MERTHYR PROGRAMME
April 20 2010

WELCOME TO THE DAIRYFIELD
Croeso I Maes Llaethdy
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the players, coaches, supporters and officials of Merthyr RFC to the Dairyfield for this evening's SWALEC Division 1 East League Game.
Last Saturday's result at Blackwood was our eighth consecutive win, which is a great testament to all of the squad for all the hard work and commitment they have put in on training nights, and I am sure it has given the management team a lot of pleasure to see the players reaping the benefit and producing some outstanding displays.
Tonight's game against Merthyr is our last home league game of the season, but with five away games still to play our season is a long way from being over; with us currently placed joint second with Bargoed and twelve points behind leaders UWIC but with two games in hand the league title is certainly a target to aim for, and one I am sure Dennis and the team are certainly focused on.
Our opponents tonight will be looking to see if they can get one over us after we won at the Wern back in September 23-13, especially as they are currently hovering just out of the relegation zone. They to have plenty to play for, and I am sure the management team and the players are fully aware of this.
The Seconds and Youth did not have a game last Saturday, but they both had excellent away wins the Saturday before against Pencoed and local rivals Pontyclun, well done to both sets of players and coaches Mel Pring and Ian Davies also Jeff Pick and Kevin Jones respectively.
Welcome to tonight’s match official Mr Greg Morgan and our match sponsors I hope you all enjoy the game and our after match hospitality.
As this is the last home match day programme, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the helpers who willingly give up their free time to help the club not only on match days but also throughout the year. Mention should be made here of last Saturday where we can feel proud of the successful way we staged the WRU Plate semi final. I would also like to thank Brian Mills, Dennis John, Colin Malone and Mathew Lloyd for gathering a squad of players that has produced some outstanding performances this season and, hopefully the same group of people will be with us and lead us onto greater things over the coming campaigns (keep in touch with what is happening at Llanharan on our first rate website - it's a few weeks to the end of the season so watch this space!!).
Have a wonderful summer and don't forget there will be lot's going on at the club so keep in touch.

Adrian Tattersall,
Chairman

BITS OF BLACK AND BLUE
Wow! What a game. It was edge of the seat stuff up at Blackwood where we showed our class and spirit for a bonus point win. The champions came at us strongly either side of half time, but we took all they had to offer and finished it off with a bit to spare. Mind it was more chumps than champs as they dropped that ball on the line right at the end and deprived themselves of two bonus points! And how about their centre doing his best to engage Codey in a fight in front of the stand while his opposite number Dai Atkins was scoring under the posts! They were a bit animated in the crowd too with a lot of jibes being thrown at our boys and the ref having to take issue with a section behind the line after that try. But the best of all came from their man on the mike who not once but three times ordered Dennis to get off the touchline! So the boys have got us back to second and UWIC are just about in reach if we can keep up the form. But Merthyr tonight will do their best to take us down a peg, their own division one status looking fairly secure. But whatever the outcome in a far from easy run in to the season’s end let’s applaud not just Gar Eddie and the boys on the park, but also Dennis, Molly, Lloydy and Millsy for the work they have done in forming a team that is a pleasure to watch. With the ground upgrades in place next year, who knows what we could achieve! Let’s not get carried away though - the boys from the Wern first, and we don’t underestimate anyone, not least out visitors tonight.

They’re a cruel lot in our crowd. As Jarvy and Nick Kibble took the field as second half replacements against UWIC was there any need for someone to shout out “Which one is going prop?”

