YOUTH MATCH REPORTS - SEASON 2008 - 2009   

Bridgend Athletic Youth  13  v  6  Merthyr Youth

Welsh League Play Off Final – Sat May 16^th 2009

The Athletic Youth achieved their dream at the Millennium Stadium last Saturday when they created club history with this victory to become League Champions of Wales and with it an undefeated season. Having already won the Welsh Cup, District Cup and Ospreys league the players went into this game knowing that they were seventy minutes away from this seemingly impossible goal but with the realisation that these were going to be against their toughest and most physically imposing opponents.

Merthyr kicked off and had some early pressure but a good turnover and clearance by Tom Davies  cleared the danger. Merthyr came back on the attack and launched a high kick into the Athletic 22 where Welsh Under 18’s fly half Matthew  Morgan claimed a good mark and with some quick thinking tapped the ball and made a great run to the half way line. The Athletic were intent on moving the heavier Merthyr pack around and the pace of the game was furious. Centre James Olds made some ground in one attack before putting a superbly judged kick into the corner for speedy winger Luke Morgan who under pressure from a would be tackler just failed to   hold onto the ball for what would have been a great score. Then with ten minutes gone Merthyr were penalised for coming over the top at a ruck ,which Tom Davies successfully converted. Five minutes later Merthyr were penalised for a high tackle and Davies repeated his effort to give the Athletic a deserved 6-0 lead.

Merthyr came storming back and and severely tested the impregnable Athletic defence with a series of pick and go efforts by their forwards resulting in the Athletic conceding a penalty in front of their posts for killing the ball. The kick was successful but a minute later the Athletic took a lineout on the half way line and drove the ball twenty metres with a great controlled driving maul before releasing the ball to their backs where James Olds spotted a gap and ran 35 metres untouched before putting full back Mike Hathaway over in the corner for a fantastic try. Tom Davies converted with a great effort to make the score 13-3 with a little over twenty minutes played. The Athletic were looking the stronger footballing side and were poised to pull away but as is the case in these tense encounters mistakes are made which meant the Athletic didn’t capitalise on their superiority. Merthyr realised they needed to start taking risks and broke out of defence effectively on several occasions through the enterprise of their full back in taking quick throws. This inspired Merthyr but they let themselves down with their handling and the only further score they managed was a penalty right on half time for offside on the Athletic 22.

The second half was not quite as frantic as the first but the Athletic missed an early opportunity to go further ahead with a penalty when Tom Davies missed his first kick at the Millennium this year in ten attempts. Matthew Morgan made a great run down the touchline before kicking ahead to the corner which almost resulted in a try. The forwards had several attempts to drive the ball over before spinning the ball out wide to Hathaway for a great chance, but the ball was adjudged to be knocked on. The Athletic front row of Apsee, Norman and Holman then demolished a Merthyr scrum unfortunately resulting in their heaviest player leaving the field. Fresh legs were brought on by both sides and the Athletic retained their control of the game until with ten minutes to go Merthyr staged their last stand. Athletic number eight Tom Morgan who had an outstanding game was forced to leave the field in considerable pain prompting a reshuffle in the Athletic pack. Merthyr had some burly backs and threw themselves at the much smaller but quality Athletic midfield trio of Morgan , Habberfield and Olds. Tom Habberfield had one amazing rip just five yards out to repel one attack, and some great turnovers were made by a defence which simply does not like anybody crossing their line. Flankers Stuart Edbrooke and Ben Howe were prominent all afternoon along with second rows Morgan Evans and Welsh Under 18’s Captain Lloyd Peers. Replacement scrum half Aled Thomas made some good opportunities for himself only to be thwarted by slipping on the notoriously tricky surface of the Millennium Stadium. With eight minutes of injury time played the referee blew for the end of a gripping encounter and the beginning of a deserved evening of celebrations by a fantastic squad of players and their organisational and coaching team.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  27  v  3  Blackwood Youth

SEMI FINAL – WELSH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP – MAY 9TH

The Athletic booked their return ticket back to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 16^th May with this emphatic victory over the Gwent Champions where they will meet the Blues

Champions, Merthyr, in the league play off final.

This semi-final was played at Glamorgan Wanderers’ ground in great conditions for rugby. Blackwood, with the wind in their favour, came out of the blocks slightly better than the Athletic and took an early lead when the Athletic got penalised for holding on. Unusually, the Athletic blew some early opportunities to pressurise Blackwood with three crooked lineout feeds, a normally impeccable aspect of Nathan Holman’s game. However, the Athletic’s scrum was gaining ascendancy against their larger opponents and was a major factor in keeping Blackwood on the back foot. From one of these scrums on the Blackwood twenty two the Athletic took the lead when full back Luke Morgan took a great angle off James Olds’ pass to cross for a try converted by fly half Matthew Morgan. Both sides then missed a penalty apiece before Blackwood had a player binned for mountaineering at a ruck. They were fortunate not to receive a second yellow when they prevented a possible try by killing the ball at a ruck in front of their posts. Matthew Morgan converted the resulting penalty to give the Athletic a half time lead of 10-3. Unfortunately, outstanding second row Adam Evans then had to leave the field with a knee injury.

Ten minutes into the second period the Athletic missed a penalty and several drop goal attempts followed to no avail. Then the decisive score came when from a scrum fifteen yards out number eight Tom Morgan who has had an outstanding season broke left and gave an inside pass to his Captain Ben Howe who crossed for his thirteenth try of the season to overtake rival Mike Hathaway who had to sit this game out with a hamstring injury. Replacement scrum half Tom Davies converted. Davies then converted a fifty metre penalty to increase the lead. Blackwood made valiant attempts to get back into the game and it needed a brilliant tackle from Ben Howe to save one promising situation for the Gwent side but the Athletic defence must be the meanest around having only conceded one try since 1^st November, a phenomenal statistic. Blackwood could not gain ascendancy in any area apart from some

good turnovers and never really threatened the Athletic line. Replacement full back Rhys Jones then crossed in the corner to seal Blackwood’s fate followed with a great conversion by Davies.

