Rugby: Ayr caught at the death by Pontypridd stunner

Mar 5 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

IT was an awful sense of deja vu because, just as their international counterparts had done two weeks ago, Pontypridd got the better of Scots opposition with the last play of the game in a pulsating British and Irish Cup tie at Millbrae.

In the first half, Ayr had more chances to score than Tiger Woods and Ashley Cole on a weekend bender.

But despite all the possession and territory with the icy wind at their backs they failed to to put Pontypridd away as they blew chance after chance and went in only 14-7 ahead.

Frazier Climo, current top scorer in the British and Irish Cup, capitalised on Ayr's dominance in the first quarter with three penalties.

Then, despite having created several clear cut chances, Ayr had to scramble for a loose ball on the Ponty line for flanker Paul Burke to claim the score with six minutes left to the break.

That would have been a comfortable enough lead to take in at half time although it hardly reflected Ayr's control.

However, in only their second foray into the Ayr red zone in the final minute of the half, a neatly executed Ponty line-out move six metres out caught Ayr napping for lock Grant Harrington to crash over with Aaron Bramwell converting from wide out.

What could easily have been a 20 plus point lead for Ayr was only seven and with the wind behind them in the second half it was fair to surmise that Pontypridd had weathered the storm and would come out fired up for the second 40.

Correct.They were first on the board with Bramwell landing an early penalty but Ayr retaliated and a superb Climo-Burke combo took them to inches from the line but it developed into a guddle before Andy Wilson pounced for the try.

Climo converted but Ponty were not to be denied and five minutes later a scorching Gavin Dacey break burst the Ayr defence and the visitors’ skipper put wing Owen Williams away for their first try. Bramwell missed the conversion.

Just when looked as though Ayr would hold out they lost another crucial line-out, Ponty hammered into the Ayr twenty two, built up a head of steam and the final play saw the ball whipped out to Kristian Ballar who scythed through for the try.

The final act of the drama came as Ballar launched the conversion of his own score and watched as it broke the Ayr hearts and had the Pontypridd support in ecstasy, hitting the post and seeming to take an age to drop inches over the bar to clinch the win.

Ayr really have only themselves to blame for not making it three wins from four starts in the British and Irish Cup, looking back on missed chances caused at times by hesitant, indecisive or over elaborate plays, a naivity which led to too many short chips and fancy offloads rather than a more basic approach which ultimately is what won Pontypridd the game. That and doing serious damage they did to the Ayr line-out from where they scored their first try and provided the source for the winning score.

It was 53 minutes in before Glen Tippett made an appearance and although Andy Dunlop had made a good fist of the No8 slot, the back row combination with Burke and Jonno Crossan was a bit lightweight and Tippett's arrival for Crossan provided a ballast at the back of a scrum which at times slewed alarmingly backwards.

The injury in 33 minutes to AJ MacFarlane was another reason why Tippett's absence was strange since he would have been able to offer more protection to Jamie Hunter who reverted from stand of to scrum half and did well but does not quite have MacFarlane's relish for the close quarter battles this match called for.

Ayr were taught a lesson on the other side of the touchline as well with the Pontypridd support, numbering over 400 outsang (naturally!), out-shouted and overwhelmed a home support surprisingly small in numbers.

It was sad to see Burke rightly running back from Wilson's try and imploring the Ayr support to get behind them.

Director of rugby Jock Craig was in no doubt that the game had been there for the winning.

He said: "It was a physical hard game and it was like watching a Hawick side of old. We didn't take our chances in the first half when we could have been out of sight and we paid for it in the end. They came back well and played for the 80 minutes and we gave away a soft try to lose the game."

Assistant coach Peter Laverie was stunned by the last minute turnaround. He said: "That result is a huge disappointment after the way we played. We were excellent in the first half but we didn't finish off some great rugby with points.

“In the second half, we looked for territory to stay in their danger zone but didn't control the game well enough to do that because the set piece didn't give us the possession we needed. We have to learn from that result very quickly for the return."

Ayr now travel to Cardiff on Saturday with only honour at stake but needing a good performance to show that the Scottish champions can live with the best from the Principality both on their own patch and at the daunting Arms Park.

Team v Cardiff: D Steele; J McClung, R Curle, F Climo, C Taylor; J Hunter, AJ MacFarlane; G Reid, S Fenwick, G Sykes, D Kelly, S Sutherland, J Crossan, P Burke, A Dunlop. Subs: S Adair, G Strain, D MacLeod, G Tippett, B McPherson, A Wilson, S Manning.

Referee: S Lee (RFU).

Highlights of Saturday’s game are on www.scottishrugbytv.com.