Elzblog

The Final Chapter

Fri, 14 May 2010 07:17:00 -0400

So, it’s finally here ... the last match of the season ... seems a long time since it all began, with passive scrums, against Brynmawr back in September. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster with highs and lows and we still don’t know whether the finish line will be one of the highs or the lows ... one thing we can say though is that “it’s been a hell of a ride!”

As the final chapter has still to be written, I’m not going to pick out my favourite moments today – I’ll save that for next week when we know how it has all panned out.

The final chapter is entitled “Delight or Disappointment” and the outcome of 2 matches tomorrow will decide which of these emotions will sum up the day for the Zebras.

The potential outcomes are still quite complicated but I’ll do my best to explain ...

• Gilfach Goch have already won the league and secured promotion to Division 1

• Second place in the league and promotion to Division 1 will be decided tomorrow and will be either Rhydyfelin or Treorchy.

• Treorchy trail Rhydyfelin by 1 point. A bonus point win against Llantrisant tomorrow means that Rhydyfelin have to get a bonus point win at home against league champions Gilfach Goch to secure the promotion spot ... A win without a bonus would not be enough for them.

• If Treorchy beat Llantrisant but don’t get a bonus point, a win for Rhydyfelin would be enough – a draw or a loss would not.

• If Treorchy lose but get a bonus point, or draw with Llantrisant, Rhydyfelin will still need to take something from their match against Gilfach as a tie on points will result in promotion for Treorchy because we will have won more matches.

Are you still with me? Don’t worry if you’re not! Suffice it to say that a bonus point win for the Zebras tomorrow has to be the target – then what plays out further down the valley will be what decides our final fate.

We mustn’t forget Llantrisant in all this! The Black Army visit the Oval for a match that should have been played on 2nd January! Notwithstanding all of the promotion stuff, the Zebras will be going all out tomorrow as they have a score to settle with Llantrisant ... In the corresponding fixture on a sunny day in September, the Zebras were cruising to a comfortable victory until one of the best comebacks I’ve ever witnessed, saw Llantrisant score 22 points in a five minute spell to take the match. This was the only match that Llantrisant won in the first half of the season and they were looking dead certs for relegation. However, since January, their form has turned around. They have notched up 9 wins and a draw and have climbed steadily up to 6th place in the table.

All in all, I think it’s going to be an interesting day tomorrow!

I’m really looking forward to the weekend ... not just for the rugby ... I’ve actually had to work a 5 day week and I’m feeling the strain! You’ll be pleased to know that I haven’t had to walk up the car park stairs though ... I’ve managed to blag a parking space at the back of the office this week.

Before I sign off for today, I just wanted to tell you about Andrew Baker. Andrew is a lifelong fan of Treorchy who now lives in Mold. His father Graham watches every match and calls Andrew at half and full time to update him on the scores. I was speaking with Graham last week and he told me that Andrew has taken on a challenge to run 3 half marathons to raise money for SANDS the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Andrew has personal reasons for doing this and if you’d like to sponsor him or simply find out more about what he’s doing, visit www.justgiving.com/andrew-baker3.

That’s all from me today ... I hope you have a good weekend ... COME ON TRE!

It's Crunch Time!

Fri, 07 May 2010 08:25:00 -0400

Well, I’ve had an extra short week this week ... day off today making it a 3 day week for me. I could certainly get used to that (as long as I get 5 days pay!) I’ve got a few reasons for taking the day off but foremost in my mind, is making sure that I get to the big game on time tonight.

Division 2 East is going down to the wire. It’s shaping up to be an even closer finish than the general election with endless permutations and enough ifs and buts to baffle even Jeremy Paxman. I could go on and draw loads of parallels about favourites, living up to the hype and disappointing results but I won’t ... I can hear your sigh of relief from here!

What it all boils down to is quite simple ... win our 3 remaining matches and we get promoted to Division 1! Our final finishing position will depend on other teams’ results – in particular the Rhydyfelin v Gilfach Goch on 15th May. But let’s not think about that yet ... it’s over a week away, after all.

Let’s focus on tonight ... Treorchy v Gilfach Goch ... kick off, 6.45.

One thing I’m sure of is that Gilfach are taking this seriously! Their coaching team, which includes former Newport Sarries coach Matthew Back, watched us play against Penallta home and away and were seen making copious notes at the Oval last Saturday.

