straight league victory in a row with an emphatic 36-22 victory over Oakdale in National Division 3 East A.
In a result which inflicted a first defeat of the season for Oakdale, Caerphilly’s outside-half Matthew Hurley set a club record by scoring 26 points and surpassing 100 for the season, with just five games gone.
It took just five minutes for Hurley to put his side ahead with a penalty, won after some good back-line work led to several Oakdale players straying offside.
Having made several attempts to add to the scoreboard, winger Will Worthington added a try with 20 minutes gone as Caerphilly once again broke from deep.
Second-row Gavin Bilton combined well with flankers Chris Moss and Will Oliver to make metres into the Oakdale half, and the ball was moved to the right-hand wing where Worthington forced his way through three attempted tacklers to touch down in the corner. Hurley added the difficult conversion for a 10-0 lead.
A series of penalties took the visitors within spitting distance of the line, but some dogged defence kept them at bay as the penalty count against the home side climbed on the cusp of half-time.
Oakdale were gifted a score by the home side just before the break, as Moss attempted a pass over the top after finding himself crowded out by Oakdale defenders. Instead of finding a teammate, he managed to place the ball clean into the anticipating arms of Oakdale full-back Luke Yates, who ran in unopposed from the halfway line to reduce the deficit. Outside-half Chris Davies failed to convert the extra two points, as his kick rebounded off the post to leave the visitors 10-5 down.
Davies missed another penalty early in the second half, but made amends when – taking advantage of a flat defence – he chased hard to collect his own kick and level the scores with his side’s second try. A miserable afternoon in front of goal continued, however, as a third attempt flashed wide.
Meanwhile. Davies’ opposite number Hurley was flourishing. After the visitors were reduced to 14 men for a high tackle, Hurley kicked three penalties in ten minutes to give the Castlemen a nine-point cushion.
Oakdale hit back shortly after as second-row Ian Ellis scored from five metres out, and Davies grabbed his first points from the tee to bring the scores to 19-17.
Three minutes later, a good spell of pressure from Caerphilly forced a hurried clearance into touch, and from the resulting lineout, Bilton took the ball down into a maul and crossed for a try.
The hosts were looking to put the game to bed, but Oakdale showed resolve when it mattered, winning a scrum against the head on their own five-metre line to release the speedy Yates for a fantastic length-of-the-field try, setting up a tense final ten minutes.
Caerphilly’s star man Hurley picked out gaps in the tired Oakdale defence to grab two late tries of his own, owing much to a great breaks from centre Matthew Nuthall, but could only convert one, taking his match-day tally to 26.
Caerphilly next welcome Markham to the Constructaquote Stadium in the third round of the WRU National Bowl on Saturday October 29. The 2nd XV side take on local rivals Senghenydd in a mouth-watering tie, while the youth team face Abergavenny.
• Match report and photography by Mark Tamplin of Caerphilly RFC.