Fixture

Merthyr RFC | Youth Team Under 18 11 - 24 Mountain Ash RFC | Youth Team Under 18

Match Report
19 May 2019 / Team News

Treble Up For Young Firm & U.12s Share Blues Plate

Although not an 80 minute performance to match that of other games played during the season, Mountain Ash Youth dominated the second half of this game to score three tries and achieve a unique treble with this 24-11 Blues North Cup win over a game Merthyr Youth XV at Ystrad Mynach. A special mention must go to Mount No.8 Ryan Jenkins who showed total commitment to the cause by playing after being bed ridden for two days with tonsillitis.

The Young Firm lacked energy and seemed flat during an even, error strewn first half, with Merthyr having the better of it even though the Young Firm scored the only try of the half.

A nicely struck penalty from 35 metres put the Ironmen 3-0 up after 16 minutes as Mount made a slow start with their play lacking width and pace.

From the restart, the Young Firm responded immediately by winning the ball and moving it wide for the first time in the game. Although it was dropped in midfield, the ball looked as if it had gone back, centre Jarrad Cushion picking it up and breaking away but the referee blew for a scrum to Merthyr.

The Mount lineout was having problems securing the ball and both sides were knocking on at regular intervals which stopped play. A quick penalty taken by Merthyr’s scrum half, who probed for gaps during the first half, took play into the Mount 22, but a knock-on stopped a chance for the Ironmen.

Merthyr missed an opportunity to go 6-0 up by missing a 35 metre penalty, but then after 27 minutes, scrum half Morgan Cartwright took a penalty quickly and at last put some pace into the Mount game. The ball was moved to centre Jarrad Cushion who took play to 15 metres out where some good handling set the Mount wing free 15 metres out. Although he was tackled a metre out, the ball was move quickly to oncoming No.8 Ryan Jenkins, and there was no stopping him as he drove over for the first try of the game to put the Young Firm 5-3 up.

Merthyr took play up to Mount 22, and although the Young Firm had the chance to clear the ball, they tried to run it but got tackled and Merthyr were awarded a penalty at a ruck, which they kicked to go 6-5 up, and that’s how it stayed until half time.

From the start of the second half, Mount looked to play a more open game, and it paid off after a few minutes. A long kick by Merthyr was run back by centre Cushion and from a ruck on the Ironmen’s 10 metre line, scrum half Cartwright fed second row Mitchell Barnard on the charge and he went through the first line of defence and took play into the Merthyr 22. The ball was quickly recycled and moved through two pair of hands to hooker Kieran Coomer who was in space and run 15 metres to score in the corner and put Mount 10-6 up.

Another good attacking opportunity presented itself minutes later but a dummy pass and a crunching tackle by a Merthyr player in midfield when there was plenty of space for two men out wide saw the move stopped.

A pick up by the Merthyr No.8 and a chip through to 5 metres out from the Mount line was coolly dealt with by wing Rhys Williams who secured the ball for Cartwright to clear.

Merthyr were having the better of the scrums and were awarded several penalties. They worked their way into the Young Firm’s 22 but it was Mount outside half Ethan Conway who was the first to a loose ball and the danger was cleared.

Midway through the second half, a superbly placed kick by Cartwright behind the Merthyr defence gave wing Rhys Williams the chance of a score but he couldn’t take the bouncing ball.

After 66 minutes, play was taken up to the Merthyr 22 after several drives by the Mount forwards. The ball was moved wide to full back Mason Cooper who run in from 15 metres for the Young Firm’s third try of the day, outside half Conway converting with a well struck kick from the touchline to make it 17-6.

The Young Firm won a lineout on the Merthyr 10 metre line and took the ball through half a dozen phases into the Merthyr 22 where it was moved wide to flanker Owen Jenkins who beat one man and cut inside finish off a good attack and score Mount’s fourth try of the afternoon with Conway having no problem with the conversion which made it 24-6.

With 5 minutes or so left, the Young Firm put their best attack of the game together from their own half, moving the ball wide through outside half Conway, centre Jamie Long, full back Cooper and wing Rhys Williams to take play up to the Merthyr 22.

The Ironmen were not finished though and after the Mount defence had stopped them in their tracks on the 22 line, an exchange of kicks deep into injury time led to a 5 metre lineout, which was taken quickly, and a Merthyr forward scoring in the corner to bring the game to an end.

The final act of a magnificent season was left to Mount captain Morgan Cartwright, surrounded by the Mount squad, who lifted the Blues North Cup to add to the Blues Premier division and the Champion of Champions trophies won this season. Seasons don’t come much better than that.

And to finish off a successful weekend for Mountain Ash RFC, the Under 12s showed great courage to draw 19-19 against a tough Rhiwbina team. Well done to all the Mount squad and coaches on a great achievement.

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