Wednesday 6th December 2017.
Gowerton yr 10: 20 Brynteg yr 10: 5
Olly Freeman wasn’t going to be taking any prisoners-he even drank the liniment!
Gowerton’s year 10 team hosted Brynteg School from Bridgend in a friendly at the Elba.
The visitors, like the hosts, have a proud record for producing excellent school teams from which a large number of individuals have gone on to play the professional game.
The visitors had a distinct physical advantage at forward and used it to dominate the contact area where No.8 Harrison Morgan stood out allowing his side to monopolise loose possession. But behind the scrum, it was the hosts who possessed the main threats; half backs Matthew Davies and Kieran Bevan were dynamic operators, tackling relentlessly and then releasing their outside backs at every opportunity, the impressive centre pairing of Sam Cartwright and Alex Graham-Woollard revelled in the opportunities they were given, causing the visitors constant problems with their intelligent running lines and ability to create opportunities for others and at full back, Alex Hughes’s balanced running meant he was a constant threat on the counter attack.
Gowerton were the first to press with prop Jacob Purcell and hooker Owen Parry both carrying strongly and they took the lead in the 7th minute when good work by flankers Sam Terry and Ryan Stagg freed wing Morgan Couch and he sprinted clear from 30 metres to score in the corner.
Both sides were keen to play with ball in hand and with No.8 Morgan regularly turning possession over for the visitors it took excellent defensive work from fly half Bevan and centres Graham-Woollard and Cartwright to stop the visitors from opening their account.
Buoyed by the strength of their defensive effort and with full back Hughes looking to counter attack whenever the chance offered itself, Gowerton grabbed their second score when Hughes set off on a mazy run from deep inside his own half, he beat several defenders and when his progress was halted inside the visitors’ 22 centre Cartwright was on hand to take his pass, dummy the last defender and double the hosts’ lead.
Gowerton started the second period positively, prop Peter Legg-Davies was particularly prominent in the loose and with flanker Adam Williams working tirelessly at the breakdown, they stretched their lead when man of the match Graham-Woollard broke clear on halfway and fed wing Tom Richards who showed a fine combination of pace and power to cross in the corner 5 minutes into the half.
Adam Williams; who worked tirelessly at the breakdown.
The visitors now enjoyed their best spell of the game and were deservedly rewarded with a score when wing Josh Bumatay finished off a fine move that saw the ball transferred through numerous pairs of hands before he dotted down in the corner.
This score only served to reinvigorate the hosts, and it was they who ended the game on top with forwards Legg-Davies, Purcell, Terry and Stagg all impressing with their tireless work and when the visitors were penalised for failing to release at the tackle area, full back Hughes tapped the penalty quickly and drove powerfully over for a well deserved personal score and at the final whistle the hosts had achieved a convincing win against a tough opponent.
Gowerton 1st XV: 5 Brynteg 1st XV: 14
The two schools also played an Ospreys schools’ premier league game. The visitors travelled in confident mood sitting at the top of the table having been undefeated in their previous seven league fixtures.
Gowerton opted to play into the wind in the first half and dominated territory in the first quarter with forwards Tom McCann, Mabon Kaniewski and Ethan Hall all carrying strongly. However, resolute defence kept the visitors’ line intact.
In the 20th minute, the visitors moved the ball wide and a powerful hand off from full back Cameron Lewis enabled him to score under the posts. Centre Callum Morgan converted.
Five minutes later, Gowerton lost the ball in contact, Brynteg hacked the ball downfield. Gowerton wing Matthew Newcombe did well to recover the loose ball but when his clearance kick was charged down, the visitors’ regained possession and one phase later No.8 Cael Chamberlain crossed for their second try, which was again converted by centre Morgan. At the break, the visitors held a 14-0 lead.
In the second period, Gowerton fly half Dexter Ryde used his boot well to put the hosts in attacking positions. Their lineout was functioning well with the excellent throwing of hooker Rhys Flower regularly finding nimble jumpers Alex Jones and Lewis Grove. No.8 Matthew Hutchinson was able to use the regular supply of possession to carry strongly getting his team on the front foot and with full back and captain Max Treharne probing for gaps in the Brynteg defence the hosts gradually began to get on top.
Midway through the half, a kick from fly half Ryde led to a Gowerton scrum in the visitors 22. No.8 Hutchinson picked up from the base and although he was halted just short, from the resulting ruck phases, prop John Edwards burst over from close range. The try went unconverted.
Gowerton pushed for another score but Brynteg were able to control the closing stages of the game and at full time travelled home with their unbeaten record intact despite having been given a real scare by the hosts.
Match report: Mr Lewis
