Treorchy RFC

It’s been a funny old week though, I’m still as busy as hell in work but I haven’t had to face the dreaded stairs so far ... but there’s still today! I had the day off on Wednesday and went to Carol Harris’s funeral ... a fabulous send-off for a fabulous lady!

And so to tomorrow and rugby ... the 1st XV are away to Abercynon in what really is a must-win match. Last week’s disappointing result has put a big dent in our title aspirations and we need to get back to winning ways if we want to keep up the push for promotion. There ... I’ve said it ... the ‘P’ word ... I’ve been avoiding it all season in case I jinx us ... but as we get closer to the end of the season, perhaps we need to say it to make sure that everyone remembers that it’s there for the taking!

Abercynon have had a funny old season so far with some good wins and some surprising losses ... for example, they went on to beat Llantwit Fardre easily just a week after being comprehensively beaten by the Zebras. This up and down form has left Abercynon in 7th place in the league with 6 wins from 15 matches.

The Zebras should not rest on their laurels tomorrow ... we’ve seen at first hand that complacency and mistakes are punished in this Division. Come on Tre ... let’s get back to the form we showed in the first half of the season!

Just a very quick 1, 2, 3 from me today:

1. The Wales v France match will be shown on the big screen at the clubhouse tonight – no queues to get home or other public transport issues!

2. The 1st XV are away to Rhydyfelin in a rearranged League match tomorrow. It’s a must win match if we are to continue putting pressure on table toppers Gilfach Goch.

3. Tomorrow’s match will be Jamie Summers’s 150th League match for Treorchy RFC. Jamie will be the 7th player to reach this milestone. The other 6 members of this exclusive gang include Jamie’s team mates Peter Hutchings, Vernon Lloyd and Lee Stone. They all still have a little way to go though if they want to catch Steve ‘Tilt’ Evans whose record stands at 192 appearances.

Au revoir ... à la prochaine.

Ooooh, it's blinking freezing this morning ... so much for global warming, eh? Maybe that's why it's now called 'climate change' instead these days! You'll be relieved to know that I've had a better week this week on the transport front (love half term) and I'll not be moaning as much today! And I've only had to walk up the stairs in the car park once!

I hope that this new cold snap doesn't scupper Saturday's rugby ... we're running out of dates to play rearranged fixtures. We've already got a log jam building up at the end of the season and can do without another match to rearrange.

So let's be positive and assume that Saturday's match will be on! The Zebras' opponents are Newport Saracens and we'll be making our first trip to their new ground since their move from Bettws to Maes Glas. The two teams could not have had different first halves of the season ... the Zebras are in 2nd place in Division 2 East with 8 wins from 10 starts whereas Sarries are currently in bottom spot with just 3 wins and a draw from 12 matches.

Having been relegated at the end of last season, Sarries started the season with hopes of an immediate return to Division 1. They seemed on good form when beating Gilfach Goch and Ynysybwl during September but then had to wait until this month for their next league win (against Penallta).

Let's not get carried away though ... Sarries will be an unknown quantity tomorrow. They radically changed their coaching set up following their defeat to Ynysybwl at the end of January and acted swiftly before the transfer deadline to sign nine new players! It's fair to say that the Zebras will be facing a different team from the one they beat 35-12 on a sunny day at the Oval last October.

The Zebras kept up their winning ways last Friday with a hard-fought 17-6 win away at Mountain Ash and the coaches will be hoping that this excellent form continues during what has been a stop-start season. I'll be making my first visit to Newport for many a long year, hoping that some former work colleagues will be on hand to buy me a post match beer.

I'll finish on a sombre note today as I'm off to a funeral later ... the funeral of Stan Jones, long-time supporter of Treorchy RFC and father of Club Chairman and former captain, Andrew Jones and former players Adrian, Geraint and Kevin. Stan was a great character and I'm sure he'll have a great send off today.

I know I say it quite often, but this week, I really, really am glad it’s Friday!!!!

The week started well with an uneventful day in work finished off by collecting some “old” friends from Cardiff Station and giving them a lift home to Treherbert.

