Wednesday 16^th September 2015.

1^st XV off to a winning start.

Gowerton 1^st XV: 48 Bishop Gore 1^st XV: 17

In their first Aquazone sponsored Ospreys league game of the season Gowerton entertained Bishop Gore. It was a notable occasion for the visitors. The school, the former alma mater of a number of senior Welsh internationals including current player Alun Wyn Jones, were playing their first senior fixture for eight seasons.

Scrum half Milo Fleming looks for an opening.

The match kicked off with underfoot conditions excellent, although the strong cross wind made things tricky for both teams.

Lewis Hyatt sprints for the corner.

It was the better understanding of the hosts that allowed them to settle more quickly with half backs Milo Fleming and Steffan Tyrrell dictating play intelligently, and they opened the scoring in the 3^rd minute when a strong run by lock Sam Clark was halted 10 metres short of the visitors’ line, from the ensuing maul, incisive scrum half Milo Fleming burst down the narrow side and fed No. 8 Max Harris who scored in the corner. Full back Olly Smith added the extras from the touchline.

Gowerton hooker and man of the match Ben Brown powers forward.

Gowerton pressed for a second score, but Bishop Gore’s defensive effort was resilient with No.8 Owen Renowdon, scrum half Rhys Cotterill and outstanding flanker Rhidian George all making crucial tackles. In the 15^th minute, Gowerton’s wing Lewis Hyatt was halted just short of the line by Cotterill’s tackle, from the lineout flanker Lloyd Jones gathered a loose ball and plunged over. Three minutes later, Jones added his second try when he set off on an elusive 30 metre run that saw him brush aside several would be tacklers before crossing.

 David Carpanini on the charge.

The hosts now enjoyed their best spell of the game with prop Ryan Hughes, lock Jason Stagg and man of the match hooker Ben Brown all carrying strongly and they added three further tries with prop David Carpanini, centre Anthony Osborne and flanker Jones all touching down. Full back Smith added a conversion and at the break Gowerton led 34-0.

It would have been easy for the visitors to capitulate meekly, but they rallied admirably to outscore the hosts by three tries to two in the second half. With fly half Dom Marques possessing an eye for a gap and centre Sergii Nilov running powerfully, the visitors were on the front foot immediately and crossed for their first try in the 42^nd minute when No.8 Renowdon powered over. Three minutes later they added a second when wing Tom Gravenor burst over after several strong forward drives had got his side close to the hosts’ line. Gravenor then sparked thoughts of a comeback when he crossed again after a strong run by centre Ben Marsden had taken his side deep into Gowerton’s 22. Flanker Renowdon converted.

Anthony Osborne

The Good

the Bad

and the Good.

In the final quarter, Gowerton re-established their superiority with two converted scores of their own. In the 62^nd minute, fly half Steffan Tyrrell broke down the blindside and fed wing Aaron Duthie who still had plenty to do but showed his strength to score in the corner. Then four minutes later, impressive offloads from half backs Fleming and Tyrrell and wing Hyatt allowed No.8 Harris to cross for his second try. Smith added the extras and at full time Gowerton were deserving winners, but Bishop Gore’s spirited second half display gave hope of better things to come.

Photographs: Will Griffiths year 12