Last Saturday, the pre-season friendly against fellow Championship side Trebanos provided both clubs with a good workout and an opportunity to test their squads in readiness for the challenging season ahead. T

he ground was in excellent condition, a product of the work undertaken by willing volunteers, despite a torrential downpour at breakfast time.

The Otters started with a complete new threequarter line, with the exception of the experienced Ianto Griffiths at fly-half and Nick Gale at fullback. The club captain, Richie Rees, was not available, so vice-captain Alex Jenkins led the squad.

Trebanos have a reputation of playing an open game and from the start they attempted to move the ball through their backs and forwards. This provided a useful test for the Otters’ defenc,e which was equal to the task.

Perhaps because of the unfamiliarity of the threes first half, the Otters were a bit loose and rusty. Prominent in the initial play were hooker Rhodri Owen and Lewys Gibby with his breaks. In defence, Ianto Griffiths was always well placed to take the high kicks and return the ball back to either touch or in field.

On 20 minutes, an Otters attack was foiled as centre Stuart Morris attempted to cross the line, with the ball rolling into touch. The Trebanos lineout was disrupted by Alex Jenkins and his pack to win a penalty.

A kick into the corner and another Alex Jenkins take at the lineout enabled the pack to set up an attempted rolling maul, but as previously, the maul was disrupted.

This led to successfully retrieving the ball to move it quickly away from the clubhouse corner, with Ianto Griffiths passing long to Nick Gale, who raced for the line, but instead of continuing his run, passed back inside, only for the Trebanos fullback to intercept and clear.

This time Trebanos attacked and in midfield Stuart Morris went in hard into the tackle and suffered a shoulder injury which may have been a stinger injury. He had to leave the field after attention from the physios.

The replacement was Lawrence Headlam, who took his position on the right wing, with Dafydd Phillips moving to centre.

On 40 minutes, Trebanos attacked the Otters’ five-metre line, moving the ball left to right and then switched back across towards the opposite side stretching the home defence, before prop forward Alun Dew spun out of an attempted tackle to run the few metres and touch down for a try. Winger Richard Wilson converted, giving Trebanos a seven-nil lead at half-time.

The Otters left the field for the coaches to decide on changes and tactics. Trebanos remained on the field and kicked off the second half and with a well-rehearsed move kicked high and long to the stand side for their winger to race forward and catch the ball, but the move faltered on the Otters’ 22.

The Otters had made changes to the front row, with Rhodri Owen being replaced by stalwart Dan Smith and Tom Slater by Bradley Davies.

Then five minutes into the half, the Otters scored their first try. Successfully rucking, they moved forward, with the ball coming loose at a Trebanos tackle. The ball was then kicked forward down the stand side, with Lawrence Headlam winning the chase and dropping on it as it crossed the line. Nick Gale just failed with the conversion attempt.

From the restart, Trebanos attacked strongly, but the Otters’ defence was equal to the challenge. Trebanos regained the ball, however, and moved across field, but were defeated when the final pass went into touch.

The referee had seen an Otters’ offence and awarded a penalty, which they kicked to the clubhouse corner. Before the lineout, the Otters made changes in the back row.

Then the Otters were awarded a scrum, which became uncontested; the Otters heeled and Lewys Gibby passed out the ball to Ianto Griffiths to clear the danger.

Trebanos set up another quick moving attack, but fortunately for the Otters, their winger stepped onto the touchline with the try line just three metres away.

At the subsequent lineout, Alex Jenkins took a clean catch and set up a rolling maul, before releasing the ball for Ianto Griffiths to kick clear into touch.

Again Trebanos attacked from the lineout with a high kick, which Ianto Griffiths safely gathered and kicked long. Again receiving the ball, Trebanos attempted to move up field, only to meet a stout Otters’ defence.

At the next breakdown, the Otters introduced Moritz Neumann as a replacement for centre Elliott Dawe.

On 63 minutes, the Otters scored an excellent try via replacement back row Harry Phillips. It came from a penalty which produced a lineout at which Alex Jenkins again claimed good ball. The pack set up a rolling maul, which Trebanos eventually pulled down. The Otters then moved the ball quickly across the field, reaching Nick Gale, who sped forward to feed Harry Phillips, who raced over to score, with Nick Gale converting.

This now put the Otters 12-7 in front, which was still the score when the referee finally blew for full-time.

Both teams valued the workout which in the second half became more fiery. with a few ‘handbag’ situations.

The Otters now have a challenging league fixture away to old rivals Tata Steel tomorrow (Saturday), followed by an even more challenging game away to Ebbw Vale in the first round of the WRU National Cup on Saturday, September 14.