Thursday 14th January 2015.
Mixed fortunes for Gowerton’s year 8 and 9.
Gowerton year 8 and 9 teams travelled to play Pontarddulais and were involved in two competitive games that ended with a win for both schools.
The heavy rain of recent weeks meant that underfoot conditions were very difficult, despite that the handling in both games defied the difficult conditions.
Pontarddulais year 9: 5 Gowerton year 9: 38
Year 9 warm up in style for cup clash with Strade.
The tear 9 team travelled to Pontarddulais as a warm up for their Welsh schools cup encounter with Strade in a fortnights time.
Jac Simons who contributed 11 points with a try and three conversions
The visitors were immediately on to the front foot with prop Ethan Hall and lock Connor Williams both carrying strongly and they opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when two powerful carries from lock Williams set up a position in the hosts’ 22. The ball was moved quickly wide and a fine dummy from centre Jacob Turatto allowed him to slice through the defence and he fed wing Ben Petherbridge who crossed for a try that scrum half Jac Simons converted.
Gowerton doubled their lead in the 11th minute when good approach work from prop Hall and flanker Rhys Jones freed scrum half Simons, he still had plenty to do but powerfully, beat the final defenders to drive over for a try that fly half Charlie Smith converted.
The hosts now enjoyed a spell of pressure of their own with powerful No.8 Louie Walters and flanker Louis Williams both strong ball carriers. Behind the scrum, fly half Matthew Houlihan and wing Josh Morgan both carried a threat when in possession. Gowerton’s defence refused to yield with lock Alex Jones, centre Charlie Williams and wing Daniel Warne all prominent and were rewarded in the 18th minute when wing Warne broke clear, the move was carried on by centre Turatto who fed wing Petherbridge who crossed in the corner for his second try. They increased their lead from the kick off when good work by centres Williams and Turatto released No.8 Tim Perkins who powered over. Scrum half Simons added the extras.
Pontarddulais were rewarded for their efforts before half time when No.8 Walters drove over from short range and at the break Gowerton lead 26-5.
The second period saw the visitors continuing to dominate territory and they increased their lead in the 36th minute when man of the match Turatto whose handling had been exemplary in the difficult conditions fed co-centre Williams who dived over.
The hosts again enjoyed a spell of pressure and looked certain to score and were only denied by an excellent tackle and turnover on his own try line by flanker Jacob Rees. The ball was moved swiftly into midfield where wing Kieran Helliwell burst through several would be tacklers in the 22 and then sprinted the length of the field for a try that scrum half Simons converted and the final whistle followed shortly afterwards.
Pontarddulais year 8: 17 Gowerton year 8: 5
In the year 8 game it was the powerful ball carrying of the hosts’ forwards that was the key factor in ensuring them victory. No.8 James Williams, lock Mason Scannell and flanker Cain Phillips were all to the fore. Pacey centre Will Phillips was a constant threat regularly making breaks and that allowed No.8 Williams to cross for all three of his sides tries. Full back Rhys Piper added a conversion.
In reply, Gowerton always looked dangerous when they moved the ball wide with both centres Alex Hughes and Alex Graham-Woollard incisive runners whilst lock Sam Terry, No.8 Darragh Cahill and flanker Teigue Williams all worked hard in the forward exchanges. Gowerton’s try was supplied by flanker Leo Pietrapatosa.
