Tuesday 18th September 2018.
Seven try Gowerton advance in Swansea schools’ league opener.
Cefn Hengoed yr 7: 7
Gowerton yr 7: 37.
Gowerton year 7 squad.
Back from left; Jack Lewis-Colwill, James Wells, Josh Anderson, Tyler-Jay Penhorwood, Finn Lewis, Richard Davies, Drew Dodd, Tyler Murphy, Ethan Wood, James Godbear, Jacob Garlick, Morgan Bradley, coach Mr Tucker.
Front from left; Evan Cornelius, Iwan Morgan, Cameron Bevan, Caerwyn Richards, Finlay Guard, Reuben De Vall, Ethan Davies (capt), Tyler Davies, Connor Colwill-Upson, Jac Hawkins, Aled Jefferies, Jorja Aiono, Ben Hughes.
Gowerton’s year 7 and 10 teams were at home to Cefn Hengoed in the opening round of Swansea schools’ league fixtures. However, with no pitch available for them to play at home they were forced to travel to Bonymaen for the games where the RFC made their fields available for both games.
After an encouraging start to their season at the festival at Morriston school last week, the year 7 team started confidently with hooker Finlay Guard, locks Jorja Aiono and Richard Davies and flankers Jac Hawkins and James Godbear all working hard in the forward exchanges. The hosts possessed the best player on the field with flanker Lola Mitchell outstanding at the breakdown and a threat every time she had the ball.
Gowerton took the lead in the 7th minute when lock Richard Davies and No.8 James Wells both carried strongly allowing scrum half Iwan Morgan to burst clear and sprint 20 metres to cross for the opening score.
Confidence boosted, Gowerton doubled their lead 3 minutes later when fly half Cameron Bevan broke clear inside his ’22. He sprinted to half way, where wing Drew Dodd was on his shoulder and had the pace to outstrip the defence and score.
Cefn Hengoed continued to compete strongly and centre Levi Perry always looked dangerous with ball in hand, but Gowerton held firm defensively with centre Jack Lewis-Colwill tackling strongly and they stretched their lead five minutes before half time when captain and centre Ethan Davies breached the defence on half way and fed wing Jacob Garlick just outside the ‘22’ he still had a lot of work to do but his well balanced running allowed him to evade two would be tacklers and score in the corner.
On the stroke of half time, the visitors added a fourth try and it was Garlick, now playing scrum half, who scored his second after strong runs from hooker Ethan Wood and prop Josh Anderson established a position in the hosts’ ‘22’.
Gowerton stretched their lead in the first quarter of the second half when strong running centre Tyler Davies took play into the hosts’ half and fly half Bevan was on his shoulder to take his pass and sprint 40 metres for a try converted by scrum half Iwan Morgan.
Jacob Garlick gives Gowerton’s performance the thumbs up.
Cefn Hengoed continued to carry a threat and deservedly got on the board when centre Perry powered over for a try that fly half Ethan Ace converted.
However, it was the visitors who finished the stronger and crossed for two further tries. The first came after centre and captain Davies went on an arcing run following a scrum and the second came when full back Reuben DeVall gathered a loose kick on half way and showed his pace to outstrip the cover and dot down under the posts for a try that he added the extras to himself.
At full time, Gowerton had got their league programme off to a winning start and it was lock Richard Davies and flanker James Godbear who jointly received Gowerton’s player of the match award for their tireless work in the forward exchanges.
Year 10 held to a draw by Cefn Hengoed.
Cefn Hengoed yr 10:19
Gowerton yr 10:19.
The year 10 game was fiercely contested and at full time the two teams couldn’t be separated.
For Gowerton, prop Mikey Black defended strongly and scrummaged powerfully, fly half Paul Packham kicked intelligently whilst Joe Hawkins-Cole received the man of the match award for his outstanding work both in attack and defence.
Gowerton’s tries were scored by prop Alfie Woodcock, flanker Caradog Kaniewski and centre Tom Griffiths. Fly half Packham kicked two conversions. For the hosts, No.8 Ashley Niewiadomski, centre Louis Cursio and full back Connor Dawkins all crossed and fly half Jack Hughes kicked two conversions.
Gowerton year 10 squad.
Back from left; Mikey Black, Henry Aiono, Rhys Searle, Tom Griffiths, Charlie Catto, Vikran Sanghera, Billy Davies, coach Mr Cullen.
Front from left; Kian Webb, Sam Wells, Alfie Woodcock, Finley Dicks, Taylor John (capt), Caradog Kaniewski, Robyn Williams, Joe Hawkins-Cole, Paul Packham.
