Penarth One step away from clinching Youth League title for third year running after winning against Llandaff RFC Youth

Llandaff RFC Youth 10 – Penarth RFC Youth 42 – Saturday 14 April 2018

Penarth RFC Youth RFC are just one match away from clinching the Cardiff Blues BE league title after a hard fought game away against local Cardiff team Llandaff RFC Youth which saw the Penarth Youth team win by 42 points to 10.

On a rare day of dry weather and sunshine, the Penarth team made the most of the running conditions by scoring 5 tries and take a bonus point win, giving them a nine point lead at the top of the Blues league BE table with two games to play.

After several weeks of appalling rugby conditions and a loss last week to local team Cowbridge in the Blues cup, the Penarth boys were determined to bounce back, and it was Penarth who struck first with an early try after only 4 minutes when captain and centre George Roberts took a short ball off a set scrum from centre Rhys Beynon, only 8 metres out, to hit the gap between the Llandaff centres and score under the posts. With the conversion by outside half Joe Williams Penarth took an early 0 -7 point lead.

It was 3 minutes later when Penarth struck again. Following a great run from flanker Nathan Frost, supported by the back row of Dan Anderton and Sam Sullivan, the ball was quickly re-cycled from a ruck and sharp passing from the back line created an overlap for wing Luc Kean-Adams to go over the Llandaff line uncontested for Penarth’s second try and with the conversion take a 0 -14 point lead.

As has happened in several games this season, with an early score for the Penarth boys, they have seen themselves penalised back down the pitch by the referee for an array of offences, which has allowed the opposition to get back in the game and disrupt the Penarth play. This again occurred following the early tries, as Llandaff took full advantage of the increasing Penalty count against the Penarth team and quickly pitched into the Penarth 22m area. With several driving line outs, the home team managed to inch their way over the Penarth try line to pull back a try and take the score to 5-14 after 20 minutes of play.

With the Penarth boys finding it difficult to get any pattern of play between penalties, it was outside half Joe Williams who calmed the team nerves following good work from the Penarth front five which took them into Llandaff’s 10 metre line. Williams was able to slot over a penalty kick and take the Penarth boys to a half time lead of 5 -17.

With a team talk at half time by Penarth Youth coaches Dai Williams and Simon Rees, which concentrated on reducing the Penalty count and support play, the Penarth boys came out of the blocks, and with increasing pressure against the home side, it saw two further penalties awarded to Penarth which Williams slotted over, to give the Youth team a 23 points to 10 lead after 21 minutes of the second half played.

The lead gave the coaches an opportunity to bring on strength from the bench in the form of Josh James in the front row, Hugh Leach in the back row and Aron Arthur into the centre for captain Roberts. With the Penarth game quickening up as the home side started to flag, scrum half Gruff Shewring came off the bench and with the spaces starting to open up across the pitch, moved the ball quickly to the Penarth back line and within minutes, centre Aron Arthur took the ball at pace on the blind side and crashed over for Penarth’s 3rd try. With another conversion by Williams the score moved onto 10 -30 after 29 minutes of the second half.

Further changes to the Penarth team saw second row Owain Jones replace Will Parsons, Will Rattenbury replacing hooker Tom Griffiths, Mike Halligan on the wing for Luke Pringle and Ellis Smith come on the blind side of the scrum.

With the Penarth boys well on top, the last play of the game came from Rattenbury who took the ball on the Llandaff 22m line and fell just short of the Llandaff line. From the ruck , Gruff Shewring fought his way over from the fringe to score and take the final score to Llandaff RFC Youth 10 – Penarth RFC Youth 42.

The youth have now taken a nine point lead in the league and have two games against Cardiff team Llanishen to try and secure the league title.

Ends

Photo Caption: Flanker Hugh Leach bursting through the Llandaff defence supported by Owain Jones, Gruff Shewring and Rhys Beynon