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Bridgend Athletic Youth having retained their Ospreys A League title are now on course to repeat last season’s National League Championship win. Following a 33-19 win against Scarlets Regional Champions Crymych, formidable Blues Regional Champions Pontypridd after a win against North Wales Champions Nant Conwy stand in their way at Rodney Parade, Newport this Saturday, May 19th.

Bridgend Athletic with an under-strength side were defeated in the quarter finals of the Welsh Youth Cup by 18 points to nil at Crymych earlier in the season. This occasion with most of their Ospreys Regional players available they outscored their opponents by 5 tries to 3 to record a well-deserved victory.

The tone of the Athletic commitment was established in the opening minutes. Crymych’s hard running centre attempted to run through Athletic centre Joe Patterson. Patterson’s bone crunching tackle left his opposite number crumpled on the deck and unable to continue. Crymych playing a forward orientated game with tactical kicking largely pinned the Athletic back inside their own half in the early stages. No 8 Will Barraclough then showed what was to come breaking from a line out inside his 22 and linking with prop Chris Crumpton. Outside half Morgan Roberts showing great maturity for a first-year youth player put the ball over the Crymych defenders, but from a promising position inside the Crymych 22 the Athletic were caught offside and Crymych cleared their lines.

From a scrum 35 metres out scrum half Matthew Hobby via Roberts released the backs. Centres Patterson and Caine Woolacombe committed the defence before a long pass found flanker Tom Davies out near the wing. He dummied a pass to wing Nathan Willis and stepped inside to cross wide out. Hobby put over an excellent touchline conversion. Lock Owain Leyshon caught the restart and launched a counter attack. The ball reached No 8 Will Barraclogh on his own 10 metre line to break a tackle and showing a winger’s speed outsprint the cover to race 60 metres for a try under the posts. Hobby’s conversion left the Scarlets side shell shocked conceding 14 points in a minute.

Crymych’s response was swift. The Athletic made a hash of Crymych’s kick out fumbling the ball inside their own 22. From the scrum Crymych went right, before switching play in the other direction for hooker Lee Griffiths to cross for an unconverted try. Following this 3 minutes 3 try blast the game settled until the closing minutes of the half. Ath forwards prop Morgan Clemett and hooker Tom Zielinski turned over possession at a ruck just inside the Athletic half. Swift passing saw centre Jack Bassett find Barraclough who rounded his man and was again unstoppable in a 55-metre run to the posts. Barraclough’s conversion gave the Athletic a 21-5 half time lead.

In the second minute of the second half a good tactical kick from outside half Roberts put Crymych under pressure inside their 22. The Athletic went through the phases before prop Chris Crumpton saw a half gap and had the strength to carry two tacklers over the try line to put the Athletic well in the driving seat with a 26-5 advantage. The Athletic remained on the attack but a series of penalties against them resulting in a yellow card handed the initiative to their opponents. They put the resultant penalty to touch deep inside the Athletic half, and following a period of pressure No 8 Rhydian Howells finished off a good passage of play by crossing under the posts Harry Williams converted.

Crymych continued to press and elected to take a scrum penalty 5 metres out against the 7-man Athletic pack. Excellent scrummaging technique saw the Athletic front 3 Crumpton, Zielinski and Clemett negate this numerical advantage driving the Crymych 8 backwards. When restored to 15 the Athletic seized back the initiative and moving the ball wide wings Sam Palmer, Nathan Willis and full back Levi Hallett all tested the resolve of the Crymych side. Lock Jack Bassett was also proving an effective line out specialist both on his own put in and with steals from Crymych throw ins. The pressure resulted in an Athletic scrum 10 metres out and nothing was going to stop the determined No 8 Will Barraclough picking up and driving to the line for successive hat tricks in two youth games, with a senior 1^st team try sandwiched in between. This also gave him 19 tries in 18 youth games this season. Hobby’s conversion sealed the game at 33-12 with 12 minutes remaining.

The Athletic brought on their younger bench to experience the occasion with Carl Swinford, Cameron Lewis, Sam Owen, Jack Obbard, Josh Tidy, Dan Osigirie and Sion Vigas joining the action. Crymych stole a consolation third try with a quick tap penalty in the final play seeing scrum half Evan Davies cross for a try converted by Harry Williams to make the final score 33-19 to the Athletic.

Head Coach Lee Grabham stated, “This was an excellent team performance and I am extremely happy with the boy’s attitude, skill and commitment on the day putting in a huge shift to secure a victory against a very strong Crymych side. We know Pontypridd’s considerable strengths and nothing short of another hard week’s work in training and a similar match attitude and commitment will see us retain our National League Champions title this Saturday at Rodney Parade.”