Change of fixture, same success rate. (From Penarth Times)

Change of fixture, same success rate.

Wellington Colts 8

Penarth Youth 26

A LATE switch in the Youth's fixtures put 22 players plus parents, coaches and even girlfriends on a bus to Wellington in the West Country last Saturday.

And if this had been planned as a build up match to the big game against Crawshay's Welsh Youth XV on Good Friday, it couldn't have been better for the physical and mental uplift.

No soft touch the 'Wellies", they had some big forwards and they used them.

They hadn't lost in the last 18 matches against some of the best sides in the area, and a large crowd of very partisan local supporters were there to see the 19th win.

Penarth forwards including Tom Thorpe and Simon Barry had other ideas and while the game was scrappy and very niggly to start, they managed to get an increasing amount of possession particularly in the loose, and as the game progressed the Seasiders' backs showed, as the Wellies' trainer ruefully but honestly admitted afterwards, a lot more invention and ability to read the game and shift tactics to penetrate their hard working defence.

Tough little hooker Rhys Blake who comes over from Rumney, takes some stopping and he wormed his way over for the first try after about 20 minutes. CPenarth did not dominate in the first half and it took until just before the break at half time before Rhys Jenkins put another try over so that the visitors were 12 nil up at the break.

In the second half the visitors did begin to dominate with increasing possession and an attractive ability to vary the angle of attack so that the home side didn't know where the next one was coming from.

Winger Chris Thorne, who studies in Colston, Bristol, came hurtling down the left wing close to the touch line to startle the home crowd, but finding the last few yards blocked, flung the ball over his head and the Penarth backs whisked it across the field to Chris Cooper on the other wing complete with trademark gloves, who dashed in for an applauded try. Gareth Davies slotting three of the four tries over the posts.

All tries are special, but captain Liam Bevan's try, from deep, on his own, with a mixture of jinking and tackle breaking force, was that bit extra special all his own work - his very first this season, and it was his last but one match before he leaves the glory of Youth rugby due to 'old age'.

Probably the Man of the Match was Gareth Davies, but centre Rhys Lakin and vice captain Andrew Hilbourne were also mentioned by the Wellies coach as players he would dearly love to have in his squad.