With one more game to play the Athletic are obviously keen to keep their unbeaten record at the Millenium Stadium next week but realise that they are meeting the largest and toughest opponents they have played this season having knocked Merthyr out of the Welsh Cup by eight points to nil. Kick off is 2-15. Anyone wishing to travel on the supporters bus can contact Cheryl at the clubhouse.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  53  v  0  Porthcawl Youth

District Cup Final – Sat May 2nd

This District Cup Final held at the 7777 ground in Maesteg was played in great conditions for rugby. Both sides probed each other in the early stages with Porthcawl testing out the Athletic with several high balls which were admirably dealt with by full back Rhys Jones in his first game for the team since breaking his collarbone. It was Jones who made the first score when after some powerful running he gave a deft pass around his back to his captain Ben Howe who crossed in the corner. The conversion failed. The Athletic were playing a wide and fast game and their forwards provided a surfeit of quality quick ball. The second try was a brilliant effort from inside their own half with some wonderful handling resulting in Aled Thomas crossing over out wide for a second unconverted try. Thomas repeated the effort several minutes later with fly half Matthew Morgan adding the conversion for a 17-0 lead. Ben Howe then added a further two tries of his own both converted by Morgan, the second effort being run in from the half way line after scrum half Tom Habberfield made a brilliant tackle to dislodge the ball straight into Howe’s arms. Porthcawl were finding the all round game of the Athletic too much to handle and if it wasn’t for some great covering tackles by their international full back Tom Prydie they would have found themselves further behind. Flanker Tom Morgan then showed great pace to score his own 50 yard effort before Ben Howe capped a fantastic half hour’s work with his fourth try, Both tries went unconverted. At 41-0 up the Athletic decided to make all seven substitutions in one fell swoop with five minutes of the half remaining.

In the second half it was inevitable that it would be difficult to maintain the intensity of the game. Porthcawl certainly were not going to give up and defended resolutely throughout the remainder of the game. The Athletic had a dominant scrum and were imperious in the lineout through second rows Adam Evans and Welsh U 18’s Captain Lloyd Peers. Their defence as ever was awesome having conceded one try in six months of rugby. Tom Davies scored a simple try in the corner before centre James Olds completed the scoring with one of his trademark weaving runs which was converted by Tom Davies. This was the Athletic’s sixth time to win this cup in the last nine years with a further one shared with Tondu last year, a fantastic achievement. Stuart Edbrooke capped some fine recent form with a Man of the Match display and they now go on next Saturday to the national league play offs against the champions of Gwent, Blackwood. This game will be played at Glamorgan Wanderers ground at 2-30. If successful the side will return to the Millennium Stadium on 16^th May for the grand final. 

Bridgend Athletic Youth ‘B’  39  v  12  Maesteg Celtic Youth Sat May 2^nd 2009

This was an important Ospreys League game for the Athletic ‘Rags’ in their attempt to catch Kenfig Hill and win their league at the first attempt. Having had a tough battle with Celtic earlier in the season they were anticipating a tough contest. Celtic took first blood with a well taken penalty . Before Athletic Captain Sean Derrick used his wits to take a quick tap penalty and score himself, converted by Tom Parry. Parry then added an unconverted try of his own to give the Athletic a half time lead of 12-3.

With the slope in their favour Celtic put on some pressure and were rewarded with a smart drop goal effort by their centre. Hooker Lee Murphy then stretched the Athletic lead before Celtic cancelled this out with two penalties. At this stage the game seemed to be swinging Celtic’s way but a great try by prop Aaron Shakeshaft who has the pace of a whippet, converted by Parry stifled Celtic’s resistance. Further tries were scored by Tom Davies, Sebastian Mellor and Sean Derrick all unconverted to seal a great win.

Bridgend Athletic Youth ‘B’  21  v  29  Kenfig Hill Youth

April 29^th

This was an important fixture  between the two sides as the Athletic ‘Rags’ had yet to lose a league fixture and had in the first game of the season inflicted the only defeat on Kenfig Hill in a high scoring thriller. Kenfig Hill drew first blood with a well struck penalty before centre Rhys Hollyman responded with a try for the Athletic converted by Rhys Jones coming back for his first game since breaking a collarbone. This lead was not to last long as the Kenfig Hill scrum half put a neat little chip over his forwards which was allowed to bounce by the hesitant Athletic defence and he pounced to score a neat opportunist try. The conversion failed. This lead was further increased when Rhys Jones put in an attacking chip of his own only to be blatantly held back resulting in a break away try for Kenfig Hill to give themselves a useful 15-7 lead. The Athletic made frantic efforts to get back on terms and were rewarded when flanker Sam Treharne powered over by the posts for a try converted by Jones to leave the half time score finely balanced at 14-15.

This game was proving to be a ding dong battle but the Athletic were their own worst enemies by making simple errors which were keenly seized upon by their opponents, one of these resulting in a converted try restoring Kenfig’s eight point lead. The Athletic reshuffled their back line in an attempt to gain greater cohesion and stormed at  Kenfig as the game wore on and were finally rewarded when their outstanding back Mike Powell crossed for a corner try which Luke Yardley converted with a great kick. With the game on a knife edge it was the young Mules who had the territorial pressure going into the final minutes and from a scrum the ball bobbled out over the Athletic line and was pounced upon for the deciding score. Unfortunately a short brawl ensued resulting in a red card apiece before the conversion could be successfully taken. This result leaves the league wide open between the two sides although the Athletic have to catch up with five fixtures and remain unbeaten in those games to level with Kenfig Hill.

