Year 10 fight back thwarts Bishopston.
Bishopston year 10: 21
Gowerton year 10: 26.
Tom Ham’s double helps Gowerton recover from 16 point deficit.
Gowerton’s year 7 to year 11 teams played Bishopston in a block of fixtures. The year 7, 8 and 10 rugby team travelled to Bishopston. The year 10 game was keenly contested and Gowerton produced a fine second half come back that saw them recover from a sixteen point half time deficit.
Gowerton kicked off and with their forwards on top in all areas it was they who enjoyed the majority of territory and possession. However, it was the hosts, playing with the slope in their favour, who struck first in the 7th minute when strong running lock and captain Rhys Davies powered into the Gowerton ’22, he was tackled just short but centre Callum Carson was on hand to gather and score in the corner. Carson added the excellent touchline conversion.
The visitors reasserted their authority, with the front row of David Carpanini, Lewis Cooke and Ben Brown on top in the scrums and with Callum Batcup, Morgan Evans and flanker Lucas Kelly all carrying strongly and they reduced the arrears in the 12th minute when a determined drive by lock Callum Evans saw him claim the visitors first try.
Gowerton, well led by captain and No.8 Will Griffiths continued to press and another score looked inevitable. However, the hosts defended tenaciously and just before half time they increased their lead when a Gowerton move broke down 5 metres from their opponents’ line. The loose ball was kicked through by wing Dylan Taylor who showed both pace to outstrip the defence and skill to control the ball and gather for a try converted again by centre Carson.
The hosts were buoyed by this score, and with the last play of the half they stretched their lead when centre Will Lucas was put away on halfway and sprinted clear to score a try that Carson again converted. The half time whistle followed and the hosts’ lead was a healthy 21-5.
Gowerton realised that they needed to respond quickly and they did so with two tries in the first ten minutes of the second half. Both were founded in the good work of the forwards with No.8 Griffiths again to the fore. Scrum half Tom Ham scored both tries and also added the conversions to leave the visitors trailing by two points.
In the 38th minute, Gowerton took the lead for the first time when a strong driving run from centre Josh O’Connor was halted in the hosts’ ’22, the ball was moved to fly half Jordan Penhalagan, who showed elusive running skills to beat several defenders before scoring a try that was again converted by scrum half Ham.
In the last 10 minutes, both teams pressed for another score, but defences held firm and at the final whistle it was the greater cohesion of the Gowerton forwards that had earned them a well merited 26-21 win.
