Tuesday 15^th March 2016.

Gowerton move into the Welsh Vase semi final.

Gowerton 1^st XV: 36 Dyffryn Taf 1^st XV: 12.

Mr Watts gets his point across to the team.

Ham hat-trick puts Gowerton in control.

Gowerton 1^st XV hosted Dyffryn Taf 1^st XV from Whitland in the quarter-final of the Welsh schools Vase competition. The hosts advanced confidently into the semi final scoring six tries whilst the visitors replied with two scores of their own.

Tom Ham goes outside his opposite number-Get that ball in two hands Tom.

       The game was played at Gowerton RFC and with the pitch in excellent condition and overhead conditions dry, things were set for an open game. Neither side disappointed, and the first quarter contained a lot of breathless rugby with play moving regularly from end to end. The only surprise was that it took until the 16^th minute before either side was able to open the scoring.

It was the hosts that gained that first score, when a catch and drive at a lineout 30 metres out, well orchestrated by captain Tom Northey allowed them to drive deep into the visitors 22. When the ball was released, a long miss pass put full back Tom Ham in space and he displayed great footwork to beat two defenders and cross for a try that wing Olly Smith converted.

Gowerton gained confidence from the score and with lock Sam Clark, No.8 Tom Northey and outstanding prop Ollie Quick all carrying powerfully they regularly got across the advantage line. With scrum half Milo Fleming kicking intelligently, a constant threat around the fringes and releasing his outside backs with an excellent service, centres Jordan Richards and man of the match Anthony Osborne were a constant threat. Gowerton scored four unanswered tries before the break. In the 18^th minute, a well timed offload by captain Northey allowed fly half Steffan Tyrrell to hit an excellent angle and score beneath the posts. Wing Smith again added the extras.

Jordan Richards hands off his opposite number.

Four minutes later, full back Ham grabbed his second try. This time it was a fine individual effort that saw him gathering the ball just inside the visitors’ half and evading three would be tacklers with the power and pace of his running before touching down in the corner.

In the 27^th minute, excellent work from No. 8 Northey and fly half Tyrrell freed prop Quick who powered over from 20 metres. Then on the stroke of half time, a misdirected kick out of defence landed in the hands of the dangerous Ham and he again proved too hot to handle slicing through the defence to complete his hat trick. Wing Smith converted and at the break, the hosts held a comfortable 31 point lead.

The second half started similarly to the first with both sides attacking and having opportunities to score. The fact that the visitors were unable to do so was down to some tireless defensive work from hooker Ben Brown, prop Ryan Hughes and flanker Ethan Harris. Again it was Gowerton who were first to score, and it was another impressive individual effort, this time from fly half Tyrrell. He gathered a loose ball 10 metres from his line and set off on a touchline hugging run that saw him evade two tackles, when the cover appeared to cut him off, he kicked ahead and outpaced the defenders to re-gather and score in the corner.

Centres Anthony Osborne and Jordan Richards ‘gang up’ on an opponent.

The visitors deservedly got on the board in the final quarter and crossed twice for tries from centre Will Evans and fly half Llew Jones. Jones added a conversion, but at full time it was the hosts who progressed to the semi final where they will play Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth.

Photographs: Will Griffiths (year 12).