Welsh Youth Cup Final

Bridgend Athletic Youth  30  v  18  Whitland Youth

Sat April 24th

This game at the Millennium Stadium promised to be a monumental clash between two unbeaten sides. They kicked off in perfect conditions with the stadium bathed in sunshine.

Whitland displayed their intent early on in the game when they moved the ball blind in their own twenty two resulting in a threatening run by winger Duncan Evans who was bundled into touch on the Athletic ten yard line. The Athletic responded to gain a good territorial position but unusually knocked on in two consecutive line outs and the initiative was lost.

Whitland possessed some heavy forwards and used them to good effect with some intelligent and varied play which resulted in the Athletic conceding two penalties both converted by full back James Stephenson. The Athletic’s efforts to claw back the deficit were hampered by unforced errors and some good turnovers by the Whitland pack who were also using their greater bulk to pressure the Athletic scrum. However, Whitland eventually conceded a penalty to give Tom Davies the opportunity to get off the mark which he duly converted only for Stephenson to reinstate their six point lead with another long range penalty for offside. It was obvious that the Athletic needed to get more width to their game to expose the heavier opposition. Whitland then conceded another penalty when the Athletic forwards got some good continuity in their driving game. Tom Davies converted.

Full Back Stephenson was having a fine all round game at full back and increased the Whitland lead going into half time with another well taken penalty having had one hit the post and back into play a little earlier. Athletic captain Ben Howe saved a certain try with a thunderous touchline tackle resulting in him being treated for several worrying minutes.

The Athletic were supposedly favourites for this encounter but a combination of their own errors and a stirring display by Whitland gave them plenty of food for thought at half time.

The first five minutes of the second period continued in much the same vein and Whitland increased their lead to 15-6 with another great slot by Stephenson. Davies countered with one of his own before the key moment of the game occurred when full back Michael Hathaway fielded the ball inside his own half and went on a powerful run before putting winger Luke Morgan away on the left. Morgan still had a lot to do but used his sizzling pace and strength to cross in the corner and continue on under the posts for a fantastic try converted by Tom Davies.

Going into the lead for the first time settled the Athletic and it was Whitland who were now being forced into errors. The Athletic’s high levels of fitness were now beginning to show. Whitland’s heavier props were now withdrawn from the fray as they began to struggle in the warmth of the spring sun. The fantastic Athletic defence which has only conceded one try in five and a half months had weathered the storm and the tide now turned well in their favour. Flanker Tom Morgan and second row Adam Evans threw in some powerful charges at the Whitland defence and substitute prop Matthew Norman was making a great impact.

A series of drives at the Whitland line by the Athletic pack who had now found their grove produced no direct result but had Whitland on the ropes. Eventually something had to give and the ball was whipped out to centre James Olds who made a great break but found his passing option to his winger blocked so he looked inside and found his co centre Luke Yardley charging up to crash over for a great try converted by Davies. The game had now opened up but Whitland were not finished and responded with another touchline kick from Stephenson who shortly thereafter retired with a leg injury. At 23-18 the game was not yet over despite the dominance of the Athletic. Sub fly half Tom Habberfield got the Athletic deep back into Whitland territory with an intelligent kick and a further series of drives resulted in a Whitland scrum five yards out from their own lion. The ball spilled out and sub flanker Lloyd Evans showed good dribbling skills to score in the corner. Tom Davies kept his 100 percent record with a great conversion to complete the scoring. Whitland were not done and gave one more great effort to score that elusive try but the Athletic were having none of it and the referee blew his whistle to end a compelling encounter.

The Athletic regained the Cup they won in 2007 but that was played at Aberavon. The Millennium Stadium experience is a fantastic one for everybody concerned and it is pleasing to see the WRU rightly rewarding the top teams for their efforts in reaching the final.

With the Ospreys league in the bag as well the Athletic look forward to playing the champions of Gwent, Blackwood, in the semi-final of the league play offs the winners of which will play the winners of the Blues and Scarlets regions in the Millennium Stadium on 16^th May. They also have Maesteg in the semi-final of the District Cup on Wednesday at the Old Parish.

Bridgend Athletic Youth ‘A’  32  v  0  Tondu Youth

Thurs – April 9th

This game doubled up as an Ospreys League game and the quarter final of the District Cup. The game was rearranged after it was abandoned last Saturday with only fifteen minutes gone when the referee suffered a leg injury. The undefeated Athletic side knew this would be a stern test for them at Pandy park in their last game before their Millenium Stadium Cup final on 18^th April. The Athletic forwards quickly got into their rhythm and set

up a series of forward drives which created enough pressure for Tondu to concede an easy penalty for

Tom Davies after five minutes. The conditions were quite greasy on top and with a fresh breeze to contend with as well the Athletic decided to wear their opponents down with an attritional approach up front. However, the next score came from winger Lewis Harrhy when he was put away on the right and now that he has regained his form of old there was no doubting that he was going to finish the move off. Despite taking some advantage off some Athletic mistakes, Tondu were finding it difficult to get any sort of territorial pressure and missed the only opportunity they had to score with a not too difficult penalty attempt.

The second half started  in much the same style but by now the Athletic forwards were totally dominant and Tom Davies increased the lead with another penalty. Tondu were fighting for every inch of territory in a superb defensive effort but such was the relentless nature of their opponents scores were bound to come and the next crucial moment was when a penalty try was awarded for persistent infringing. Tom Davies converted to make the score 18-0. Outside Half Craig Baker then made a half break from a tap penalty but gave a low pass to centre Luke Yardley who brilliantly picked the ball off his toes to score near the posts. Davies converted. The Athletic by now had used their opportunity to employ the wealth of talent on their bench and closed off the scoring when full back Mike Hathaway crossed for a try converted by Aled Thomas. This was an extremely impressive performance by the Athletic against tough opponents and will stand them in good stead for the huge task that awaits them in attempting  to win four trophies in what will be an extremely busy and arduous end to the season.

