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Ospreys swoop for U18 girls victory

Ospreys swoop for U18 girls victory

There were wins for the Ospreys and the Blues in the second round of the WRU Girls Under 18 regional competition.

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Ospreys swept aside the Scarlets 31-12 at St Helens while the Blues recorded a 24-5 victory against the Dragons at Sardis Road.

The Ospreys forwards set up hard running pods and eventually their work allowed second row Sara Jones to run over the white wash and get Ospreys into the lead.

Play was then evenly contested before wing Hannah Mai Jones intercepted a Scarlets pass and her pace allowed her to take Ospreys further into the lead. Kayleigh Powell slotted the conversion and to give the Ospreys a hand half-time 12-0 lead.

Replacement scrum half Niamh Terry sprinted through gaps in the Scarlets defence and got herself over the line and Powell was able to put the Ospreys further ahead with a great conversion.

Powell showed sharp decision making, speed and power to pick her way through the Scarlets defence and took her team further into the lead with a converted try.

The Ospreys extended their lead when centre Ffion Jones scooted over out wide to give her side a 31-0 lead.

The Scarlets for their part can be proud of their efforts. Powerful displays from captain Carys Lloyd and replacement back rower Gwenllian Jenkins alongside tries from the excellent Amy Morgan and Lucy Packer were just reward for the young team, of which 13 of the match day 23 were making their debuts at regional level.

Cardiff Blues recorded their victory after a tight affair in the first half.

Possession and territory were all in the Blues favour early on, but they had to wait until openside flanker Manon Johnes snuck over the line from close quarters to get the scoreboard ticking over. Scrum half Claudia Meyrick, in her first start in a Blues jersey, duly converted.

The Dragons slowly worked their way back into the game. Dominant in the contact area and superior at the breakdown, they forced any number of turn-overs from the Blues who became complacent with their early advantage.

Winger Kourtney Lewis dived over in the corner for the Dragons’ first score of the game to leave them just two points behind at the break.

Replacement prop Isla Lewis drove over the line within a minute of the re-start. Under a repeated effort and a dominant scrum Lewis’ Treorchy teammate No. 8 Keely Ward herself crossed the line just minutes later; this time the conversion just snuck over.

Meyrick, steady with the boot off the tee, converted two of the four scores. It was out-of-hand however that she made the greatest inroads into the Dragons defence, with some deft touches in particular for left-wing speedster Morganne Tuchli-Davies to chase.

The winger had a superb all-round performance topped off by crossing the line for the Blues fourth and final ty, thus securing the all coveted bonus point. A hugely physical player she made several bone-crunching tackles on her opposite number and was a safe-pair of hands under the high ball which the Dragons half-backs Moore and Shields showered on her late on in the second-half as they sought a consolation score.

The Blues defence held steadfast however and it was to the delight of their coaches and their fans that they stayed strong under such an onslaught to nil their opponents in the second half.

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