Wednesday 23rd March 2016.
1st XV march to the cup final.
Gowerton 1st XV: 19 Maes Y Gwendraeth: 12.
Captain Northey to the fore as 1st XV fight back.
Scrum half Milo Fleming fires a pass away to Tom Ham.
Gowerton 1st XV hosted Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth in the semi final of the Welsh schools’ Vase and eventually came out on top 19-12. In a very competitive game it was the greater power of the hosts’ forwards that eventually earned them a place in the final. Lock Sam Clark and props Tom Northey and Ollie Quick all carried strongly while hooker Ben Brown worked tirelessly. Behind the scrum, half backs Milo Fleming and Steffan Tyrrell managed the game excellently, centre Anthony Osborne ran powerfully and the speed of full back Tom Ham’s footwork made him the most elusive attacker.
Tom Ham clears his lines.
A break by Ham in the 5th minute, looked certain to lead to the opening score, but he was hauled down short of the line by an excellent tackle from fly half Steffan Wyn. The visitors responded positively and with the accurate throwing of hooker Garin Williams allowing No.8 Harry McBride to dominate the lineouts, they opened the scoring with a well orchestrated lineout catch and drive which resulted in lock Daniel Morgan plunging over.
In the 13th minute, the visitors scored a second try, when centre Cameron Collins intercepted a loose pass inside his own 22 and sprinted 80 metres for a try that was converted by fly half Wyn.
Olly Smith contributed 9 points with a try and two conversions.
Gowerton were shaken by that score and with the visitors defending impressively they struggled to establish a platform. The hosts needed a spark, and in the 29th minute it was half backs Fleming and Tyrrell who provided it. Maes Y Gwendraeth were penalised at a scrum on their 22. Fleming tapped it quickly and fed Tyrrell whose excellent angle of running allowed him to slice through the defence and score a try that wing Olly Smith converted. At the break Gowerton trailed 12-7.
After the interval, Gowerton’s forwards, well led by captain and man of the match Northey, took the initiative and they were in front in the 45th minute when a series of pick and drives by the forwards established a platform deep in the visitors’ 22. The ball was moved wide and wing Smith crossed for a try that he converted himself.
The result was now very much in the balance and with the visitors’ lineout a potent weapon, both sides searched for the next score. It was the work of Gowerton’s forwards that enabled prop Quick to power over from short range.
Gowerton’s pack drives forwards.
With seven minutes left on the clock the visitors knew there was still time for them to turn the game back in their direction, but Gowerton’s defence, with centre Jordan Richards and flanker Max Harris prominent refused to be breached and at full time Gowerton were through to the final where they will play the winners of Cardiff High School and Ysgol Gyfun Cymer.