For the Zebras, it’s our most important match since the one versus Llantwit Fardre just over a year ago. Just like Llantwit last year, Gilfach have a chance to win the league tonight so I guess that makes us the underdogs ... just how we like it! I’m not just trying to ‘spin’ here (sorry, political reference) but ... Zebras as underdogs always seem to play better than Zebras as favourites ... nothing puts the Zebras on the front foot (hoof?) more than this sort of challenge.

Aaaaargh ... I’m going to have to stop thinking about it ... I’m worked up already and there’s still more than 10 hours to go! I’ll be a gibbering wreck by tonight if I carry on at this rate!

I’m going now ... I think I need to lie down in a dark room for a bit! If you’re not going to be at the Oval tonight, why not follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/TreorchyZebras) ... I’ll be tweeting the scores so you’ll be able to keep up with developments as they unfold.

Have a good weekend!

Around the Maypole?

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:36:00 -0400

Another 4 day week for me ... hooray! I’ve booked a day off to make this a nice long weekend ... and I don’t even mind that much that the weather has gone to pot ... just as long as I’m not in work! I’ve had to walk up the stairs in the car park twice this week so I think I’ve earned an extra day off. I must be mad but I am going to Cardiff on my day off ... I’m popping down to the big city, accompanied by my personal stylist, to choose some new specs. Personal stylist? Yes! ... well have you ever tried buying glasses when you can’t see what you look like in them? I daresay that we’ll have to go for a nice lunch and a few glasses of wine to celebrate my new ‘look’!

So tomorrow the Zebras face the Pitmen from Penallta at the Oval ... just 12 days after losing to them in the corresponding away fixture. It’s fair to say that we didn’t really turn up for that match and were still ‘away with the fairies’ for last Saturday’s match against Mountain Ash. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that we’re back on song tomorrow and that we show Penallta why we’ve been in the top 3 of the Division all season.

After gaining full WRU status in 2004, Penallta had a meteoric rise through the Leagues that saw them gain promotion in four successive seasons to rise from Division 5 to Division 1. Last season must have come as a shock to Penallta as it ended in relegation from Division 1. For a short time early in this season, it looked as if the Pitmen would follow the same fate as Newport Saracens and face relegation for the second season in a row. However, a run of excellent wins has seen them pull away from the relegation zone into 7th place in the table.

We’ve still got a lot to do if we are to secure promotion this season but we haven’t got ling to wait to find out how it all pans out ... 4 matches in just 15 days and it will be over! I daresay I’ll have no nails left and will be a gibbering wreck by the time 4pm comes on 15th May!

In case you’ve forgotten, it’s a Bank Holiday weekend and that means just one thing (apart from another 4 day week next week) ... live band at the clubhouse! This Sunday afternoon’s entertainment will be provided by ‘The Popes’. I’ve heard some good reports about them but the only way to find out how good they are is to come to the club on Sunday! Doors open at 2.30, pay on the door, first come etc.

Hope to see you at the Oval tomorrow ... if you don’t recognise me, it’ll be because of the new specs!

Hold on to your hats ...

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:46:00 -0400

And so the countdown begins! Five matches left and all at home too ... hold on to your hats, it’s going to be a hectic few weeks! All I hope is that the rugby will be more Brynmawr than Penallta.

We’ve seen two sides to the Zebras in the last week an excellent performance against Brynmawr on Saturday followed by a lacklustre display against Penallta on Tuesday.

Tomorrow’s match will be another kettle of fish ... the Zebras form at home has been much more consistent than for away matches and we are still unbeaten at home in the league this season. In fact the last time we lost a league match at home was on 12th April 2008 (26-43 to Brecon).

Mind you, one thing I know for sure is that Mountain Ash would dearly love to be the ones to take that record! Our rivalry and links with the Old Firm go back many years and I’m predicting that tomorrow’s match will be a closely fought one with plenty of nail biting moments for both sets of fans.

Mount’s form this season has seen them win 11 and draw 3 of their 20 matches to date and they are in 3rd position in the League. They are on 57 points, the same as the Zebras, but our higher number of wins and superior ‘points factor’ keep us in 2nd place behind Mount.

There’s no doubt that our aspirations of winning the League were hit hard by Tuesday’s defeat at Penallta but there is still a lot to play for and our final position in the League is in our own hands ... 20 points from the remaining 5 matches will guarantee promotion no matter what everyone else’s results are ... whereas winning all 5 matches and picking up some bonus points on the way could allow us to snatch the top spot!

