Fixture

Cowbridge RFC | Youth Team Under 18 27 - 27 Mountain Ash RFC | Youth Team Under 18

Match Report
23 December 2018 / Team News

Young Firm Mount Superb Fightback to Secure Draw

What an excellent game of rugby this was between two well-matched sides that ended in dramatic fashion with the Young Firm coming back from the dead to draw level close to full time.

Throughout the game, play was fast and open, and straight from the kick off the ball seemed to be in play for fully five minutes as Cowbridge tested the Mount defence from touchline to touchline. The Young Firm did well to repulse most of the attacks but eventually an overlap saw the home wing score an unconverted try in the corner to make it 5-0.

Mount were playing with a diagonal crosswind and got their first points on the board after 13 minutes when scrum half and captain, Morgan Cartwright, who was returning after injury, and had his usual busy game, kicked a 35 metre penalty to reduce the Cowbridge lead to 5-3.

A few minutes later, the Young Firm took the lead. A lineout take and drive from 25 metres out had the hosts in all sorts of trouble and after being held up metres out, the ball was moved quickly to second row Mitchell Barnard who had no trouble scoring an unconverted try to take Mount into an 8-5 lead after 16 minutes.

After the Young Firm failed to secure the restart, Cowbridge showed their capability with an excellent try, moving the ball wide quickly, bringing the full back into the line, and setting their fleet-footed right wing free for him to race over in the corner to finish off a fine move and put his side 10-8 up.

The Young Firm were giving as good as they got though, and some excellent handling by forwards and backs from a lineout on halfway was finished off with a try by flanker Owen Jenkins which Cartwright converted to make it 15-10 to Mount at half time.

Cowbridge had the crosswind in the second half and immediately kicked more to pin Mount back. An early 15 metre penalty brought them back to 15-13 and five minutes later the home team worked an overlap for their left wing to score a try which was converted to put them 20-15 up.

Cowbridge were monopolising possession with their ball retention and handling excellent, but although play continued in the Mount half, the Young Firm defence was solid and committed, and repelled each attack.

After Mount had won possession in their own 22 and looked to move the ball wide, an interception in midfield gave the home centre a 20 metre run-in under the posts for a converted try to increase the Cowbridge lead to 27-15.

The game looked over, but the Young Firm didn’t see it that way and responded in great fashion. After working their way upfield, a succession of close-in drives on the Cowbridge line were eventually rewarded with an unconverted try by hooker Kieron Coomers in the corner which made it 27-20 with five minutes or so to go.

Mount continued the pressure with another attack and once again took play up to the Cowbridge line. After at least half a dozen drives were held up, scrum half Morgan Cartwright moved the ball out and when it got to Jarrod Cushion the talented centre had no problem dummying and sprinting through a spread-eagled defence for a dramatic try midway out. At 27-25 to the home side with time almost up, the Young Firm’s fate rested on the shoulders of captain Morgan Cartwright, and he rose to the challenge, making no mistake with a well struck conversion right through the middle of the posts to bring his side level.

Even then, this compulsive game wasn’t over with the Young Firm having to defend on their own 22, which they did without hitch to secure a vital draw in their efforts to win the League title. It was nothing more than the Mount team deserved.

The game was a great advert for Youth rugby and both teams deserve credit for contributing to an excellent game of open rugby, played in the right spirit with no quarter asked or given, with a draw probably a fair result.

At the top of the Blues Premier division, Cardiff Metropolitan, St Peter’s, Cowbridge and Mountain Ash are in with a chance of finishing top. The Young Firm have two games to play, both at home, against Rumney and Cardiff Metropolitan. Two wins are a must if they are to have a chance of finishing top. The Young Firm are capable of doing that if they put their minds to it.

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