Then, on Tuesday, I worked late and then had to walk up the stairs in the car park (to Floor 6, if you don’t remember my previous whinges on the subject) ... I had a “sorry love, won’t do it again” from the attendant as soon as I got enough breath back to give him some stick!

Wednesday ... it took me nearly 2 hours to get to the office. I worked late again and ... you’ve guessed it ... yes ... the lifts were off again! No attendant to be seen either.

Thursday, and off to London for the day for a meeting ... should have known that I wasn’t on a lucky streak and stayed at home! All trains to Paddington stopped at Reading (body on the line). I used my initiative and caught a train to Waterloo ... only to find that it was slower and had more stops than Valley Lines. I ended up getting to London at 3pm, 1 hour after the start of my meeting!

Today, I’m having a day off!

The 1st XV are in action tonight with an away match at our old rivals Mountain Ash! Those of us old enough to remember Mid District Rugby will remember that “The Old Firm” were always our closest (and fiercest) rivals with hard, ruthless, matches being the norm. The National Leagues may have kept the 2 teams apart for most of the last 20 years but the rivalry is still as strong as ever. Add to this the fact that our Chairman, Andrew Jones and Coach, Meirion Daniel have both played for and coached the Old Firm and you’ve got all the ingredients for a cracking match tonight.

As League form goes so far this season the Zebras have a better record than the Old Firm with 7 wins from 9 matches compared to 5 wins and 3 draws from 12 starts. Mind you, as we haven’t played a league match since beating Llantwit Fardre (had to slip that in) back in December, I’m not sure that “form” is the word to use. The reality of Division 2 East is that matches are always hard to predict ... all I hope is that my run of misfortune this week so far doesn’t continue ... just as well I’m not superstitious, eh?

The 6 Nations matches will be shown at the clubhouse over the weekend ... so you know where to go if you haven’t got a ticket.

Hope you’re well and are a little more ready than I am for Christmas. I know I’ve been moaning about working in Cardiff but, I have to say it’s been a bit of a godsend when it comes to Christmas shopping ... I’ve managed to pick up quite a bit on my 0.7 mile walk from the office to the car park in the evening. My battle with the car park lifts goes on and I have had to walk to the 6th floor again this week ... I’m running out of swear words!!!

So, on to this weekend and another break from league action as the Zebras make their debut in the new SWALEC Plate competition. This is tier 2 of the 3 tier competition that has replaced the traditional SWALEC cup. The theory is that the lower division clubs have a better chance of playing a final at the Millennium Stadium ... the practice means that there is less of a buzz about the competition as there is no chance of drawing one of the ‘big’ clubs for a ‘David v Goliath’ match ... in short, a lot of the ‘romance’ has gone!

The Plate is taking us into uncharted territory though with an away match against Maesteg Harlequins.

As far as I am aware, this will be our first match against the Quins so I’ve got no historical nuggets or anecdotes for you. What I can tell you is that the Quins are currently in 11th place in Division 2 South West with just 1 win from 9 matches. That would make the Zebras favourites on paper but, as we know to our cost, anything can happen in the cup ... remember RTB Ebbw Vale?!

As it’s uncharted territory, I’ve put some directions to the Maesteg Quins field on the club website – there’s a link on the homepage %site%. The clubhouse is a little way away from the field at 25a Talbot Street, Maesteg, CF34 9BW.

Please note that the match will kick off at 2.00 pm and not the usual 2.30 pm.

Let’s hope that the rain stays away for tomorrow at least ... I don’t fancy another soaking or a repeat of last weekend’s mudfest at the Oval. Thank goodness we knew where all the deepest puddles were or we’d never have won (sorry, couldn’t resist a shameless dig at the match report on Llantwit’s website). GMTV says it’s going to be a cold one though so get your woollies out!

Finally, don’t forget that tickets for the festive season celebrations are now on sale at the clubhouse ... don’t delay or you may be disappointed.

Have a good weekend.

Can you believe that in only 3 weeks time you’ll be waking up on Christmas morning?! Another year has slipped by without us noticing ... scary, eh? I hope, for your sake, that you’re better organised than me ... I’ve hardly made a dent in the Christmas shopping ... maybe I should be starting to panic!