Porthcawl Youth 14 Bridgend Athletic Youth ‘B’  13     

Wed April 8th

This quarter final match in the District Cup promised to be a close run encounter and did not disappoint. Porthcawl who play in a higher division of the Ospreys Leagues than the young Athletic ‘Rags’ were favourites by virtue of experience but soon found out that there was plenty of spirit to overcome if they were to secure the win.

The Athletic struck first when Porthcawl were penalised for offside and Tom Parry slotted the relatively easy kick.  Porthcawl responded with a series of attacks through their backs but some fine tackling by centres Rhys Hollyman and Kristian Smith supported by outstanding covering by flanker Sam Treharne kept them at bay. Porthcawl reverted to peppering the Athletic back three with a series of kicks. Full back Corey Butler dealt with this pressure extremely well but finally one kick slipped the net and was allowed to bounce on the hard surface resulting in an opportunist try for Porthcawl in the corner. The conversion failed. Shortly afterwards from a 22 drop out Porthcawl committed a similar error and when this kick was allowed to bounce on the half way line Athletic tight head Aaron Shakeshaft stormed on to the ball and gassed the Porthcawl defence to score under the posts. This superb example of the kick is only as good as the chase have the Athletic a 10-5 lead going into the break.

The game was proving to be a highly entertaining and sometimes feisty encounter in front of a good size crowd. Porthcawl increased the pressure but were repulsed by some fine defence and some sparkling runs by winger Mike Powell whose talent would be better served by playing in a position with greater involvement. Both sides exchanged penalties to leave the game finely balanced but several yellow cards against the Athletic increased the pressure upon themselves and Porthcawl came within two points after an offside offence was given. Sebastian Mellor came on along with prop Geraint Evans both making a good impact but with a minute or two to go an Athletic player foolishly wandered around the Porthcawl side of a ruck to give the opportunity to Porthcawl to win the match. This none too easy kick hovered in the air and just made it over the bar to take the lead for Porthcawl.

An exciting few minutes remained with the Athletic throwing themselves at the Porthcawl defence but to no avail and Porthcawl emerged winners of a tremendous game of rugby.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  55 v  0  Maesteg Youth

Sat 28^th April - League

The Athletic got off to a great start in this Ospreys League fixture with a series of vigorous forward drives which had the opposition very much on the back foot. However, several opportunities came to nothing before flanker Stuart Edbrooke charged over for a deserved try converted by Craig Baker. Maesteg were struggling to take the initiative away from a very determined Athletic side and went further behind when Captain Ben Howe crossed under the posts after a superb bout of handling, again converted by Baker. Maesteg’s scrum half made great efforts to urge his side on but the Athletic defence have only conceded one try since November 1^st and everything fell short against this brick

wall. Edbrooke then got his second in

similar fashion converted by Baker before number eight Tom Morgan went on a scintillating seventy yard run just falling short of what would have been a great score. Joe Morgans and Luke Yardley added further unconverted tries to make the interval score 31-0 in favour of the Athletic.

Hooker Nathan Holman continued his recent flawless performances at finding his jumpers Adam and Morgan Evans who both contributed greatly to the team’s efforts. Maesteg stemmed the flow for a while after the break before scrum half Aled Thomas crossed to increase the lead. Edbrooke then grabbed his hat trick to cap a great performance followed by full back Mike Hathaway’s tenth try of the season converted by Tom Davies. Winger Luke Morgan then completed the proceedings with a try again converted by Luke Morgan. This was one of the best Athletic performances of the season and the team continue undefeated which augurs well for the forthcoming trip to the Millenium Stadium for the Welsh Youth Cup Final which will be contested against Whitland on April 18^th at 12-30. Tickets for supporters

buses can be obtained behind the clubhouse bar and everybody’s support for this great occasion will be most welcome.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  8  v  0 Merthyr Youth

Welsh Youth Cup – Sat Jan 24th

This was a much awaited Welsh Cup Tie between two of the top teams in Welsh Rugby with Merthyr the cup holders and the Athletic winners two years ago. It was a huge day for the Athletic club as their First XV faced premiership side Swansea on the adjoining pitch.

Merthyr fielded a massive team, Equally as big as the Swansea side and the Athletic plan was to play an expansive game to expose any weaknesses in mobility they might have.

However, from the kick off it was obvious that the Athletic forwards were not going to lie down in front of the massive task that lay in front of them. The first scrum was as solid as they could hope for and they quickly took the game to their opponents. The breakdown area became a battleground with the fiercely competitive Athletic pack conceding nothing led by a fantastic physical effort by flankers Tom Morgan and his Captain Ben Howe.

Unfortunately some of these close quarter battles ended in some unsavoury bouts of aggravation and the referee had a difficult time resulting in two yellow cards for Merthyr indiscipline. The Athletic missed two difficult penalty chances before midway through the half the Athletic lined up to go left from a midfield scrum. Merthyr fell for the ruse and scrum half Tom Davies picked up and sprinted right bringing in winger Lewis Harrhy on the burst who sprinted outside his opposite number and fended the Merthyr full back off with a great hand off to score a magnificent try wide out. The conversion narrowly failed.

Merthyr were making strenuous efforts to get back into the game but simply could not make headway against a magnificent Athletic defence who were looking for their fourth consecutive clean sheet and the half time score remained 5-0.

The second half carried on in much the same pattern and it wasn’t long before Merthyr indiscipline cost them the loss of a player for ten minutes and a simple penalty for scrum half Tom Davies which he duly converted. The Athletic effort meant that judicious use of the bench was going to be important and prop Lewis Davies and hooker Nathan Holman had their well deserved rest from their sterling efforts. Tight head prop Rhodri Apsee was having a great game in the Athletic scrum in this his first year of Youth rugby and was well supported by second rows Adam Evans and Callum McCleod and number eight Tom Williams.

