BIG TURNOUT TO SUPPORT WELSH RL FINALS DAY
OVER a thousand were in attendance at Sardis Road in Pontypridd when four entertaining Wales Rugby League junior finals were played on Sunday, writes Ian Golden.
U10 FINAL - ABER VALLEY WOLVES BLUE 8 ABER VALLEY WOLVES YELLOW 20
THE first final of the day was an all Caerphilly affair, played between the two U10 sides at Wales’ largest club, Aber Valley Wolves.
U10s rugby league in Wales is 7-a-side and competitive with squads of 14, played on a smaller pitch, with no kicking at all in the games.
The matches are started with a pass back, played in three 10-minute periods, only tries are scored, and there are unlimited substitutions.
It all adds up to an impressive spectacle, and this was a hard-fought final played in front of a large crowd in Pontypridd.
It didn’t matter that both sides were from the same club, the atmosphere was still as tense as any final.
Iestyn Jones gave the Blues the lead in the third minute and that’s the way it remained until the end of the first period.
Yellows hit back in the 13th minute when their captain Samuel Morgan barged his way over for a try, only for Blues’ Harry Jones to give his side the lead back again a minute later.
However an excellent individual try from Yellows’ Regan Davies levelled things up again at 8-8 before the end of the second period.
However in the final period, it was all Yellow as they showed why they topped the table in the regular season.
Four minutes in the third period, Tommy Godwin used his strength to give Yellow the lead for the first time in the game.
Then Theo Grahame intercepted a pass to extend their advantage to 16-8, and with two minutes to go, Owen Lloyd dived over to seal the win.
U12 FINAL - ABER VALLEY WOLVES YELLOW 12 CYNON VALLEY CAVALIERS 6
IN a very tough encounter between two well-matched sides, Aber Valley Wolves Yellow, who had topped the table in the regular season, beat Cynon Valley Cavaliers 12-6 to win the Welsh U12 Grand Final.
The match was played in two 20-minute halves and Cavaliers took the lead in the 14th minute when Alfie Archer scored under the sticks and converted his own try.
Wolves’ Gethin Ashman had a try disallowed just before the interval so Cavaliers remained 6-0 up at the break.
Aber Valley levelled on 26 minutes through a Rhys Wood scored and
Louis Morgan converted.
And ten minutes later, Wolves’ Rowan Pash went over in the corner and Morgan converted well from the touchline.
U13 FINAL - BRIDGEND BLUE BULLS 6 CYNON VALLEY CAVALIERS 22
CYNON Valley Cavaliers beat Bridgend Blue Bulls 22-6 to win the U13 Grand Final.
The match was played in two 20-minute halves and Jack Piontecki gave Cynon Valley Cavaliers the lead in the 11th minute. Ben Coomer couldn’t convert.
With the score at 4-0 at half-time, Bridgend struck back five minutes after the interval through Isaac Thomas. Juris Kesans converted to give them a 6-4 lead.
But Cavaliers sealed the win with two tries in the last ten minutes of the second half, both coming from Coomer who converted both himself.
A late try from William Daniels in the corner, converted well by Coomer, completed the scoring.
U15 FINAL - ABER VALLEY WOLVES 20 CYNON VALLEY CAVALIERS 18
A kick from the touchline from Ethan Paterson won the U15 Grand Final for Aber Valley Wolves after the match went into extra time - the first time in Welsh Grand Final history that this had been needed.
Paterson’s conversion was the last action of the game after a Leon Caviel try had levelled the scores in the last play of the match.
Little could separate two outstanding sides. The match was initially played in two 20-minute halves and an unconverted Cai Wardman try in the corner on ten minutes gave Aber Valley the lead.
There was nearly a second try, but Zak Williams had his score chalked off for a forward pass.
Soon after that, Peter Richmond ran nearly 50 metres to score under the sticks to level things for Cynon Valley.
Connor Friel added the extras put them 6-4 ahead at the break.
Wolves came storming out of the traps in the second half and soon regained the lead. Ethan Paterson scored in the corner but couldn’t covert his own try.
They scored again from kick-off, Carter Pritchard scoring under the sticks and Paterson converted.
Cavaliers hit back again on 35 minutes through an unconverted Noah Phillips try leaving them 16-10 behind.
Mason Davies had a try disallowed, but moments later, Andrew Payne scored to level things but Friel failed to convert.
Both sides had chances to get the winner, but there were dropped balls at each end as nerves set in for the final couple of minutes.
The full time whistle blew at 14-all and 15 minutes of extra time followed. Cavaliers were close early in the second period but had a try chalked off for a knock on.
Then, with three minutes remaining, Richmond scored in the corner. That went unconverted and Cavaliers looked to have won it.
Both sides continued to make errors and it was Caviel who finally took advantage of one to score in the corner and level it up again at 18-all. Paterson had a tricky kick to win the match and he converted it brilliantly.