No Christmas shopping for me this weekend though as I’ll be at the Oval for the Zebras’ return to League action. I know the Autumn Internationals are important for Wales, the WRU etc etc, but It feels to me like our season gets put on hold and we’re left in limbo ... a bit like the adverts for the pause feature of Sky+ ... just waiting for Mr Lewis of Cefn Cribwr to press the play button.

Mind you, we couldn’t ask for a more exciting return to league action than the one we have ... Llantwit Fardre at the Oval ... what could be better!

Our arch rivals from last season were promoted alongside the Zebras and both teams have made a big impact on Division 2 already ... currently holding 5th and 2nd places in the league table respectively. The top level stats are identical with both teams having won 6 of their 8 starts so far – but there the similarities end.

The Zebras have a superior league position courtesy of a superior bonus point tally of 6 to Llantwit’s 0. It’s all about the tries – Treorchy have scored 29 tries in just 8 games so far this season ... 12 more than Llantwit and conceded 14 ... just 3 more than Llantwit.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Llantwit will be very aware of this and will be looking to snuff out the Zebras’ attacking flair ... if they have their way, tomorrow’s match looks like being a dour affair. The Zebras will, of course, have other ideas!

Some social news for you before I sign off today ... tickets for the 2 Bank Holiday bands are now on sale at the clubhouse (not from me!)... note that tickets are available to members only until close of play Friday December 11th, any tickets left after that will go on general sale. It’s first come, first served so don’t hang about! Oh, and you’ll probably want to know what bands , so here you go ...

December 26th – The Navigators – Tickets £5, doors open at 2pm, band starts at 4pm

December 28th – The Fabulous Cover Sluts – Tickets £3, doors open at 2pm, band starts at 4pm

That’s all from me today ... have a good weekend.

Well what a horrible week it’s been on the weather front! I’m fed up of getting drenched and having curly hair ... even my GHD’s are struggling to cope! It’s actually stopped raining at the time I’m writing this but will it last? As I’ve got a day off today to take my mother out for her birthday, the answer is probably not ... I’m sure another drenching is on the cards.

After this start, you might be fooled into thinking that the weather is the subject of my rant this week ... but you’d be wrong! The target of my fury and indignation this week is RCT’s highways department ... what on earth are those new roundabouts in Ton Pentre all about? The roads in the Rhondda are full of pot holes and the council are spending money on putting speed bumps on top of rubbish surfaces and painting roundabouts in ridiculous places ... how long before there’s an accident?! Grrrrr!

If you’re not off to the match tomorrow, why not come and watch it on the big screen at the clubhouse ... it’s a must win match for Wales who have a lot to prove after recent performances and no doubt the Aussies will be smarting from their surprise defeat in Murrayfield last weekend. As I’ve got more family in Australia than in Wales these days (not convicts by the way!), it’s an important match for me too ... always better to dish out the stick than to have to take it, don’t you think! We’ll also be showing the France v New Zealand match which kicks off at 7.45 pm.

Next weekend will see the Zebras back in league action against Llantwit Fardre ... as long as this flipping weather changes so I’ll be back then with the usual pre-match missive.

Enjoy your weekend.

It’s Friday at last! I’m knackered today, this working in Cardiff lark is taking its toll ... I’m not used to all these early mornings or the long walk to and from the car park! I have learned one thing this week ... and that is to make sure I leave the office in time to get to the car park before 7pm! I found out on Wednesday that they turn off the lifts ... my car parking space is on the 6th floor!!!! I was not a happy bunny, I can tell you!

The weather forecast does not bode well for this weekend’s rugby matches and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rain today and tomorrow will not be as bad as they are saying it will be.

Weather permitting, the 1st XV are back in league and cup action on the same day as the league match at home to Penallta is doubling up as a Mid District cup match.

This will be the first time that Treorchy have played a league match against Penallta who in the 6 years since they were granted full WRU status have experienced the highs and lows of league rugby. To be fair, it’s mostly been highs with a meteoric rise which saw them gain promotion for 4 consecutive seasons, going from Division 5 to Division 1 in the process.