An opportunity to put the game out of reach arose when centre James Olds anticipated a Merthyr pass and narrowly failed to cling on to a difficult ball which would have seen him under the posts. With ten minutes to go Merthyr threw everything they had at the Athletic and for the final five minutes they were camped in the Athletic right hand corner and had numerous attempts down the narrow side to batter their way over but the ‘They shall not pass’ attitude of the Athletic exemplified by a terrific tackling display by outside half Craig Baker kept them at bay.

This was an outstanding victory against formidable opponents and meant that the Athletics’ unbeaten record remains intact.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  19 v   0  Tondu Youth

Wed 15^th Jan 2009

After five consecutive Saturdays without a game the Athletic players were chomping at the bit to get on the field against local rivals Tondu.

The club are extremely grateful for the use of the Brewery Field which enabled them to catch up on their Ospreys League schedule.

Tondu kicked off and soon had the Athletic under pressure with their failure to gather the ball resulting in the Bridgend side having to defend against some vigorous approach work from the larger Tondu forwards. During this period the Athletic put in some sterling defensive work to thwart Tondu’s efforts with centre Joe Morgans prominent, but were somewhat fortunate not to concede the lead when Tondu failed to convert two reasonable penalty attempts.

The Athletic broke this early stranglehold when left wing Luke Morgan  received the ball from a counter attacking situation and showed tremendous pace and elusiveness to reach the Tondu twenty two where a slightly earlier attempt to offload to his support might have produced a brilliant score. It was now the Athletic’s turn to exert pressure and they came close on several occasions only to be thrown back by conceding penalties for holding on in the tackle. Tondu at this stage of the game were putting pressure on the tackled man but as the game wore on it was Athletic skipper Ben Howe who excelled in this area and it was fitting that he opened the scoring, driving over from a short distance near to the posts. Tom Davies converted.

The game continued to ebb and flow with both sides challenging each other’s set pieces rigorously. In particular the Athletic needed to tidy up their lineout with Tondu frequently profiting from some loose tap downs. Half time arrived with the score 7-0 in favour of the Athletic.

With a slight wind in their favour the Athletic gradually got the upper hand during the second half and although there was a lot of rustiness about their performance due to their prolonged break and the absence of half a dozen leading players, it was their defence in particular that seemed to sap the will of the Tondu fifteen. Ten minutes into the half full back Mike Hathaway took  the ball sixty yards out and went on a storming run culminating in a corner try for right wing Lewis Harrhy. Tom Davies hit the near post with an excellent attempt at the conversion.

Both sides called on their bench to provide fresh legs in this tough encounter with the Athletic losing influential number eight Tom Williams with a calf injury, a major concern with the Merthyr game in the Welsh Cup only ten days away. Substitute scrum half Aled Thomas despite throwing a couple of bombs to his fly half Craig Baker was using his trusty left boot to great effect throwing back Tondu on a number of occasions. Tondu’s final throw of the dice came with about ten minutes remaining when a fine movement by their backs ending up getting squeezed out near the corner, a great opportunity missed.

 Shortly afterwards from a lineout fifty yards out, a long ball went awry for Tondu and flanker Tom Morgan grasped the opportunity and went on a great run to score near the posts, just reward for having had a great game. Aled Thomas converted to make the final score 19-0 in favour of the Athletic against a spirited, young Tondu side. Both sides praised the efforts of the referee who had an outstanding game.

The Athletic now look forward to their next game on Saturday at home to Treorchy where they hope to iron out some wrinkles before the big game against Merthyr on the 24^th at home on the same day as their 1^st XV entertain the big guns of Swansea in the Welsh Cup. What a great day that should turn out to be.

Bridgend Athletic Youth   50  v  0  Llantwit Major Youth

Sat 6^th Dec

This friendly fixture was the first game between these clubs for several years and proved to be a very entertaining afternoon of rugby. Llantwit got off to a very lively start and produced some good fifteen man rugby to pressure the Athletic who didn’t help themselves by conceding a string of penalties for ruck handling offences. With their props helping out the First XV in their top of the table clash with Builth Wells and all three Ospreys second rows missing, it was a great opportunity for their young replacements to show their capabilities and they grasped the opportunity with both hands. Props Rhys Evendon and Aaron Shakeshaft  put pressure on their heavier opposite numbers from the start resulting in a string of heels against the head throughout the game although it must be said that the Llantwit hooker was in fact a prop helping out.

Despite their promising start it was the Athletic who took the lead through a try scored by their speedy winger Luke Morgan who looks a great prospect in his first year. Tom Davies converted. This was shortly followed by another from Captain Ben Howe after some fine interpassing from inside their own half. Davies again converted. The offloading and interpassing amongst the whole Athletic side was a joy to watch throughout the whole game and was the major difference between the sides. From another of these great passages of play it was eventual man of the match Aaron Shakeshaft who powered his way over near the posts.The conversion failed. Strong running full back Mike Hathaway failed to keep hold of the ball for another leaving the half time score at 19-0.

A brace of tries from Chris James early in the second half, one of which was converted by Davies settled the match and the Athletic used the opportunity to ring the changes and bring on their younger players. One of these, second row Harry Griffiths powered his way over from five yards and has now scored four tries in his last three games, unusual for someone from the boilerhouse.

Further tries from Hathaway and Craig Baker, one converted by their exceptional scrum half Tom Davies completed the scoring but Llantwit can take a lot of credit for their game performance and will undoubtedly give a good account of themselves against lesser opposition.