What happened last Year
SWALEC CUP R3
Nov 15 LLANHARAN 28 MERTHYR 0 (21-0)
We eased our way into round four of the Swalec cup, few able to understand Merthyr’s decision to field an under strength team.
Our team: A.Davies G. Williams L. Thorne (L.Thomas 68) J. Harris E. Frewen G.Worgan C.Burton (R. Phillips 68) A. Ford (Capt.) ( J. Myatt 38) N. Huish (T. Worgan 75) E.Rees (N. Kibble 15) G. Casey L. Davies J. Jones. S. Studley C.Beasant.
Tries – L.Thorne 2, E.Frewen, J.Harris. Con (4) – G.Worgan
SWALEC ONE EAST ONE 2008/09
Sept 6th MERTHYR 19 LLANHARAN 25 (19-22)
This opening win built on three friendlies without defeat against good English opposition.
A late Merthyr rally was resisted as our front row took crucial heads.
Llanharan team: T.Cross (L.Thorne), C.Jenkins, J.Harris, L.Thomas, E.Frewen, G.Worgan, G.Spain, A. Ford, N.Huish, G.Edwards (Capt.) N.Eaves, L.Davies, A.Llewellyn, C.Beasant (S.Studley), J.Jones.
Tries - Nathan Huish, Craig Beasant Lloyd Thomas. Cons 2, pen and drop gl: Gethin Worgan
Feb 28 LLANHARAN 41 MERTHYR 26 (HT 26-19)
We demolished third placed Merthyr and had a bonus point in the bag before half time. Ironically, the Ironmen must have thought it was going to be their day as they stunned the local crowd with a 10-0 lead in the opening five minutes.
Our team: R.Pearce, A.Davies (D.Thomas 67), L.Thomas, D.Atkins, L.Thorne,, J.Harris, G.Spain, G.Jones, N.Huish, A. Ford, G.Casey, L.Davies, J.Jones, J.Myatt (N.Allen 60), A.Llewellyn.
Our tries – L.Thomas 2, L.Thorne 2, G.Casey, and L.Davies. Cons (4) and pen – R.Pearce.
Merthyr scores: Tries – D.Lynch, B.Morgan. Cons (2) and pens (4) – L.Hynes.
PEN PICTURE
This week, Paul Winter or “Winters” as he is known – a popular wholehearted player who has taken the Seconds to league glory already this year.
Age: 29 Height: 5ft 11 Weight: 15 1/2 stone
Job: Graduate nurse Home: Llanharan
Rugby highlight of your career: Being picked for second team captain 2009/2010 season, starting for the 1st team in Treorchy many moons ago, being picked as player or the year for Llanharan youth 1997/1998 when we had a really good team. Tackling dale McIntosh twice in a game and still living to tell the tale.
Favourites: Book: British National Formulary, until Uni if finished
Rugby team (other than Llan): Pontypridd, New Zealand TV: Stand up comedy
Rugby player: Joshua Kronfeld Sport/team after rugby: Moto GP
Sportsperson most admired outside rugby: Valentino Rossi
Music: Anything i can sing to Car: Two wheels for me, Yamaha R1
Food: Curry, but will eat anything Drink: Bow. Film: Scary ones
Holiday: Anywhere as long as it’s with good friends and away from work
Your most prized possession: Family and health
If you won the Lottery what would you buy?
See all my family right, then buy an island, and lots of classic cars to restore.
Who would you most and least like to be stuck in a lift with?
Most: Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Least: Len Price- wouldn’t be much room!
Funniest thing to happen to you in rugby:
Some I could not repeat here. Has to be playing in any game with Mark Neate, the boys who played in any of those games will understand.
Main dislikes: Lazy people, unfriendly people, people who talk rubbish about rugby after a few beers on a Saturday night.

You’ll all recognise the scenario, boys. Just on your way out when the missus shouts,
“You can’t go out in that!” And so it was as I set out for the ITV interviews on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Llandow air disaster, a sad day for this club with six male and one female member losing their lives, but our wing Mel Thomas miraculously surviving. Anything for a quiet life as she decked me out in white shirt and club tie. But when I sat down with Mog, Randal and Gerry Waters, all dressed in dark garb, the ITV camera man politely asked would I put my coat back on as the glare from the shirt was playing havoc with the focus! Must have looked like the White Tide Man of TV advert fame many yonks ago! One thing I did learn on the day that I was under a misapprehension about previously was that the game was actually in Belfast.

One of the good guys doing sterling unglamorous work on match days is Adrian Harding. When an unfamiliar car came into the ground for te UWIC game he politely inquired where the driver had come from. “Ynysybwl” was the reply. “ah,” says Adrian, “I used to have a good mate from there, Ken Rowlands.” “That’s me,” said the bemused driver! Ken Rowlands of course, the former international ref. Adrian has been sent to SpecSavers.

See you in September – let’s hope the Met Office don’t forecast a BBQ summer!

SPOTLIGHT ON MERTHYR
Back in September the locals at the Wern were keen to tell us that survival was their main aim this year. Well, they are just about doing that with six wins to their credit, and we know they will battle hard to stay out of trouble. All six league wins have been at home – Beddau, Rumney, Tredegar, Caerphilly, Ystrad Rhondda and Blackwood their victims. They also won at Bargoed in the Mid District cup, and that’s not to be sniffed at! Last year they finished in 7th place, a disappointment after looking well placed for something better at one stage. There was a worthy draw at Newbridge on April 4th, then they lost their final four games and slid down the table.
They came back into the East fraternity last year after two seasons’ exile to the West, Maesteg’s demise enabling the change. They had a reasonable time in 2006/07, finishing 6th in their first year there and then 4th behind Tonmawr, Carmarthen Quins and Narberth in 2007/08.
The club was formed in 1876, its first game against Brecon, and Merthyr were founder members of the WRU, present at that historic meeting in Neath’s Castle Hotel on the 12th April 1881. Their original name was Merthyr Alexandra and they were a strong side in the old Mid District, their access to the national league made all the more difficult by the extraordinary number of exceptional teams round them. Only two could make it at the first cut, Treorchy and Mountain Ash the first to take their place in the old Third Division along with us and Dunvant.
However, the three times winners of their district, the last time in 1959, eventually made it in 1993-94 as runners up to Llantrisant.
They had moved to The Wern in 1958, opening the first clubhouse two years after.
They were to become a formidable division one club and were coached for a time by our own Chris Davey. Another to feature there in this period was Richie Donovan who also laced his first boots at Llanharan. After slipping for a couple of years they regained their current status by squeezing Abercynon into second place when they beat them 24-7 on the final day of 2005/06, making it a memorable year all round by moving to plush new premises at the old RAFA club in Georgetown that summer. There have also been notable improvements to their ground which boasts one of the best surfaces in the division.