Last season though was a difficult one where Penallta struggled in Division 1 East winning just 3 league matches and finishing in 11th place. This season, Penallta have not had the best start winning 3 of their 8 starts to date and are currently in 9th place so, on paper, the Zebras are favourites to take the spoils tomorrow. However, we’ve learned to our cost this season that every team in this division is capable of “upsets” (will we be the only team to lose to Llantrisant this season?) so we’ll definitely not be taking anything for granted!

There’s another first on the Oval on Sunday when our new Women’s team play their first ever match. Their opponents will be Abercwmboi women’s team and kick-off is at 2.30pm. The fun doesn’t stop there and the after match party starts at 5.30 with live music from the Monophonics – tickets are just £3 and are available from any of the Women’s team.

That’s all from me today ... sorry it’s a bit thin on info but, as I said earlier, the early mornings are taking their toll!

Have a good weekend ... let’s hope the weather forecasters get it wrong!

So Halloween and Bonfire Night are over for another year ... is it just me or was it a lot quieter this year? Especially Halloween! Maybe it’s because it was on a Saturday and most people went to organised parties. I guess that we’ll still be having lots of Fireworks this weekend and then we’ll be on full-on countdown to Christmas! I bought my first presents this week so it must be true!!!

There’s no Zebra rugby action this Saturday, courtesy of the first of the Autumn Internationals, but I still have some news and information for you ...

• We have a few tickets available for tomorrow’s Wales v New Zealand available. Contact Bryan James on 07791 541732 for details ... first come, first served.

• If you aren’t planning on going to Cardiff tomorrow, then why not join us at the clubhouse for a full afternoon of sport on the Big Screen ... Swansea City v Cardiff City at 12.30, England v Australia at 2.30 and then Wales v New Zealand at 5.15.

• The Zebras are on TV this evening. Treorchy is one of the teams on Jonathan Davies’s quiz programme Bwrw’r Bar. It’s on S4C at 9.30 pm so set your Sky+ and Videos if you’re going out.

• Don’t forget that the club’s annual Fireworks Display will take place on Sunday ... gates open at 5.00, display starts at 7.30. Pre-display entertainment includes a fire eater!

• The newly formed Women’s rugby team have their first match on Sunday 15th November. Opponents are Abercwmboi and kick-off is at 2.30 pm. It’s a big day for the girls who have been training since the summer. After the match there will be a bit of a party with live music from the Monophonics. Tickets are £3.00 and available from any of the women’s team.

That’s all from me today ... short and sweet ... got to leave by 7am this morning.

Have a good weekend.

Oooh ... I’m tired today ... it’s been another long week! I’ve moved offices this week and left the safe and cosy environment of Upper Boat for the temptations of the big city ... the new office is much too close to the shops! Mind you, I think everyone should move offices now and again ... the rubbish I’ve found and got rid of is amazing ... I’ve no idea how I accumulated so much stuff in the first place!

So ... what have we got in store for this weekend?

The 1st XV have a bye in the 1st round of the cup so have arranged a friendly away at Aberavon Quins. The coaches will be looking to use the match as a chance to try out different combinations and maybe to get a chance to look at some of the “contenders” from the Ath.

It’s some time since we played the Quins, so it will be good renew old acquaintances. The Quins are currently plying their trade in Division 2 West, having been promoted as Champions of Division 3 South West last season. Their results so far this season have been a little more mixed than the Zebras ... they started poorly with 3 defeats but have bounced back strongly with 4 straight wins.

The Ath are due to play Wattstown and the Youth take on Rumney ... both matches are at home but I don’t know which is at the Oval and which at the Baglan Field (I forgot to check last night and it’s too early to ring anyone this morning!). I’ll update the website later once I have the details.

Hospitality Cabins: if you haven’t booked a cabin to watch a home match at the Oval, you’d better get a move on as there are only 3 slots left for league matches for the rest of the season! Check out the website for availability and information on how to book.

Fireworks: the annual Fireworks Display will be on Sunday 8th November. Gates open at 5pm and the display starts at 7.30. There’ll be lots of pre-display entertainment including a fire eater. Entry is £5 for adults, £3 for under 16s or £10 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids). The event is run by and for the Mini and Junior section of the Club and has gained a well-deserved reputation as the best display for miles around.

That’s all from me today ... have a good weekend!