Bridgend Athletic ‘B’ 48 v 8 Pontycymmer

SAT – NOV 8TH

This first league encounter between these two sides proved to be an enjoyable encounter despite the one sided scoreline. The game was played with thirteen players each as Pontycymmer struggled for numbers and the rules state that games at this age and below must start with equal numbers. Pontycymmer created some early territorial advantage and were rewarded with a well struck penalty goal by their outside half. However, the Athletic soon got into their stride and after some good driving play by their forwards second row Harry Griffiths crashed over. He repeated this effort shortly afterwards bouncing off a defender with a determined effort close to the posts which was converted by Tom parry.

Pontycymmer responded  with some pressure of their own through their determined forwards but suffered a setback when Bridgend fly half Tom Parry chipped a ball over the defence from his own 22 which was seized upon by flanker Sam Treharne who hacked the ball ahead and showed great pace to score a great try converted by Parry.

Pontycymmer struck back with an unconverted interception try before Athletic Captain Sean Derrick added another just before half time to give the Athletic a 24-8 lead going in to the break.

The second half mirrored the first with some great rugby played by both sides but the Athletic had the edge and further tries by Rhys Jones, Sebastian Mellor both of whom converted their own scores increased their lead. Unfortunately a red card for the Pontycymmer outside half for indiscipline made life more difficult for them and they conceded two more tries by Mike Powell and Sean Derrick who had outstanding games along with Sam Treharne behind a solid front five performance.

Three wins out of three is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Athletic ‘Rags’ in their first season but they can expect some strong medicine in the next training session after dumping their coach in the mudbath after the post match team talk.

BRIDGEND ATHLETIC YOUTH  37 v  19 MUMBLES YOUTH

This was a much awaited clash between two great rivals in the Ospreys League and what an encounter it turned out to be between two undefeated sides.

The Athletic got into their stride immediately  and in the first few minutes exploited a vulnerable Mumbles blind side defence to send full back Mike Hathaway over for try wide out, the conversion failed. Outside Half Matthew Morgan increased the lead with a well taken penalty after the Mumbles side were caught offside at a ruck. The Athletic were rampant at this stage and increased their lead when Mike Hathaway  crossed for his second try converted by Matthew Morgan  to give themselves a fifteen point cushion. Mumbles were prepared to play open rugby themselves but the Athletic are well versed and suited to this type of game and when under pressure in their 22 Matthew Morgan fed centre James Olds who made a great break which culminated in a fantastic try for Matthew Morgan. Although well outplayed at this stage of the game Mumbles fed off the Athletic’s failure to deal with an innocuous kick which gave them a scrum platform from which they drove over to reduce the half time deficit to 20 points to 7.

In the second half the burly Athletic number eight Tom Williams picked up from an under pressure scrum and targeted the Mumbles outside half with a powerful run and provided a great offload to the Athletic captain Ben Howe who scored under the posts converted by Matthew Morgan. The Athletic were playing fantastic rugby and the Mumbles side were bemused by proceedings. Matthew Morgan increased the lead with a simple penalty in front of the posts for offside before he produced one of the astonishing moments of the season so far. From a lineout the diminutive outside half had no option but to pick up a loose ball on the opposition’s 22 and take it forward in the hope of recycling the ball. However, his amazing strength for his size enabled him to emerge on the other side of the Mumbles forwards and accelerate outside the defence  to score an unexpected and amazing try. Scrum half Tom Davies converted from the touchline with a great kick. Tom Williams then repeated his earlier endeavour with a great run from a scrum pick up as if to suggest to the coaches that the experiment in utilising him as a prop was unfounded as he was simply too fast. This move should have resulted in a try but lock Adam Evans was hit by a great tackle which dislodged the ball forward. Mumbles never gave up and were rewarded in the final move of the game with a converted try. This win places the Athletic in the driving seat in this league and they can look forward to future games with optimism.

BRIDGEND ATHLETIC YOUTH  39  v   3  WAUNARLWYDD YOUTH

SAT – OCT 25^TH - 2008

This was the Athletic’s second Ospreys league game of the season against a side that caused them some problems last season. However, the Athletic started this match with a bang and were soon on the offensive with their forwards providing excellent quick ruck ball for their backs to use. Through this pressure Captain Ben Howe who was outstanding throughout seized on some loose ball from a Waunarlwydd scrum and forced his way over for the first score converted by young Outside Half Matthew Morgan. Waunarlwydd’s strength was their forwards but despite their efforts they were being constantly thrown back through some great rugby from the home side. Winger Rhys Jones was having an excellent game and produced the next score  wide out on the right after some great play from full back Mike Hathaway. The conversion failed. The next incident left a bad taste in the mouth when the Athletic number eight Tom Morgan had to leave the field with a nasty head wound caused by some unsavoury footwork but fortunately he returned later well taped up to continue his outstanding efforts before finally capitulating 15 minutes before time. The half time score was 12-0.

Just after the restart Waunarlwydd reduced the lead when they were awarded an easy penalty for offside but that was to be their final throw of the dice. Scrum half Aled Thomas quickly responded with an opportunist try under the posts converted by Matthew Morgan which opened the flood gates. Further tries by Hathaway, Matthew Morgan, Aled Thomas and Callum Mcleod  none of which were converted nailed a fine Athletic victory and they can look forward to a tough encounter at Mumbles next week with confidence. The backs played some sublime rugby at times and with Ben Howe providing turnover after turnover they were never short of ball. Rhodri Apsee had a great all round game and second row Adam Evans ensured a steady stream of lineout possession. The only downside was the plethora of penalties conceded and the Athletic will need to cut these out in closer encounters than this.

