Tuesday 4^th April 2017.

Gowerton produce a great team effort to make it to St. Helens’ for the Swansea schools’ plate final.

Centre James Northey strides over to open the scoring.

Hat tricks make Thomas and Northey the centre of attention.

Pentrehafod/Dylan Thomas: 24 Gowerton year 11: 67.

       Gowerton travelled to play the combined Pentrehafod and Dylan Thomas side in the semi-final of the Swansea schools’ plate competition. The prize for the winners was a trip to St. Helens to play in the final which would be their final game together as a school team.

The game kicked off with bright sunshine encouraging both sides to play expansive rugby, although, the strong wind favouring the visitors in the

first half, would undoubtedly be a factor in the game.

Hat-trick try scoring centres

James Northey.

Danny Thomas

      Gowerton started purposefully with the front row of Tom Clark, Ethan Truelove and Bradley Davies strong in the contact area and they took the lead in the 4^th minute when centre James Northey used the wind to launch a long kick downfield which resulted in the hosts having to minor behind their own line. From the resulting scrum the ball was moved wide and Northey set off on an arcing run that allowed him to cross for the opening score. Flanker Iwan Jones added the extras.

Leon Bevan competes for lineout possession.

        Buoyed by this score, the visitors attacked eagerly and with the hosts struggling to stem the flow of attacks, Gowerton crossed twice more in the next five minutes. Both came as a result of long runs out of defence, the first was a fine individual effort from full back Cameron Clayfield whose impressive footwork enabled him to beat several would be tacklers before dotting down. Then centre Danny Thomas’s well balanced running allowed him to break clear inside his own half, his pace then took him to the line. Flanker and captain Jones added both conversions to put his team 21 points clear.

Great to see the ball in two hands-Well done James Northey.

        The hosts had found it difficult to come to terms with Gowerton’s dynamic start, but with their forwards well led by captain and No. 8 Rhys Bolton they began to apply pressure with some well co-ordinated driving play and they were rewarded in the 16^th minute when Bolton himself, powered over beneath the posts for a try that fly half Jake Morgan converted.

Gowerton stretched their lead when scrum half Jacob Williams skipped clear of the cover down the blind side of a scrum in the hosts’ 22. Flanker Jones again converted but the combined side again showed their mettle with lock Sean Huxtable working hard and they reduced the deficit when No.8 Bolton pounced on a loose ball to score their second try.

However, it was the visitors who had the final say of the half, when centre James Northey’s elusive running took him clear for his side’s fifth try. Captain Jones’s maintained his unblemished record with the boot to give his side a 35-12 lead at the break.

In the second half, Gowerton continued to have the upper hand, with the back row of Leon Bevan, Nicholas Gabriel and Lewis Grove all working tirelessly and they extended their lead when lock Ben Grunhut’s good work secured possession on the ground allowing fly half Tom Barrington to make a break in midfield and put centre Thomas over in the corner.

Again the hosts responded impressively when full back Harley Thomas broke through a tackle on half way and showed an excellent turn of foot to sprint to the posts for a try that fly half Morgan converted.

Gowerton then produced the try of the game when, prompted by fly half Barrington, they attacked from deep in their own 22 with most of the team playing a part in an excellent handling move that resulted in a try in the corner for wing Jack Cosker.

Iwan Jones prepares to kick at goal.

Jack Cosker takes on an opponent.

        Another elusive run from deep inside his own half by full back Clayfield resulted in his second try, but the hosts refused to yield and scored their fourth try when flanker Callum Kershaw powered over after good work from full back Thomas.

However, Pentrehafod found it difficult to deal with Gowerton’s ability to attack from deep and the visitors crossed three more times in the final ten minutes. First scrum half Williams scored his second try before the centre pairing of Northey and Thomas grabbed another score each to complete their own personal hat-tricks. Northey added a conversion and at full time it was Gowerton who progressed to the final where they will play Bryntawe.

Photographs: Noah Myerscough year 11