A mixture of ladies, senior, youth and junior reports from games played last weekend. Thanks to you all for sending them in.
Whitland Ladies 38 v Caenarfon Ladies 14
Caernarfon’s first game of the season in Division 1 meant a trip down south to face Whitland. The opposition obviously had a far heavier pack and this one factor coupled with a very speedy winger was undoubtedly the difference between them. Within a few minutes a break on the blind side of the scrum freed Hannah Williams who raced 40 meters to score and afford an easy conversion for Cath Davies. Before the dust had settled the bounce from a speculative kick was again fielded by Hannah who on being brought to ground just short was able to feed flanker Angharad Williams who crashed over.
The Cofis to their credit kept plugging away against the wind and showed courage and committment by running a short penalty from close range that resulted in Dyddgu Hywel shrugging off defenders to score beneath the posts. Sera Bailey duly added the conversion.
The game became a far more cat and mouse affair during the latter part of the first half with countless crunching tackles bringing ball carriers to ground. Rhian Gwawr was instrumental in halting many possible attacks while Sara Patchet harassed the opposition halfbacks constantly. Ex Dolgellau centre Alaw Davies along with her sister Ceris also had promising debuts.
Unfortunately despite pressure for the final minutes of the half the Cofis could not cross the whitewash to counter another Hannah Richards try following a long downfield kick and chase, which she inevitably won. With Cath’s conversion the half time score read 19 – 7.
Caernarfon had envisaged gaining more attacking success in the second half by using the wind to their advantage. However the wind died down and Whitland opted to keep the ball tight in order to tire the lighter Cofi pack. When once caught in defence, quick turnover ball was swept wide for centre Natalie Walsh to charge through the cover to score. Later the tactics were varied, after Caernarfon had to reshuffle due to injuries, with good interlinking out wide again releasing Hannah Richards to score her hatrick.
Caernarfon to their credit regrouped and opted for a more direct approach with scrum half Lowri Wynn to the fore as regards breaking the close quarter defence. However a try line chip resulted in a favourable bounce for the home defence and following a counter hoof down field it was Richards again who snapped up the ball to race clear and score under the posts. Davies added the conversion to close Whitlands account.
The return of Felicity Smith was an added bonus for the Cofis and it was from one of the wingers half-break that they camped in opposition territory with the Rhian Gwawr, Lowri Wynn combination finding flanker Rhian Alaw at hand to score a well worked try, that Bailey converted.
Next Sunday Caernarfon are afforded a home tie against Seven Sisters with the game to be played at Llangefni, K.O. 2.30pm, as a result of the ongoing pitch improvements on The Morfa.
*****
Dinbych U14s 19 points v Rhuthun U14s 14 points
Sunday 9 September 2012
Dinbych’s Under 14s made a winning start to the new season edging a closely fought encounter against neighbours Rhuthun.
Led from the front by Captain Ben Jackson, the home side outscored the visitors by 3 tries to 2. Josh Howarth touched down for two tries and Joseff Powell added the third. Dinbych’s lead was enhanced by an excellent kicking performance by Dafydd Pierce who added two conversions.
On Sunday the U14s are at home at Caeau Les Phillips as they welcome cross border opponents Ellesmere Port.
*****
Llangefni 21 v Caernarfon 52
A perfect day for Rugby resulted in an open and often-fluid encounter between two teams intent on attack with Caernarfon’s fitness levels a factor in the final outcome of this Division 1 North SWALEC League fixture.
From the off the ball was kept alive and in hand as much as possible and within two minutes of the start such fluidity and timing of pass allowed centre Dafydd Roberts to wrong foot the defence to score. Cefni countered with a well struck penalty from the boot of Carwyn Milburn for a holding on offence but found themselves further adrift when the ever influential Cofi captain Rhys Evans released speedster Barrie Jones from fullback to score a well worked try. Kelvin Morris duly added the conversion. After fifteen minutes the game appeared to be slipping from Cefni’s grasp when from a lineout take second row Ifan Jams was propelled over the try line to create a fourteen-point cushion.
