Fixture

Brecon RFC | Youth Team Under 18 44 - 20 Beddau RFC | Youth Team Under 18
Thomas Witcomb
Try 1
Huw Thomas
Try 2
Joshua Hamilton
Try 2
Dafydd Edwards
Conversion 3
Penalty 1
Try 1
Geraint Workman
Try 1

Match Report
24 October 2016 / Team News

Brecon Youth continue their fine start to the season against Beddau

As autumn takes hold, and the rugby season moves into crucial periods in terms of cup and league rugby, the changing landscape of the picturesque Usk Valley, saw Brecon Youth run out on Parc de Pugh for a friendly fixture against Beddau, a team from the southern edges of the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.

 

The nature of the fixture was dictated by the fact that, with this being a weekend normally put aside for cup rugby, Brecon's intended opponents, Llandudno, were not able to make the journey south to fulfill their fixture. That cancellation had enabled the fixture with Beddau to be arranged in good time, and it was an opportunity for the home team to seek to build on their impressive form thus far in the season, with a run out against a team playing in the higher division of the Blues regional structure.

 

The pre-match warm-up would have given coaches, Huw Phillips and Alan Taylor, an indication of the challenge that lay ahead in that a powerful looking visiting squad contained a number of larger players. The message therefore would have been to play the game at the normal home team high tempo, with a view to moving the bigger visiting pack around the park.

 

The opening exchanges were competitive, as both packs of forwards sought to gain the initial upper hand, and there was a real ferocity apparent from both teams as they contested the break down area. This early period saw both teams enjoy some positive attacking opportunities, whilst the defence of both sides was of the highest order.  The deadlock was initially broken by a successful visiting penalty, before Brecon then exploded into life with a passage that became indicative of the game as it progressed. The home team was starting to raise the pace of the game and enjoyed some periods of extended possession. This was eventually converted into advantage on the scoreboard when the impressive Josh Hamilton, a powerfully mobile front row player, took the ball some 30 metres from the line from where he powered through four defenders to touch down for a fine individual effort. Fullback Dafydd Edwards landed the conversion, before a Beddau indiscretion gave him an opportunity to add a further three points.

 

This came at a time when, with the attacking intent of the home team putting their visitors under real pressure, Beddau's discipline became strained and they fell foul of the referee on a number of occasions. This should have been a period when Brecon sought to extend their advantage, reflective of the fact that they looked like the team more likely to score, although ironically, it was the visitors who got the next score when they used their strong pack to hit away at the home team line where, despite some committed defence, they eventually crossed for a converted try that levelled the scores at the half time whistle.

 

Nevertheless, the coaching team would have been more than aware that it needed to be a case of 'more of the same, insomuch as the visiting team were clearly struggling to deal with the increasing fluidity of the Brecon play, and the home team fitness was becoming increasingly influential. The visiting team did show some great spirit in the early part of the half as they used the strength of their forwards to fashion a further score, although this merely served as an aperitif to the following feast as the home team exploded spectacularly into life.

 

The whole team, including the customary strong bench, had been contributing to a fast and fluid game, with the carrying of the forwards, Josh H and skipper Wil Prosser  in particular, being hugely dynamic. Feeding off this, the electric back line also started to make significant inroads into the wider areas of the visiting defensive set-up, and it was increasingly becoming a matter of time as to when the home team brought the game back on level terms. This period of play saw increasing visiting indiscretions, and Brecon chose to take advantage of this by kicking to the corners. This led  to a period of pressure from a number of home pack drives that, eventually, saw the improving Tommy Witcomb plunge over for the score that, as it turned out, saw an opening of flood gates.

 

The visitors became increasingly tired, and somewhat ragged in defence, and the home attack capitalized on this magnificently, as the ball was run back at every opportunity, creating numerous openings and chances. Allied to a number of substitutions, it soon became a question of how many, as opposed to if, Brecon would score.

 

Some fine attacking movements, and some great support lines and running off the shoulder, saw Huwie Thomas cross for two scores, and the busily effective scrum half Geraint Workman also secured a well deserved touch down. The hugely effective Josh H powered over for a further score following a now customary burst through some failing defensive efforts, with these three scorers all being evidence of the impressive way that some of the previous season's Under 16s have stepped up to, not only get game time, but play influential roles in the teams growing improvement.

 

Perhaps the best score was kept till last as, from a kick off, skipper Wil,made some impressive yardage that, allied to keeping the ball alive, brought a different dimension to the home team attacking. Following this burst, the ball went through numerous pairs of hands, forwards and backs all being involved, before full back Dafs Edwards was given the opportunity to run the ball in from 25 metres to score a magnificent team try. The additional points added by Edwards saw the final whistle arrive with 44-20 score line reflecting the clear home team superiority.

 

This augurs well for the strong squad, as a number of absentees will also return to give the coaching team some 30 players to choose from. They will be keen now to build on this, particularly in ensuring a full attendance at training and a focus on keeping fitness levels high, to enjoy further deserved success as the season evolves. More importantly, being able to play in the manner in which the home team did, in terms of the ability to approach the game in different ways, ensures that the team is able to gain a huge level of enjoyment from performances such as this.

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