Passing to Buck earns Youth win for Pontypool

It was a tight affair throughout with a conversion ultimately separating the sides, but the Pontypool pack just held the edge throughout and they deserved their victory against a spirited Bonymaen side.

“It is fantastic to win it for the second year running. It put Pontypool United on the map last year and it is great to do it again,” said Coach Martin Sweet.

Appropriately, the Pontypool try was scored by tighthead prop Nathan Buck, rumbling over beside the posts from short range after a series of forward drives on the Bonymaen line.

That score came just before half-time to give the Dragons side a 10-3 lead at the interval against their Ospreys region opposition, with outside half Jamie Tibbs converting the try to add to an earlier penalty – his opposite number Stuart Horne got a penalty for Bonymaen.

The gap was narrowed early in the second half with a penalty from Bonymaen fullback Stuart Cunniffe and then his side took the lead with the try of the game.

They ran loose ball from inside their own half and found space out wide through right wing Darren Fender, he interpassed with supporting hooker Andrew Pritchard and No.8 Lloyd Harris was on hand to score the try. Cunniffe missed the conversion from wide out.

With Bonymaen taking a one point lead, Pontypool United dominated the closing stages of the game and earned a penalty from in front of the posts 25 yards out. Tibbs restored their lead and it stayed that way until the final whistle.

Dragons centre Gareth Maule was there to support his former club Pontypool United, back at the ground where he had helped the region qualify for the Heineken Cup by beating Calvisano the previous evening.

“Pontypool deserved the win though we gave them a run early in the second half,” said Bonymaen Coach John Tregembo.

“We are disappointed because a lot of these boys have been playing in Bonymaen since they were eight years old and it would have nice to have finished it off with a Welsh Youth championship, but I am still very proud of them.”

There were more than 200 sides who entered the Welsh Youth championships at the start of the season and the number of clubs taking part are up on last year, which is a promising development for community rugby in Wales.