The Cofis then became a little complacent and fell foul of the referee with two yellow cards being issued. Cefni took full advantage to claw their way back with wing Iwan Davies finishing well when the ball went blind from a ten-meter scrum. Milburn added the extras. This stung the Cofis to master a riposte with a counter attack from Barrie Jones, after having fielded a high clearance kick, causing confusion in Cefni ranks. Quick hands and Trystan Gwilym’s eye for the gap made for a fine bonus point try for the industrious scrum half, again added to by Kelvin Morris.
Further Cofi transgressions granted Milburn another three pointer before ever-sharp Mark Gray darted through to score on the stroke of half time to give Cefni renewed hope.
Forceful half time comments resulted in a more purposeful opening to the second period with Cefni back to within three points when an offside call granted Milburn a penalty opportunity. The Cofi defence had to be sharp to quell the incisive running of ex Bodedern trio Rhodri Parry, Rhys Williams and the impressive Iwan Roberts but with the Cofis back to a full compliment even they failed to swing the game in Cefni’s favour.
During the final half hour in the heat, fitness levels showed, with the Cofis gaining the upper hand in most facets of play. On fifty minutes constant pressure allowed Rhys Evans to spot the gap to score a try bettered by Morris’s boot, a feat he repeated from way out shortly afterwards when another sustained attack drew the cover to afford Dafydd Roberts his second try in the corner.
Despite the battling of Iestyn Dafydd, any loose ball was quickly snapped up by the Cofis and another Trystan Gwilym break allowed wing Iolo Evans to ground having been released by his captain. The final score came from deep, with winger Iolo Hughes gaining ground before he found his ever-present scrum half and captain at hand, with the latter scoring yet again. Kelvin Morris also slotted his fifth and sixth conversions of the afternoon to see the score cross the fifty-point margin.
Caernarfon would appear to be facing a sterner test when they take on a resurgent Rhuthun side at Eirias Park at 7.45p.m. this coming Friday evening. Your support at such a prestigious venue would be much appreciated.
*****
Pwllheli Youths 8 v Cobra Youths 31
The Pwllheli youngsters battled bravely against a well drilled and skillful Cobra side who crossed the whitewash five times, three converted, in an entertaining match. The home side managed a try and converted a difficuilt penalty for a final score of 8 - 31.
*****
SWALEC League Division 1 North
Bro Ffestiniog 25 v Dolgellau 17
Following report kindly supplied by Dolgellau RFC
With both teams having won their opening matches of the season, both sets of supporters looked forward eagerly to this local derby, played in ideal conditions under blue skies. However, the match didn’t live up to expectations with both teams failing to establish any kind of fluent pattern. Both hosts and visitors were short of several first-teams regulars and consequently had players in unfamiliar positions. This may well have contributed to the lack of cohesion in the play.
Bro, playing up the sloping pitch in the first half, began brightly and within a few minutes of the kick-off had established a 5-0 lead. A fluent passing movement down the right flank, combined with a sluggish Dolgellau defence, saw centre, Daniel P. Jones, cross for a well-worked try to the right of the posts. Although outside-half Huw James` conversion attempt was unsuccessful, the local supporters were encouraged and in good voice.
However, Dolgellau responded in positive fashion and pushed Bro back into their own half and, on several occasions, forced the hosts into mistakes which led to penalties. Tomos Roberts, the Dolgellau full-back, narrowly missed with his first opportunity to put points on the board but succeeded with his second, reducing the deficit to two points.
With the advantage of the slope, Dolgellau continued to press the home defence and were duly rewarded with two further penalties, which were converted by Roberts, giving the visitors a 5-9 advantage. With the interval approaching the Dolgellau right-wing, Ian Jones-Morris was yellow-carded for an instinctive high tackle on the Bro full-back.
Although both teams worked hard to gain the upper hand errors abounded, resulting in a scrappy and unsatisfactory half which was interspersed with numerous stoppages for minor injuries.
