Fixture

Brecon RFC | Youth Team Under 18 42 - 5 Aberavon Green Stars RFC | Youth Team Under 18
Ellis Jenkins
Try 1
Joseph Palmer
Conversion 6
Callum Williams
Try 2
Patrick Deveney Billinge
Try 2
Sam Davies
Try 1

Match Report
24 April 2022 / Team News

Brecon Youth 42 - Aberavon Green Stars Youth 5

As the season draws to a close Brecon Youth can reflect on a period of encouraging progress. When the season started, with a new Youth structure limiting the age group to Under 18, Brecon found itself struggling to raise a full team. They were, at first, forced to borrow players to make up numbers and they lost five of their first six games. However, thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of coaches Leigh Savage and Jason Jenkins they persevered and gradually they turned the season around. Numbers increased both in training sessions and on match days and results started to improve to the point where they suffered just two defeats from their final nine game. In their latest match, in which they welcomed Aberavon Green Starts to Parc de Pugh, this encouraging trend was maintained. In an all-round excellent display, they scored six tries of high quality while limiting their opponents to just a single consolation try.

The emphatic win, however, was not completely flawless and the coaches will have areas to work on prior to their few remaining matches. Scrums, in the early stages, were under pressure and as a result the quality of possession at this phase in was disappointing. However, Brecon are fortunate to have a Number 8 of high quality. Teilo Harris did remarkably well off the base of a retreating scrum. Within the first five minutes it appeared that Brecon would throw away a great attacking opportunity when their scrum, deep in the Aberavon 22, was shunted backwards. However, and in spite of being on the back foot, Harris picked up and a combination of pace, strength and a great offload allowed hooker Callum Williams the opportunity to crash over for the first try. Once Brecon had sorted out their initial scrummaging problems, Harris proved to be a constant threat with his strong running and good off loads.

 Brecon also fell away for a long period in the second half. Having scored four tries and establish a twenty-eight-point lead by half time they started the second half lacking focus and concentration. They gave away a succession of seven penalties which allowed Aberavon to dominate territory and possession. Fortunately, the defence was good and while they were pinned down in their own half they denied their opponents scoring opportunities, and were in fact the first side to score in the second half. That score came thanks to the efforts of two of their outstanding players. Teilo Harris started the move with a great break and captain Ellis Jenkins finished with a try under the posts. The score was great reward for Jenkins. Playing out of position, in the role of centre, Jenkins certainly did not look out of place. He showed great strength with the ball in his hands and linked well in attack,while his defence was exemplary.

The other area of concern for the coaches must be the inability to cleanly deal with receiving the kick off. The spilled the ball when trying to take the first three kick offs. Each time they offered Aberavon great attacking positions and yet each time they manage to turn defence into attack. The burly Aberavon centre threatened with the first of these opportunities but as the attack progressed they critically dropped the ball with disastrous results. Brecon’s outstanding centre Patrick Deveney Billange picked up the loose ball and from his own 22 outpaced his opponents to run in for a great individual try. Billange was at it again within the next ten minutes. This time he received the ball in an attacking position and he cut through the mid-field before offloading to hard working second row Sam Davies. Davies had a lot of work to do but he showed great skill leaving the defence flat footed to score.

Brecon finished the first half with a try which was greeted with great celebration when hooker Callum Williams posted his second try. His first had been a typical short-range forward effort. The second was a 50 metre burst in which he showed remarkable pace and composure. Intercepting the ball on half way he stormed away for the distant try line. Opposition backs tracked back after him but failed to make contact with him until he made the try line.

When the second half started everyone expected more of the same but that was not to be and against stronger opponents Brecon will not be able to relax in the way they did. Although they scored first in the half it took a good Aberavon try to restore concentration, and in spite of being a man down as a result of a yellow card, it was Brecon who posted the final score and it was a classic. Patrick Billange made a great outside break and then again showed his pace as he carved through the visitors’ defence to score. The try, the sixth of the afternoon, was converted by Joe Palmer, his sixth conversion in a 100% kicking performance.

At the close of the game news of Builth’s outstanding victory in the WRU Youth Cup at the Principality Stadium reached Parc de Pugh. Everyone connected with Brecon RFC were delighted at the success of their neighbours who clearly have an outstanding team and have reaped an appropriate reward at the end of an unbeaten season.

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