Thursday 25th February 2016.
Friendship the winner as 1st XV entertain visitors from Botswana.
The 1st XV and Livingstone Kolobeng College squads after the match.
Gowerton 1st XV: 49 Livingstone College, Botswana: 10.
Gowerton’s 1st XV hosted Livingstone Kolobeng College from Botswana at Gowerton RFC. The visitors were making history as the first school side from Botswana to tour Europe.
It was the visitors who applied the early pressure and they took the lead in the 5th minute when the hosts were penalised at a scrum in their 22 and fly half Kennedy Seelo stepped up to slot the penalty. However, Gowerton were level two minutes later when the visitors were penalised for not releasing in the tackle and full back Olly Smith kicked the penalty from 30 metres.
The next ten minutes were evenly contested with the visitors well served by lock Tharidu Perera who carried strongly and full back Mbirimuje Muvangua who ran elusively. The hosts held the edge in the scrums where the front row of Tom Northey, Ben Brown and Ryan Hughes formed a strong unit whilst back row forwards Jack Soproniuk, Ethan Harris and man of the match Ryan Stagg formed a solid defensive barrier.
The Botswanan ‘Haka’ was a fearsome sight.
Gowerton took the lead in the 14th minute when prop Northey tapped a penalty quickly and barged over for a try that full back Smith converted. They extended that lead in the 27th minute when Livingstone were penalised for off side in front of their posts and Smith again kicked the penalty.
The hosts were now enjoying the majority of possession and with their backs handling with increasing confidence they scored three tries before half time. Strong carries from locks Sam Clark and David Carpanini gave quick ball that allowed fly half Steffan Tyrrell to make a break on half way, he chipped ahead and won the chase to gather and score a try that Smith converted.
Try scorer Sam Williams attacks the Livingstone line.
Full back Tom Ham then sprinted clear for a score to which Smith again added the extras. A fine handling move allowed wing Sam Williams to score in the corner and Gowerton’s late burst saw them with a 32-3 advantage at the break.
The Botswanan mascot-a jaguar.
Livingstone College were on top during the early stages of the second half with lock Perera a powerful presence in the lineouts, but they were unable to breach Gowerton’s defence and in the 57th minute, the hosts increased their lead when a break by scrum half Milo Fleming carried on by wing Rhys Edwards allowed fly half Tyrrell to cross in the corner.
Lock Tharidu Perera was a powerful presence in the line outs.
The visitors continued to press and were rewarded for their efforts when centre Letlhogile Tsheko powerfully brushed aside several tackles to score a try that fly half Seelo converted. However, as the visitors tired in the final minutes, full back Ham showed both his pace and elusive running to cross for two tries that completed his own personal hat-trick. Smith added one conversion and at the final whistle Gowerton had been more severely tested than the 49-10 final score suggested.