With Dolgellau down to fourteen men, the second half began with Bro pressurising the visitors` defence. However, in a rare foray into the Bro half, Dolgellau outside-half, Gerwyn Thomas, glided through the opposing defence in typical fashion before feeding centre Iwan Williams who crashed over the line for a good try, which went unconverted.
Facing a 5-14 deficit Bro re-doubled their efforts and advanced yet again towards the Dolgellau try-line. Under this pressure the visitors conceded another penalty. Rather than going for the posts Bro decided to go for the corner and although they tried hard to drive over from the ensuing line-out, the Dolgellau defence held firm. However, they continued to press hard and were eventually rewarded when prop, Carwyn James, powered over for a try, converted in due course by Huw James. This made the score 12-14.
The game continued in the same scrappy, error-strewn mode but by this time it was Bro who held the initiative. As they launched a series of concerted attacks, mainly through their powerful forwards, Dolgellau were caught offside, yielding yet another penalty, which was converted by Huw James, giving Bro a narrow 15-14 lead. From the re-start the visitors advanced into the Bro half and were awarded a penalty near the 22 metre line which was put over by Roberts, restoring the visitors` advantage.
By this time both teams had made a number of substitutions and this seemed to give Bro fresh impetus. With ten minutes remaining replacement second-row, Dylan Jones, took advantage of a mix-up in the Dolgellau defence and fell on the ball to score the easiest of tries. Huw James` conversion gave the hosts a 22-17 lead.
At this stage Dolgellau should perhaps have adopted a more street-wise approach and settled for a bonus-point defeat. However, they seemed to go into panic mode and were caught in offside positions on several occasions, yielding a number of penalties in kickable positions. One of these was converted by Huw James, making the score 25-17 and putting the bonus point out of Dolgellau’s reach.
The score remained unchanged until the final whistle, giving Bro a victory they just about deserved. However, neither team will gain much satisfaction from what was, on the whole, a poor game, but one which could have gone either way.
*****
COLWYN BAY 2NDS 0 v LLANDUDNO 2NDS 29
On a balmy early autumn afternoon at Brookfield Drive, Llandudno’s experience overcame the Bay’s spirit and resilience in a five tries (two converted) to nil victory in the opening salvoes of the 2013 Clwyd League season.
It was clear early on that the Bay were going to find it difficult to get possession in the set scrum where the strength of the visitors front row ensured a steady stream of ball for their backs to make hay with. The line out was a different story however with near parity being maintained with No 8 Scott Johnson and flanker Wes Roberts prominent.
Tudno opened the scoring after 10 minutes when scrum half Alan Davies went over from a close pushover try. Fly half Ben Jones converted. Davies scored again on the half hour before centre Sam Beards went over for the visitors to post a 17-0 score at half time.
Hopes of a second half revival for the Bay were fuelled by a stout defensive play for the first half hour of the second half as a degree of parity was restored at the set as older bones tired but the effort told after 70 minutes when Sam Beards crossed for his second and 2nd row Will Fedrick completed the try count as the powerful Tudno front five linked well wide out to score from a well executed kick from fly half Ben Jones. Jones himself converted.
The Bay travel to Rhos Wrexham next week smarting slightly from the difference between the scores but with heads held high after showing plenty of spirit while Llandudno entertain Mold 2s at home.
*****
Division 2 North
Colwyn Bay 17 v Abergele 10
Despite outscoring Abergele by three tries to one it was the Bay defence that was provided the solid foundation to claiming the honours in this local derby clash in Division Two North.
The home side stared the stronger but failed to turn the pressure into points in the opening quarter. The scoring opened after thirty minutes when second row Dean Henson went over for the opening try which was soon improved when wing Ethan Morris crossed in the corner for the Bay's second touch down.
Abergele open the scoring in the second period with a try from flanker Llion Mortimer from a quickly taken tap penalty which was converted by full back Dan Lawrence. to reduce the home sides advantage to three points but that was short lived as within two minutes full back Jordan Sheridan touched down between the posts for outside half Spencer Lumby to convert and regain the ten point difference. The visitors finished the stronger but failed to break through the resolute Bay defence their final points coming with a penalty from full back Lawrence five minutes from time.
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