Highs and lows of a memorable 12 months in Welsh rugb
And so the curtain comes down on yet another outstanding 12 months in Welsh rugby. We’ve seen some exhilarating highs and some devastating lows over the course of the last season, both on the international and local scene.
The international front speaks for itself. No-one will ever forget Wales’ heroic and ultimately unrewarded exploits at the World Cup last autumn. Nor will anyone forget the sense of injustice at seeing inspirational skipper Sam Warburton sent from the field, and Leigh Halfpenny’s long- range penalty fall agonosingly just short.
However, at the same time no-one will ever forget Wales’ 2012 Grand Slam success, built on the foundations laid by their performances in New Zealand only a few months earlier.
Once again North Walian export George North was in sublime form for Warren Gatland’s champions, and having only just turned 20 in the past month or so, he still has his best days ahead of him.
Another North Walian product, Rhodri Jones, has enjoyed a superb season with the Scarlets, and was rewarded with a call- up to Gatland’s Six Nations squad. Despite not figuring at all during the competition, Jones has continued to impress the Welsh management and was earlier this week named in the training squad for Wales’ summer Test against the Barbarians on June 2 and their three-Test tour to Australia shortly after that.
On the local scene, once again the top North Wales division was dominated by the ‘big two’, with Caernarfon making it back-to-back Division One North titles at the expense of chief rivals Nant Conwy, while Bro Ffestiniog pushed hard for a third-place finish.
Nant had their revenge on the Cofis, knocking them out of the Swalec Plate, before going all the way to a Millennium Stadium final appearance where eventually – despite a valiant second half fightback – they finished as runners-up to Division One-bound Penallta.
Bethesda had close to making it an all- North Wales final before being knocked out in the semi-finals by Penallta.
Neither Nant or Caernarfon reached the final of the North Wales Cup, the pair both falling at the semi-final stages, with Bro eventually seeing off Bala in the Eirias Park final to lift the trophy.
Pwllheli lifted the North Wales Plate with a narrow win over Bethesda earlier in the day at the Colwyn Bay venue.
At the bottom of the standings Llandudno drop in Division Two North following a season to forget for the Maesdu Road men, who won just two matches all season, while Mold almost joined them, the Chester Road club just managing to see off Cobra in a play-off at Wrexham to avoid the drop.
Swapping places with Tudno will be Dolgellau who finished 14 points clear of Division Two North runners-up Cobra, losing just once in the entire league campaign and also reaching the last eight of the Swalec Bowl.
Shotton Steel walked away with the Division Three North title, winning all 18 of their matches, failing to pick up a bonus point just twice and missing out on notching 1,000 points scored in the league season by just eight.
They will swap places with Wrexham who finished bottom of Two North without a win to their name, while Newtown will also follow them into the bottom tier as they slipped to a 26-22 defeat to Llangollen in the Division Two North play-offs.
RGC 1404 have also enjoyed some good results so far against top opposition, but it is their performances that have been the most pleasing aspect.
As they are heading to Division One East next season, head coach Chris Horsman still has much work to undertake, but his team are certainly heading in the right direction to make a good fist of life in the national league set-up.
The WRU also finally put their money where their mouth is with the opening of the new facility at Eirias Park, and were rewarded with three sell-out crowds for the under-20s at the venue during their Six Nations campaign.
The coming 12 months are huge in the grand scheme of the game in North Wales, but with the clubs continuing to show their ability to match the best the south has to offer and RGC promising bright times, the region is on the up.
Long may it continue.
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