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Brecon Under 11
SUNDAY 8th November 2009
Gwernyfed RFC 10 - Brecon RFC 40
After the disappointment of the previous weekend's result in windswept Trefecca Road, the Under 11s ventured down the Tawe Valley, in fine (but chilly) weather, hoping to get back into winning ways with a fixture against Pontardawe. This is a club that the minis have not played against for a number of seasons so it was a new experience for players, coaches, drivers and navigators alike!
The keen aspirations of the squad to wipe away the negative memories of the previous weekend, were matched by the needs of the coaches, Paul, Alan, and Ernie, to blow away a few cobwebs of their own, having spent a very entertaining evening in the company of former British and Irish Lion, John Bentley! There was no lethargy apparent as the coaches outlined to the players the positive aspects of their season to date, and the fact that they continue to develop, as a squad, in a way that gives the coaches and supporters great pride!
The importance of confidence, and approaching the match with their 'game heads' on from the beginning, was reinforced in the pre-match huddle, and it was immediately apparent as the team switched in to an aggressive high tempo mode straight from the kick off. This included some storming forward drives, with good rucking and clearing-out, with the pack making significant yardage with ball in hand. This was matched by the aggression in the tackle, and the competitiion for the ball when the opponents had the ball in hand.
Outside, the backs looked to move the ball wide at every opportunity, and also returned stray kicks from the hosts with some interest. Inevitably, this style of play, and periods of good momentum and gaining yardage, led to a brave Pontardawe defence being breached, whether it be, for example, from the powerful drives of Llewelyn Stephens, or the skipping pace of Sammy Hellard. The arrival of the half time whistle saw the visitors having laid the previous weeks concerns to rest by gaining a well deserved 5 tries to 0 advantage.
Captain David Berrow led his team into the changeover, with the coaches, now bright eyed and bushy tailed, asking for more of the same. The message remained with the team as they immediately broke through for a further score to establish a comfortable lead. There followed however, a period where laurels were rested on, and the team dropped the intensity of their play. This inevitably offered the hosts the opportunity to pull themselves back in to the game, and their own positive play saw them richly rewarded with two tries of their own.
Brecon rang the changes in terms of the substitutions and they managed to get the direction and purpose back into their game, returning to the effective style of play of the earlier periods. They were rewarded with further scores/opportunities, capped off with Cantref's very own Mr Evs galloping through after a poacher's interception, setting the seal on a fine return to form and winning ways for the team.
The final score was 8 tries to 2, with the scorers being the aforementioned Llew, Sammy and Rhys, and further tries being added by the direct running of Gareth Price and Jon Davies, and the aggressive driving of Ben Amphlett. There were other good performances including the captaincy and drive of David, the broken field running of Gus Maughan, Rhodri Powell-Jones and Iwan Parry, the committed efforts of Dafydd Edwards, Morgan Davies and Tom Witcomb, and the positive first appearance for new boy Jack.
Its always a good sign, in spite of a comfortable win against what was a hard running and well-drilled team, who had been enjoying their own successes this season, that the coaches were still able to identify areas that need addressing. Whilst congratulating the team on a great comeback performance, Paul, Alan, and Ernie, by now brimful with delight (as opposed to merely being brimful the previous Friday night!) identified, with the players, the need to work on greater communication and awareness as a group at the breakdown, and the need for the backs to sometimes add possibly a less subtle, but more direct approach, to their positive efforts to move the ball wide, particularly on a narrow pitch such as todays!
Its from results like this that the team can now approach training (Thursday 4pm Parc de Pugh) with greater emphasis on particular areas, building on a sound base of a great team display!
GREAT COMEBACK!! KEEP THE CONFIDENCE UP AND YOU WILL PERFORM!!
Match Reports U11 2009