Fixture

Llantwit Major RFC | Youth Team Under 18 3 - 8 Taffs Well RFC | Youth Team Under 18

Match Report
05 February 2017 / Team News

Youth XV Top Table with Battling 8-3 Away Win Over Llantwit Major

Saturday 29th Janaury - News Catch-up!

The last time these two teams met at Taff's Well in the league under lights, the occasion produced a belter of a game with honours shared at 19-19 and both teams preserving their unbeaten records. Saturday's game saw the sides meet in a head-to-head with their records still both in tact and ambitions of a title firmly on the genda - something just had to give.

With Llantwit the home team and looking to make the most of the advantage, it was they who were to take an early lead capitalising on some Taff's Well indiscipline in the ruck area which was to cost the visitors three points from the resultant penalty. The big home pack looked ready for business as they dominated both the scrums and lineouts but it was the Taff's back-line who conitually saved the day with some aggressive one-up try saving tackles just when Llantwit looked like scoring. With the wind at their backs, the back-line were gradually able to turn defence into attack with the likes of full-back Callum Jones, centre Gethyn Richards and outside-half Brandon Thrasher continually breaking the home defence only to fail to put the final touches with the try-line in sight.  As in the first fixture, it was a case of the big Llantwit back trying to intimidate when the Taff's Well backs provided the incisiveness and looking the most likely to score but the hosts were able to hold on to slim lead of 3-0 as the teams turned around at half-time and the prospect of the wind at their backs for the second half.

                Half-time score:  Lantwit Major Youth 3 v 0 Taff's Well Youth


                                                     Second Half

The second half set off with a bang as the Taff's Well pack started to assert a dominance at the set-pieces with 6ft 6" No8 Ethan Prescott using his frame to disrupt the home line-out which acted as a rallying call to his colleagues who started to gain momentum at the scrums and take several strikes against the head as the Llantwit pack started to tire and give way. With the vistors now on the front foot, they managed several good phases of ball retention to engineer a well-rehearsed line-out and work their way towards the home line for influential prop Adam Payne to power over and give Taff's Well a well deserved lead at 5-3 with the conversion going wide. This was now a totally different game from the first half as it was the home side that asked to live on off the back foot as Taff's Well proceeded to squeeze the life out of the game with some great game management from outside-half Thrasher on top of a totaly disruptive pack performance at the set-pieces.

With the pack on the front foot and prop Adam Payne winning turenover after turnover, the posts came into to sight for Llantwit to concede a penalty which was calmly converted by scrum-half Tom Cattle and a lead which was never going to be threatened as as the visitors closed out the game for an excellent 8-3 away win which takes them to the top of the table and an extension of their ubeaten league run.

                 Full time score:  Lantwit Major Youth 3 v 8 Taff's Well Youth


The verdict

This was a massive win for the youngsters of Taff's Well as they took on an unbeaten Llantwit Major side which started off with all guns blazing as they did in the earlier 18-18 draw at Taff's Well but this side is made of stern stuff. To start their first season with struggling numbers and to get to top of the league as well as a place in the coming semi-final is a terrific achievement and the whole management team and players can take a bow. As numbers have increased, so has the ambition as with a pack including standouts No8 Ethan Prescott and prop Adam Payne complemented by the silky skills of outside-half Brandon Thrasher and centre Gethyn Richards, the side now has a backbone plus the cutting-edge ability to score tries from anywhere on the field. Well done guys, the club is proud of you!


Tristan Davies

 

Next games up...

Friday 10th Feb   Taff's Well 2nd XV v Porth 2nd XV KO 7.00pm

  Sat   18th   "      Barry Youth XV v Taff's Well Youth XV KO 2.30pm

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