There were five tries in all for the young Scarlets as they comfortably won the battle of the two unbeaten teams in the tournament to win the title for the first time since 2018. Skipper Tiaan Sparow was among the try scores, while Llandovery College outside half Carwyn Jones kicked 15 points in a man of the match performance.
Tries from wing Sion Jones and Sparrow helped the Scarlets head into the break with a 15-0 lead against the reigning champions. In the second half they bagged their fourth consecutive bonus-point win and hit the 40-point mark for the fourth time this season.
No way through for Lewis Edwards of the Ospreys
It certainly wasn’t all one-way traffic and Ospreys had livewire hooker Owen Griffiths held up over the line after a series of close-range lineout drives. Jones kicked a penalty at the end of the first half to extend the lead to 15 points and then knocked over another less than two minutes after the re-start to make it 18-0.
The Ospreys never dropped their heads and fought hard to get back into the game and it took some excellent work from Sparrow to deny them from another close-range surge. They eventually got on the board in the 44th minute when wing Will Moore crossed wide out.
Jones kicked a third penalty soon after, but Griffiths converted a well-drilled lineout move to cut the gap to 11 points with the Ospreys second try. That was as good as it got for the Ospreys as Scarlets stretched away in the final 10 minutes.
Lewis Jones sored twice late on for the Scarlets
Replacement hooker Lewis Jones burst away from a line-out maul to stretch over for a crucial score, which was again converted brilliantly by Jones, and then wing Owen Griffith rounded off a great handling move to score try number four.
The final seal was applied to the victory when Lewis Jones scored a stunning solo try at the posts which was once again converted.
Ospreys U18: Tate Shaw; Evan Morris, Lewis Edwards, Josh Hoskins, Will Moore; Charlie Thomas, Nick Fisk-Jones; Dylan James (captain), Owen Griffiths, Adam Baker, Noah Williams, Dan Gemine, Alfie Thomas, Seb Rodriguez-Davies, Will Howells
Reps: Dexter Randall, Callum Kerswell, Oliver Addis-Fuller, Thomas Edwards, Sam Gardner, Ellis Lewis, Sam Williamson, Khalifa Al Muflehi
Scorers: Tries: W Moore, O Griffiths
Scarlets U18: Iori Badham; Owen Griffith, Tyler Davies, Ioan Thomas, Sion Jones; Carwyn Jones, Bowyn Clark; Tom Phillips, Daf Ebsworth, Jac Pritchard, Sam Williams, Osian Williams, Dom Kossuth, Tiaan Sparrow (captain), Keanu Evans
Reps: Will Davies, Lewis Jones, Nathan Davies, Gabe Cahsay, Joe Denman, Jac Moon, Steff Jac Jones, Ellis Payne
Scorers: Tries: L Jones 2, S Jones, T Sparrow, O Griffith; Cons: C Jones 3; Pens: C Jones 3
Scarlets U18 – the 2024 champions
RAG Champions 2005-2024
2024: Scarlets; 2023: Ospreys; 2022: Dragons: 2021: No competition (COVID); 2020: Cardiff Blues; 2019: Dragons: 2018: Scarlets: 2017: Ospreys; 2016: Cardiff Blues; 2015: Ospreys; 2014: Cardiff Blues: 2013: Scarlets; 2012: Cardiff Blues; 2011: Cardiff Blues; 2010: Cardiff Blues; 2009: Ospreys; 2008: Ospreys; 2007: Ospreys; 2006: Ospreys; 2005: Scarlets
Champions: Ospreys 7, Cardiff 6, Scarlets 5, Dragons 1
RAG U18 2024 RESULTS
07 February – Ospreys 10 – 40 Scarlets
04 February – Dragons 19 – 48 Cardiff Rugby
31 January – Cardiff Rugby 7 – 10 Ospreys
28 January – Scarlets 41 – 6 RGC
24 January – Scarlets 64 – 7 Dragons
21 January – RGC 3 – 29 Ospreys
17 January – Cardiff Rugby 40 – 44 Scarlets
14 January – Dragons 26 – 20 RGC
10 January – Ospreys 47 – 19 Dragons
07 January – RGC 29 – 5 Cardiff Rugby
