Fixture

Bridgend Sports Under Elevens travelled away to play Pencoed at their Felindre Road ground on Sunday morning. Conditions tested the character of the young players as a bitterly cold piercing wind intensified by the odd squally shower contrived to make things difficult. Pencoed also had more than the odd trick up the sleeve to throw into the mix. Inevitably the game was going to be close but it was the Sports who were to rise to the occasion as they produced one of their best performances of the season.

When allowed to, they combined some good forward driving play with good handling and individual skill both in attack and defence. In the first few minutes of the game both sides competed well as they adapted to the cold, Pencoed applied the early pressure but were robbed at the breakdown as Meg Lewis and Tyron Davies combined to tackle and then ruck. The Sports opened the scoring when they moved the ball skilfully to set up a ruck. From the ruck, outside half Cian John glided his way through the defence to race away to score. Pencoed hit back when they made ground through a series of penalty awards that gave the home side possession and territory deep in the Sports half. The pressure told and they levelled the scores with a close-range dash for the line.

The score motivated the Sports and for the remainder of the first half they produced some fine rugby as they attacked, dominated the breakdown and then the backs moved the ball skilfully to put players into space out wide. Tom Chick was the beneficiary of one of the attacks as he received the ball on the left wing with some space in front of him, as usual he didn’t waste it, he outpaced the defence then cut back in side for a great team try.

The next try was scored after Thomas Coles fielded a kick from Pencoed, he made a superb catch and set off on a determined run straight into the middle of the home sides defence, the ball was moved smartly by the Sports and Mackenzie Dent looked to have extended the lead when, from the attack, he evaded the defence with some skilful play.  He broke through five metres in from touch again near the left wing, he ran in for a score richly applauded by the crowd, only to be brought back for a penalty for a straying hand.  From the penalty, Pencoed tried to move the ball but they were halted by good defensive work. The Sports secured possession through the counter ruck and Mackenzie Dent was determined to make amends; he set off on a powerful run to score the third try and a 5 – 15 lead for his team at the end of the first half.  The conscientious efforts of Megan Lewis, Tryon Davies, Iestyn John and Callum Lewis ensured Pencoed were not able to break through the Sports defence at any further point during the half.

With the conditions taking their toll, both sides tried hard but any fluency became punctured by errors, Pencoed scored first. Once again from a penalty award.  However, Bridgend Sports restored their ten-point lead when the Sports stole a scrum against the head; Cian John and Callum Lewis combined to switch play, Callum Lewis threw the defence through a run full of dazzle and creativeness to score a wonderful try to take his side into a match winning position to lead 10 – 20.   With time running out Pencoed scored the final try of the game after a run down the touch line for the game the end 15 -20 to Bridgend Sports.

Bridgend Sports Match Day Squad:

Cadan Hayes; Callum Lewis; Cian John; Dewi Worrall; Iestyn John; Ieuan Pilliner; Jodie Keane; Joel Rogers; Mackenzie Dent; Mason Balmer; Megan Lewis; Thomas Chick; Thomas Coles; Tyler Burton & Tryon Davies.