Friday 27^th January 2017.

Yr 9 power to St. Helens cup win.

Gowerton year 9: 54 Llangatwg year 9: 12

Yr 9 stun Llangatwg with eight tries

The year 9 squad:

Back from left Alex Graham-Woollard, Charlie Brown, Isaac Clark, Izaac Beck, Leo Pietrapertosa, William Siford-Price, Kieron Bevan, Tom Richards, Jamie Parry, Alex Chislett, Alex Hughes, Alister Morgan, Liam Butler, Darragh Cahill and Peter Legg-Davies.

Front from left: Adam Williams, Owen Parry, Olly Freeman, Ryan Stagg, Matthew Davies, Chay McCrickard, Jay Jones, Gavin Williams, Alex Davies, Teigue Williams (capt) and Sam Terry.

After defeating Pontarddulais in the semi-final, Gowerton’s year 9 side travelled to St. Helens’ for the Ospreys West plate final against Llangatwg.

With a physical advantage it was the Neath Valley team who were on top in the early stages, lock Kian David, flanker Luke Weaver and No.8 Jack Howells dominated the contact area. They took the lead in the 5^th minute when, after winning a lineout on halfway, fly half Stefan Jenkins kicked intelligently behind the onrushing defensive line and centre Oliver Fish showed an impressive turn of pace to out strip the cover, gather and power over in the corner.

Llangatwg held a clear physical advantage at forward.

The stop-go nature of the game made it difficult for both sides to establish any pattern to their play, but Gowerton were on the board in the 14^th minute when fly half Alex Hughes made a break that took him into the Llangatwg ‘22’, his route to the try line was blocked but he chipped to the corner and his side was awarded a penalty try when the ball was adjudged to have been deliberately knocked out of play. Fly half Hughes added the extras to give his side the lead.

Alex Hughes made a break that took him into the Llangatwg 22.

       The game continued to be evenly contested, but crucially, on the stroke of half time, it was Gowerton who got the next score. A Llangatwg attack broke down in Gowerton’s 22. Fly half Hughes kicked clear and an awkward bounce was gathered on half way by impressive centre Matthew Davies, he beat the last defender and as the covering defence arrived he fed captain and flanker Teigue Williams who powered over. Fly half Hughes converted and from the kick off made a break that looked certain to lead to a third score, however, he was denied by a fantastic last ditch tackle by flanker Adam Weaver.

Sam Terry competes for lineout possession.

        The half time whistle followed and at the break Gowerton led 14-5.

Confident, as a result of their play at the end of the first half, Gowerton started the second period on the front foot, captain Williams burst clear and was tackled just short of the line. At the resulting scrum, a strike against the head by hooker Jamie Parry allowed scrum half Kieron Bevan to snipe down the blindside-he looked certain to score only to be denied by a high tackle resulting in a penalty try that Hughes again converted.

Gowerton were now very much in control and added three further scores in the next ten minutes. Pacey wing Alex Chislett scored the first two, the first followed good work by centres Davies and Gavin Williams and wing William Siford-Price the second came after strong carries from No.8 Darragh Cahill and prop Peter Legg-Davies. Then captain Williams broke clear on halfway and showed an excellent turn of pace to sprint clear and ‘dot down’ beneath the posts. Fly half Hughes added the extras to two of the scores.

Llangatwg continued to have their share of the play and Gowerton’s defence was tested on a number of occasions with wing Richmond Jimpetey, centre Alex Graham-Woollard and flanker Ryan Stagg all called upon to make tackles before Llangatwg deservedly scored a second try when wing Braedon Wadam finished off a sweeping move, fly half Jenkins converted.

Gowerton’s defensive line of; Alex Hughes, Matthew Davies, Gavin Williams and Charlie Brown prepare for defensive duties.

         It was Gowerton who finished strongly, scoring two more tries before the final whistle. The first try was a fine individual effort from man of the match Hughes who chipped ahead, re-gathered and scored, then moments before the end scrum half Bevan, whose service had been impeccable all game, scampered over for Gowerton’s eighth try. Fly half Hughes added the extras to both scores to give him a personal tally of 19 points.

At the final whistle it was Gowerton’s captain Teigue Williams who lifted the cup and they now play the new Port Talbot school Ysgol Bae Baglan, the champions from Ospreys East, in the all Ospreys final at The Gnoll on Tuesday 7^th February.