Knight hat-trick clinches St. Helens cup final date.
Morriston yr 8: 12 Gowertonyr 8:24.
Gowerton’s forwards battle for possession.
Year 8 book cup final date and hope to go one better than last year.
The year 8 rugby team travelled to play Morriston in the semi-final of the Swansea Schools’ cup competition and in a very well contested game it was the visitors who triumphed to progress to the final.
The hosts applied the early pressure, but in the 7th minute it was Gowerton who took the lead when fly half Tom Ham intercepted a loose pass outside his own ‘22’. He set off on a lung bursting run that was halted just short of the hosts’ try line, but centre Sam Knight was on hand to gather the loose ball and score.
Tom Ham attempts a kick at goal.
With locks Callum Batcup and Luke Andrews strong ball carriers and the back row of Will Griffiths, Ewan Brown and Lloyd Dudley-Jones competing well in the contact area, it was the visitors who started to enjoy the better of the possession and territory and they increased their lead in the 17th minute when a turnover by flanker Ewan Brown secured the ball and when it arrived with centre Knight, he broke through a tackle and outpaced the cover to score a try converted by fly half Ham.
Pack power: Gowerton’s forward’s drive forwards.
Morriston cut the deficit immediately when Gowerton failed to deal with the kick off. A drive by flanker Brandon Healy was stopped just short of the Gowerton line, but prop James Hanson was on hand to pick up and drive over for a try converted by fly half Matthew Elliot. At the interval Gowerton led 12-7.
The visitors started the second half strongly, with centre Kieran Charles at the heart of both Gowerton’s defensive and attacking efforts and they increased their lead in the 27thminute when centre Knight again had too much pace for the hosts’ defence and crossed for a try converted by co-centre Charles. Seven minutes later, an intelligent kick by fly half Ham was well chased by his outside backs and hesitation in the Morriston defence allowed wing Corey Brown to evade a last ditch tackle and cross for his team’s fourth try.
Morriston finished strongly and flanker Healy got the score his play deserved, but at full time it was Gowerton who were through to the final at St. Helens where they will play Bryntawe and hope to go one further than last year when they were well beaten by Gwyr in the final.