BRIDGEND ATHLETIC YOUTH ‘B’  39  V   0  NEW PANTEG YOUTH

This friendly match for the ‘Rags’ at New Panteg proved to be a great confidence booster for the Athletic youngsters as they took on a far larger outfit and were rewarded for their efforts by the New Panteg coach who complimented them on the way they played the game. Winger Luke Morgan opened the scoring with an outstanding try converted by Tom Parry before adding another. Further tries from Sebastian Mellor, Tom Parry, Mike Powell

Bridgend Athletic Youth   15 v 3   Maesteg Youth

Ospreys League Div A – Sat Oct 4th

The Athletic travelled to Maesteg for their first Ospreys League game of the season on a day that made history for the club with the newly formed ‘B’ side also playing a league game at home to Nantymoel which they won 25-0.

Conditions for this encounter were horrendous with the Maesteg Division 1 game on the main ground called off due to the waterlogged state of the Old Parish ground.

The Athletic kicked off against the elements and were soon into their stride with a series of powerful forward drives getting them close to the Maesteg line only to concede a penalty to relieve the pressure on the home side. When Maesteg countered with some territorial pressure of their own the Athletic were guilty of over elaboration in their efforts to secure and clear the ball, attempting to play rugby more suited to weather conditions somewhat kinder than this.

It was Maesteg who drew first blood when they were awarded a simple penalty from a rucking infringement and matters were not helped when hooker Nathan Holman was yellow carded for an inappropriate piece of rucking. However, the Athletic response soon came when inside centre Luke Yardley came crashing through his opposite number on the half way line before linking with his captain, flanker   Ben Howe who dashed the remaining 30 yards for a great try converted by outside half Matthew Morgan. This try came at a cost though with the scorer being carried off with what turned out to be a badly sprained ankle. With a tough Welsh Cup game coming up the Athletic need their inspirational captain and hope that he recovers quickly.

Turning round with a 7-3 lead at the interval against the elements was a good result for the Athletic but if they thought it was going to be easy in the second half Maesteg certainly had other ideas with their forwards raising their efforts and their back three doing a grand job of covering any kicks that came their way. Second row Adam Evans was having a grand game in the Athletic lineout and enabled them to clear pressure on a number of occasions by stealing the opposition throw in. Substitute hooker Stuart Edbrooke had one storming run down the centre of the field but the key moment came when substitute fly half Craig Baker sent out a long pass which found centre James Olds who stormed through a gap to send winger Chris James over in the corner with a well timed pass.

A further simple penalty by Craig Baker from in front of the posts sealed the match for the Athletic in this tough contest where the Athletic were guilty on occasions of choosing poor options and trying to play a little too ambitiously for the conditions.

For their part Maesteg can take great heart from their display and look forward to a competitive season. 

Bridgend Athletic Youth “B” 25 Nantymoel 0

Osprey League Div G – Sat Oct 4th

The Athletic are running two Youth Teams this season. Their “B” side nicknamed the “Rag O’Muffins” are mainly composed from last season’s U16 side and are consequently a very a young side.

They play a familiar Athletic 15 man running game, and showed against local rivals Nantymoel they can still play an expansive game even in inclement conditions. They scored 4 tries to run out 25-0 victors.

Nantymoel had first use of a gusting wind. However it seemed that the Athletic had the elements in their favour and a flowing handling move involving backs and forwards saw Michael Howell squeeze over in the corner for the opening score. Nantymoel were relying on a forward orientated game, but the Rags back play was superior. Another good back move saw Luke Morgan chip ahead and win the race to touch down in the corner. The Athletic pack showed they could also be competitive and flanker Sam Treharne stormed over for the third Athletic try. The forwards were again at the heart of play, resulting in good possession for the back line to move the ball quickly for full back Rhys Jones to enter the line and outstrip the visiting defence for the fourth bonus point Athletic try. Tom Parry converted the try to put the Athletic 22-0 ahead at the break.

The first half effort and the Nantymoel forwards keeping the ball very tight meant the Athletic could only muster a Rhys Jones drop goal in the second half. This was an excellent second successive victory for the “B” side who have shown an excellent team spirit both on and off the field which augurs well for the Youth over the next few seasons and ultimately the Senior sides.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  14 v 14 Glamorgan Wanders Youth

Sat Sept 27th

The Athletic went into this tough away fixture against one of the Blues Region’s top clubs a little short of match practice having had three recent  games called off by the opposition, a frustrating state of affairs for both players and coaches.

The Wanderers possessed a sizeable presence up front and started the game with a bang testing the smaller Athletic pack who were missing their Wales and Ospreys lock combination. The Wanderers quickly attained scrum domination but were thwarted in their attacking efforts by some resolute defence from the Athletic with captain Ben Howe setting a brilliant example to his team.

With the slope in their favour the Wanderers were able to assert some territorial advantage and took the lead with a simple penalty from a rucking offence on the 22 metre line. The Athletic responded with concerted attacks of their own and soon equalised through outside half Craig Baker when the Cardiff side committed a similar offence. This scenario repeated itself twice during the first half resulting in a half time scoreline of 9 points apiece. However, the final penalty for the Wanderers left the Athletic a man short with Ben Howe sin binned for his indiscretion.

The narrow pitch did not lend itself to the attacking style favoured by the Athletic but they seemed to have taken the sting out of the Wanderers forward effort  and nullified their backs with some aggressive defence. Number eight Tom Williams had an excellent first half controlling the ball at a scrum under lots of pressure. New recruit Callum Mcleod was excellent in the lineout and his defensive work and prop Rod Apsee worked hard in the loose.

The advantage of the slope turned the game slightly in the Athletic’s favour early in the second half but a scoring stalemate existed for some time before substitute scrum half Aled Thomas charged down a kick close to the Wanderers line and followed up to score the game’s first try. Inexplicably, Craig Baker was asked to convert from much wider than where the try was scored and failed the attempt. A great opportunity to increase their lead was lost when  a great passage of play resulted in a ruck right on the Wanderers line where Nathan Holman was penalised and subsequently binned for a moment of indiscipline in this increasingly hard and sometimes feisty affair.

