Sir Gar went to Coleg Gwent and triumphed 15-12 in a tense semi-final to ensure they reached the final for the eighth successive season. Meanwhile, Cymoedd were forced to come from behind on home soil at Sardis Road before they went through to their fourth final in a row with a 27-20 win over Ysgol Glantaf.
It means there will be everything to play for on 27 February when the two arch-rivals go head to head for the title at Bridgend’s Brewery Field. Sir Gar, who provided the bulk of the Scarlets squad that won the Regional Age Grade Under 18 this season, came from 18-0 down to beat Cymoedd in last season’s final.
Cymoedd gained some revenge when they ran in seven tries in a 52-20 win at Sardis Road in the regular league campaign in October, but they will see this month’s final as the perfect opportunity to make amends for their heartbreaking 27-23 defeat last season.
Both teams have a number of players returning for another final showdown. Harri Doel, Joe Roberts, Llew Smith, Adam Thomas, Gethin Davies and Cam Lewis are all looking for more silverware with Sir Gar, while George Thomas, Leon Davies, Liam Lloyd, Cian Lewis-Hughes, Callun James, Ioan Davies, Ieuan Morris, Nathan Griffiths and Joe Vickers are chasing revenge with Cymoedd.
It was Cymoedd wing Liam Lloyd who broke through to break the stubborn resistance and heart of Glantaf with his 67th minute try that broke the deadlock in the final quarter. Glantaf had led for long periods and second row Teddy Williams’s dramatic second half interception gallop hoisted them into a six point lead at 20-14.
But the deadly accurate boots of Cavan Slade and Rhys Davies combined to kick Cymoedd back into the contest and, ultimately, to victory. They ended with a 100 per cent record with five kicks out of five – two conversions for Slade and a conversion and two penalties for Davies – while Glantaf only managed to hit the mark with one of their five kicks at goal.
An even first quarter remained scoreless until Gruffydd Roberts rounded off a Rhys Morgan burst to bag the first of the game’s six tries to edge Glantaf into a 5-0 lead. That increased to an eight point lead with a drop goal before flanker Ioan Davies hit back with the first of Cymoedd’s three tries
No 8 Ieuan Pring then pushed the home side into the lead with a driving line-out try that was converted to make 14-8 to Cymoedd at the break. The next two scores both came from Glantaf as they raced back into the lead in the third quarter.
Wing Drew Stephens finished off a flowing move with a try in the right corner and then Williams raced in from half-way after reading a Cymoedd move perfectly to intercept. Joe Williams added the extras to that score, but two penalties from Davies brought Cymoedd back onto level terms just after the hour.
That left the game hanging in the balance and it took a smart finish from Lloyd, who dummied his way through a tiring defence before putting on the after-burners to race 25 metres to the line, to steal the glory and send Cymoedd back to the final. Davies added the conversion to complete the fightback.
On the all-weather surface at Ystrad Mynach, Coleg Gwent did all they could to reach their first final since the 2011/12 season with two charge down tries keeping them very much in the hunt against the champions. Sir Gar replied with tries from Cameron Lewis and Dean James, with a Llew Smith conversion levelling matters at 12-12.
With time running out in difficult conditions it looked as through the second semi-final was going to be decided by a goal-kicking contest. But Sir Gar outside half Smith had other ideas.
He urged his forwards to create an opportunity in the home 22 and duly knocked over a match-winning drop goal that sent his side through to the final with a 15-12 victory.
“Llew showed a lot of maturity to get us into the position for him to drop the gaol that won the game. It was a classic match with Gwent on top for a while and then us hitting back,” said Sir Gar director or rugby, Euros Evans.
“The Scarlets Under 18 team had only just beaten the Dragons side in the last play in the Regional Age Grade competition and a lot of our boys knew how hard a task it was going to be to reach the final. They kept their composure, dug deep and found a way to win it in the end.
“Now we’ve got another clash with our big rivals Cymoedd. They won the league, beat us handsomely at Sardis Road and will go into the final as the favourites, but we will go into the game confident in our ability and looking to hold onto the title.”
Previous Finals
2010/11: Coleg Sir Gar 20, Coleg Gwent 19
2011/12: Coleg Sir Gar 16, Coleg Gwent 17
2012/13: Coleg Sir Gar 18, Coleg Morgannwg 16
2013/14: Coleg Y Cymoedd (formerly Morgannwg) 22, Coleg Sir Gar 25
2014/15: Coleg Y Cymoedd 13, Coleg Sir Gar 3
2015/16: Coleg Y Cymoedd 44, Coleg Sir Gar 24
2016/17: Coleg Sir Gar 27, Coleg Y Cymoedd 23