Ooooh, it’s getting exciting ... can’t wait for tomorrow ... I’m one of the match sponsors too so if you hear lots of noise from the hospitality cabin ... that will be me!!!

Spring is in the Air

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:08:00 -0400

I like these shorter (4 day) weeks, don’t you? Especially now that the weather is getting better ... although I’m a little afraid to mention the weather in case I jinx us! All I’ll say is that it’s looking like we’ll have some rugby this weekend which will, hopefully, make up for last week’s washout.

I’ll have to keep it brief today as I’m on the train to work this morning ... my weekend starts with a few Friday beers in Cardiff with my mate who’s home from New York ... I’m hoping that it will be a civilised evening and that I won’t have a hangover tomorrow for my trip to Llantwit Fardre.

As you’ll have gathered, the 1st XV are playing Llantwit Fardre away tomorrow. Fardre are currently lying in 7th place in the League with 9 wins from their 15 matches to date. This form would ordinarily see them at a much higher position in the league but they are paying the price for not having picked up any bonus points at all so far this season.

The Zebras on the other hand are now in 3rd place in the league having been overtaken by Mountain Ash. Mount took advantage of our forced lay-off last week and are one of the minority of teams whose fixtures are in line with the original schedule. With 4 matches in hand, the Zebras will need to win tomorrow to keep up the challenge for promotion.

There are 2 other matches to mention today ... the Youth XV are at home to Ystrad tomorrow (kickoff is at 1.45 pm) and the Women’s team host Sutton & Epsom Ladies on Sunday (kick off 2.30 pm). Both matches are on the Oval and both teams would appreciate any support.

If you haven’t done so already, check out www.buy.at/trfczebras for all of your internet shopping needs. Ticketmaster is one of the new retailers that are participating in this scheme so if you buy tickets for any sporting or other events this way, Treorchy RFC gets a small commission as a thank you ... it doesn’t cost you any extra but it benefits the club, so give it a try.

That’s all from me today ... got a train to catch so got to dash ... TTFN!

Let's Play ... Rugby

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:44:00 -0400

At last ... the 6 Nations is over and we’re back to proper, grass roots rugby! I don’t know if it is just me but I thought that this year’s 6 Nations was really poor all round ... some of the matches were dire with more mistakes than creativity, the TV coverage was rubbish (that overhead camera at Twickers made me feel sick as did Brian Moore’s commentary of the France v England match) and Wales looked like a pale shadow of the team that won the Grand Slam 2 years ago (only Shane still has the spark to change a game).

And so tomorrow (weather permitting) we get back to the most stop-start season we’ve had for many a long year. I can’t wait! We haven’t had a league match on the Oval since December 5th when we beat Llantwit Fardre (sorry, can’t resist mentioning that again and again). And what a match to start back at the Oval with ... Ynysybwl!

I’m staying away from all of the Bull’s Eye jokes today as I didn’t get much of a laugh last time ... I can take a hint.

Ynysybwl have had a fairly mixed season so far with 7 wins from 15 matches and are currently in 5th place in the League, 3 places and 6 points behind the Zebras. However, League form should not be used as a guide to the outcome of tomorrow’s match as the strong rivalry between the clubs will almost certainly guarantee that it will be another nailbiter. All I ask is that the ref checks his watch before the match and that we don’t get 16 minutes of injury time tomorrow ... there weren’t many injuries and the fights definitely didn’t last that long. The Zebras won by just 2 points in the longest match in history and I’d settle for a similar outcome tomorrow ... I’d prefer a try fest though boys as matches like that are hard on the nerves and I’m getting on a bit now!

There should be a big crowd for tomorrow’s match and I’m getting quite wound up just thinking about it ... it will be good to shout “come on Tre” at the Oval after such a long break!

Before I sign off and rush off to my day job, there are a couple of other things to update you on ...

We're taking orders for tickets for Wales v South Africa at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 5th June 2010. Tickets are £65, £50, £40 and £25. Family packages are available at £80 which allows 2 adults and 2 children into the stadium (additional children can be accommodated at £25 each). Contact Bryan James on 07791 541732 for more details.

The Lounge Lizards will be playing at the clubhouse on Easter Sunday ... no tickets, it’s first come, first served so you’ll need to get there early.

Have a good weekend!

Blue Skies ... nothing but Blue Skies

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:22:00 -0500

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!

Un, deux, trois ... c'est le weekend

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:35:00 -0500

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.

Brrrr ....

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:21:00 -0500

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.

Thank Crunchie It's Friday

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:05:00 -0500

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.