The loss of this player enabled Wanderers to come fighting back and they exerted some great pressure on the Athletic through their big forwards and when  Matthew Norman was binned for an offence at a defensive ruck the Wanderers grabbed their opportunity and scored in the corner through their left winger. The conversion narrowly failed leaving the score at 14 points each. The Athletic coaches were not happy with the inconsistency of the referee in failing to bin Cardiff forwards for identical infringements. Strong tackling centre James Olds left the field with a bang to the jaw which forced a reshuffle in the Athletic backs but they weathered the Wanderers comeback and shared the spoils at the final whistle in this very hard fought game and can look forward to facing Maesteg in the Ospreys League at the Old Parish next Saturday with the newly formed ‘B’ side facing Nantyfyllon in their league game after their splendid league victory by 34 points to 28 over Kenfig Hill the previous week.

Bridgend Athletic Youth  34  v  14  Pontyclun Youth

SAT SEPT 13TH

After last week’s postponement due to the river engulfing Newbridge Fields the Athletic were keen to get their much awaited season on the road against Pontyclun.

The Athletic are running two youth sides this season and had a large squad of players available for this encounter. The game kicked off in warm conditions and the home side were soon taking the game to the opposition through the driving play of their forwards. However, it was centre Luke Yardley who opened the scoring for Bridgend when he powered over for a try after some quick ball produced by the forwards. Aled Thomas converted and he further increased the lead with a penalty after the Pontyclun forwards infringed at a ruck. Pontyclun were vigorously contesting this game but went further behind when Captain Ben Howe was driven over from a lineout won by the excellent Callum Mcleod. The game was scrappy at times but despite being on the wrong end of a heavy penalty count the Athletic increased their lead when number eight Tom Williams crossed over in the corner after some good approach work by the backs leaving the half time score at 22-0 in favour of the Bridgend side.

With such a big squad the Athletic took the opportunity to make changes but soon found themselves under pressure from Pontyclun during the opening exchanges of the second half. They were duly rewarded after a succession of rucks enabled their number eight to power his way over near to the posts which was duly converted.

The Athletic quickly nullified this rally by Pontyclun when winger Chris James finished off an impressive counter attack in great style by crossing in the corner. Scrum half Tom Davies converting with a great kick. This score effectively settled the game but a further carbon copy try from James converted by Tom Davies left the Athletic savouring a comfortable 34-14 victory after Pontyclun were awarded a penalty try for taking out the attacking player from his chip ahead.

In the coming week the Athletic have a friendly at Glamorgan Wanderers on Wednesday before they make history for the club when they take on Dowlais in the Welsh Cup at home on Saturday and the ‘Rags’ visit Kenfig Hill for their league encounter. 

Bridgend Athletic Youth win two Sevens Tournaments

Bridgend Youth were successful in winning two Sevens tournaments in a five day period.

Firstly they won the Pyle Sevens on Bank Holiday Monday, defeating Merthyr in the semi final and Tondu in the final.

They followed this up by winning the Porthcawl Sevens last Sat Aug 30^th. They defeated their own “B” side in the semi final and Merthyr in the final.

This season the Athletic are running two Youth teams to enable last season’s Under 16 side to make the transition from junior to Youth level, and continue the excellent conveyor belt of talent for future Athletic senior teams. Most of last season’s Youth team are still available this season

YOUTH MATCH REPORTS - SEASON 2007 - 2008  

Bridgend Athletic Youth  51 Maesteg Youth 38

A host of Athletic players were unavailable through one reason or another for this return fixture in the Ospreys Premier league which resulted in the game being played with thirteen players apiece. Although not an ideal situation it resulted in a cracker of a match in which the Athletic outscored their game opponents by 9 tries to 6.

 Atheletic captain for the day Luke Yardley chose to play against a stiff breeze and his decision was rewarded when an opening passage of enterprising rugby swept them into a 19-0 lead with tries by Lloyd Evans, Tom Davies and Tom Williams two of which were converted by outside half Craig Baker At this stage a rout looked on the cards but Maesteg swept back at the Athletic using their heavier forwards to drive at the home defence. They were assisted by some circumspect tackling from the home side which encouraged the Old Parish to greater things. Before you could blink Maesteg had scored three tries of their own and levelled the scores at 19-19.

The Athletic realised they had to get back to the rugby they played in the early part of the game and regained the lead with an unconverted try from Mike Hathaway but this was not to last long as Maesteg fought back with a converted try to enter half time with a 26-24 lead.

With the wind at their back it was obvious that the Athletic needed to pin the Maesteg forwards deep in their own half and it was the Ath who struck next with another try from scrum half Tom Davies. The conversion failed. Maesteg wouldn’t go away and responded with an unconverted try of their own to regain the lead . This was a real ding dong battle and although the Athletic had the more dangerous open field runners they struggled to contain the forceful Maesteg forwards. The Athletic regained the lead with a second Mike Hathaway try converted by Craig Baker before disaster struck when an over ambitious pass was intercepted by the Maesteg left wing who raced to score wide out. 38-36 to Maesteg. The Athletic galvanised themselves and regained the lead when second row Chris Price made up for his faux pas with a try of his own. Two further scores by Lloyd Evans and Tom Williams secured the victory .

It was a tremendously exciting game played in great spirit without a single shot at a penalty goal which must be a rare event. The Athletic now face Mumbles next Saturday at home in their final league game and have to arrange their home Distict Cup semi-final tie against Pencoed .

The club would like to congratulate second row Lloyd Peers who represented Wales Under 18’s in their tournament in Ireland over the last few weeks. Unfortunately Youth Captain Ben Howe who was in contention for a place suffered a shoulder injury at the crucial time but hopes to return to action next Saturday.

Hopefully these players will go on to greater things and follow in the footsteps of former Athletic youth players Lee Byrne and Rhys Webbe .