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A Successful Step Up for Bridgend Sports Under Tens Junior Rugby Squad.

A new rugby season is about to start with a new set of laws for Bridgend Sports under Tens to adapt to and gain new skills, as they take another step on their learning and development pathway. This year the squad has to develop skills in areas such as the ruck and the two player tackle    

They were provided with an opportunity for early exposure to the new laws in a match environment, when they travelled to Cambrian Welfare in the Rhondda for a tournament last Sunday.  The tournament was very well organised with ten teams, split into two pools of five, with the winners of each pool progressing into a final.  

The Sports were in a pool with Rhydfelin, Tonyrefail, the host club Cambrian Welfare and St. Albans.  In their first game against Rhydfelin, they suffered an early setback as Rhydfelin scored an early try to lead which they held for a long period of the game.  Whilst the Sports had an abundance of pace in their side, Rhydfelin in contrast, were highly skilful in the ruck area and used this to stifle the Sports attacks.  The Sports clawed their way back into the game and looked to have secured a draw late on , as Cian John  intercepted a pass and used his pace to race away to score but a lapse of concentration at the restart allowed Rhydfelin to hit back immediately for them to win the game 2-1.

In their second game, Sports faced St Albans. They proved to be too strong for their opponents from Wales' capital city as they ran in eleven tries without response.  Tries were scored by Cian John, Iestyn John, Joel Rogers with a hat trick, Mackenzie Dent, Tom Chick (2), Tyron Davies and Harry Williams (2), with Cadan Hayes supporting with a break or two in mid -field.  The Blue and Whites were now much sharper as any rustiness had been knocked off in their first game.

 The host team were up next and the Sports were able to maintain a level of superiority by running in a further eleven tries through Cian John (2), Joel Rogers with five, Mackenzie Dent, Tom Chick and Harry Williams (2).  The Sports also raised their tackling game with Cian John, Iestyn John, Ieuan Pilliner, Joel Rogers, Mason Balmer, Tom Chick, Tyron Davies and Harry Williams all contributing to thwart a sterling Cambrian effort.

In the final game of their pool the Sports faced their old foes Tonyrefail. Last season the two sides were very closely matched as only the odd point separated the sides in the three games they played each other.  The game was therefore a useful benchmark to measure both teams progress.  It proved to be a high quality game, enjoyed by both sets of supporters.  Bridgend Sports secured the upper hand by producing some excellent rugby as they began to control the breakdown area to win possession and cut loose with some wonderful running and passing. They scored five tries without response through Cian John (2), Joel Rogers, Tyron Davies and Harry Williams. Cian John, Iestyn John, Ieuan Pilliner, Joel Rogers, Tyron Davies and Harry Williams put in strong tackles to ensure the Sports kept a blank sheet for the third game in a row.

In their four games Bridgend Sorts under Tens had scored Twenty Eight tries, the highest in their group. They only conceded two tries in that opening game against Rhydfelin. Those two tries conceded and the loss of the first game by a single try proved crucial.

Rhydfelin with seventeen tries progressed through to the final, courtesy of that single try win where they put in a fine team performance to beat Kenfig Hill by two tries to nil and run out tournament winners. 

It was a great start to the season for Bridgend Sports under Tens, the squad trains at 6 p.m. Every Wednesday at the Bandstand Field, Bridgend. New players are always very welcome to join us at nay training session.