SUPPORTERS NEWS AND VIEWS
It’s been a strange old season, what with the weather and the Wales games disrupting everything. Even so, well done to the players and coaches for another very good campaign. You’ve been a treat to watch boys, and looks like we could even better last year’s very commendable third place finish, although there are still several tough away trips to go.
Even so, although undoubtedly the interruptions have something to do with it, what has happened to the crowds? TV can be thrown into the analysis of course, with so much live stuff every Saturday. But that wasn’t the case when we played UWIC. A fine afternoon, but one of the smallest crowds of the season. The absent ones missed out on a great game. We believe that attendances have dropped by about half in recent years. A mystery! Same at other grounds where our once legendary mass following has dwindled to the extent that we can barely fill a mini bus. Doesn’t seem that long ago that if you weren’t on that bus sharpish at 6 o’clock, you’d spend the journey on a lap or even the floor – and that w as a fifty seater then! Tell ‘em what they’re missing folks.
Watching some tremendous team displays this year, Blackwood up there with the best of them, the tries always catch the eye, but what about our defence? Look at the table – only UWIC better. If you examine closely what goes on you must notice how every player works hard at the contact area making it difficult for our opponents. That goes for props too – and did you see that sublime bit of skill by Aled Richards that helped send Paul Adams on his way to the line against Ystrad, not to mention that tackle and turn over from the skipper? Brilliant, and evidence of what we have right through this team. Spirit too, a few of the team up at Blackwood had been under the weather in the week but gave it their all.
So, sadly then, our final home game in the league, but welcome to all of you who have journeyed down from Merthyr – let’s hope we see a quality encounter. See you after the summer – bring some friends along.

SWALEC ONE EAST 2009/10

Team P W D L F A BP Pts
UWIC 18 16 0 2 490 223 9 73
LLANHARAN 16 13 0 3 488 239 9 61
Bargoed 16 13 0 3 451 250 9 61
Blackwood 18 12 0 6 463 286 10 58
Newbridge 19 12 0 7 406 349 8 56
Rumney 17 10 0 7 362 343 7 47
Merthyr 19 6 0 13 367 437 8 32
Bedlinog 17 7 0 10 236 298 4 32
Tredegar 20 6 0 14 322 518 7 31
Beddau 18 5 0 13 250 418 5 25
Ystrad R 18 4 0 14 313 499 6 22
Caerphilly 18 3 0 15 239 527 5 17




PLAYER APPEARANCES 2009/10 (league max 16)
Player total
league league start as rep
points
tries
con
pen
dg
Cup
Adams.P 16 16 0 50 10 0 0 0 0
Rees.C 16 16 0 189 1 41 33 0 1(2c2p)
Holloway.G 16 15 1 30 6 0 0 0 1
Huish.N 16 15 1 15 3 0 0 0 1r
Edwards.G 16 12 4 5 1 0 0 0 1
Richards.A 16 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 1r
Foils.E 15 15 0 15 3 0 0 0 1
Greenfield.J 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Jones.J 15 15 0 10 2 0 0 0 1r
Connors.J 15 14 1 5 1 0 0 0 1
Davies Lee 15 12 3 5 1 0 0 0 1
Atkins.D 11 10 1 20 4 0 0 0 0
Pinches.A 10 10 0 40 8 0 0 0 1(1t)
Studley. S 10 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Slater.G 9 9 0 15 3 0 0 0 0
Dallimore.N 9 8 1 20 4 0 0 0 0
Allen.N 8 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 1
Thorne.L 8 8 0 25 5 0 0 0 1(1t)
Griffin.A 8 1 7 0 0 0 0 0 1
Jervis.W 6 0 6 4 0 2 0 0 1
Llewellyn.A 6 5 1 10 2 0 0 0 1
Thomas.D 5 5 0 20 4 0 0 0 1
Carey.B 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pearce R 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Morris.D 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1r
Rees E 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
Myatt.J 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Payne.C 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jones.G 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pellegrotti.E 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Smith.D 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kibble.N 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Phillips. M 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Taylor.M 1 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 0
Burton.C 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lewis.N 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Quinn.D 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0