Many of the players in the Coleg Gwent and Newport HS sides have been team mates in the first-half of the Regional Age Grade Under 18 tournament. The Dragons emerged as the only unbeaten team in the first phase and now they will turn their attentions to domestic issues.
Coleg Gwent with a 15-7 win at Whitchurch HS, while Newport HS were 24-0 winners at home against Llandovery College. Now there will be local bragging rights on the line.
“We are very optimistic,” said Newport HS head coach Rob Sidoli. “Last year was tough with a lot of younger players, but we hope to build a core around many of the players we blooded this season.
“We are pleased with the way our programme has linked in with the Dragons. It is good to see the players get a good programme of support for their rugby at school, but not to the detriment of their studies.
“The biggest learning curve from last year was that we didn’t set a big enough expectation on results. We want the players to compete for results this season and turn tight games into results in our favour.”
The SC4 Facebook live game tonight (Tuesday, 25 September) will see reigning champions Coleg Y Cymoedd host Bridgend College at Sardis Road (7.30pm kick-off). Skipper Ieuan Pring has set his side the tough target of making it back-to-back titles.
“We want to do two years on the bounce, that’s the goal. We know Sir Gar, our biggest rivals, will be strong again, but there are a number of other teams that will be a threat this season as well,” said Pring.
“I played in the final last year and it is a great tournament. It is a Welsh championship, we play against local rivals and it is a massive competition to win.”
Cymoedd flexed their muscles in their opening game last week with a 28-14 win over Ysgol Glantaf at the Arms Park. The two teams met in the semi-finals last year and it was a great way to kick-off their campaign by the champions.
But arguably the biggest win of the opening round was posted by Coleg Llandrillo, who travelled to the Welsh capital to and beat Cardiff & Vale College. Centre Joe Hughes and wing Josh Eden Jones scored the tries and now they face the acid test of welcoming the full might of Coleg Sir Gar in Denbigh.
Sir Gar, beaten finalists last season, opened up with a 62-7 home win over Pembrokeshire College and will undoubtedly be one of the teams to beat once again.
“This league goes from strength to strength. The Dragons have been the best side in the Regional competition, so the Gwent sides will be strong,” said Sir Gar head of rugby, Euros Evans.
“The challenge for this year’s team is to get the title back. It is 4-4 between us and Cymoedd, but we know that teams like Glantaf and Newport HS will also be up there competing with others.
“There is definitely a good pathway for our players to go on to play regional and international rugby from this point. We have put in a lot of investment into our programme and this is the starting point for players and it is a proven way of identifying talent.
“A lot of players at U11 and U12 level see their senior schoolmates playing on TV and they want to follow them. We have a younger team this season and we’re hoping for a big year from our skipper Sam Williams that will push him into the national team.”
Glantaf head to The Gnoll to meet Neath Port Talbot College, who opened up with a 24-21 defeat at Gower College, while Whitchurch HS head further west to Tenby to face Pembrokeshire College. After two narrow defeats they will be hoping to finally get their season up and running.
WELSH SCHOOLS & COLLEGES LEAGUE – ROUND 2
Tuesday, 25 September
Coleg Gwent v Newport HS (Ystrad Mynach, 5.00pm)
Gwent: Cian Jones; Carrick McDonnough, Ewan Rosser, Dylan Edwards, Lewis Bates; Jake Morgan, Dylan Davies; Henry Hibbs, Connor Chapman, Joe Cowell, Sam Phillips / Tommy MacLean, Dylan Shorthouse, Adam Young, Matthew Jefferies (captain), Callum Barton
Reps: Jack Wakely/ Joel Gilbert, Lui Hewlett, Matthew Jones, Tommy MacLean, Bevan Jay, Lewis Ryan, Owain Padfield, Ethan Clayden
Newport HS: TBC
Coleg Y Cymoedd v Bridgend College (Sardis Road, 7.30pm)
Cymoedd: Bailey Roberts; Will Clapham, Iwan Sheppard, Ioan Evans, Cavan Davies; Tyler Morris, Ethan Lloyd; Harrison Chapman, Corben Evans, Iestyn Haskins, Rhys Anstey, Mitchel Barnard, Lloyd Gregory, Ethan Fackrell, Ieuan Pring
Reps: Mitchell Savage, Travis Green. Rhys Lewis, Cai James, Dylan Williams, Rhys Howells, Macauley Rowley, Josh Locke
Bridgend: Evan Thomas; Jordan Watts, Lloyd Freeman, Josh Sands, Iestyn Rees; Tyler Jones, Joe Davies; Morgan Creber, Iestyn Davies, Dayton Owen, Garin Standing, Bowen Davies, Travis Huntley, Harri Deaves, Morgan Strong (captain)
Reps: Marshall Williams, Ben Owen, Lewis Hawkins, Ioan Billingham, Kyan Lloyd, Morgan Bennett, Morgan Williams, Marcus Chard
Wednesday, 26 September
Coleg Llandrillo v Coleg Sir Gar (Denbigh RFC, 1.30pm)
Llandrillo: Sam Earl Jones; Harri Hughes, Thomas Devine, Mathew Buchanan (captain), Josh Eden Jones; Rhydian Williams, James Andrew; Steffan Simm, Tom Walker, Pedr Jones, Ilan Evans, Oscar Crowe, Tom Lydford, Sam Hughes, Sam Godfrey
Reps: Ollie Jones, Aaron Williams, Tayler Jones, Jordan Watts, Carwyn Owen, Owen Randell, Joe Hughes, Dafydd Williams
Sir Gar: TBC
Pembrokeshire College v Whitchurch HS (Tenby United, 2.30pm)
Pembs: Iwan Bowden; Joseph Owen, Josh Davies, Osian Davies, Dom Davies; Rhun Phillips, Dylan Walsh; Iwan Twigg, Tom Clarke, Aidan Bateman, Issac Hathaway, Owen Jones, Lewis Tingay, Jake Roberts, Stephen Pilot
Reps: Dylan Evans, Jac Norscoss, Iwan McVay, Keiran Osmand, Owain Hughes, Creegan Foot, Will Hughes, Keiran Schofield
Whitchurch: Ollie James; Sam Gasston, Joe Vanstone, Dylan Jones, Ellis John; Morgan Oliver, Jake MacPherson; KC Kelly, Brooklyn Hicks-Williams, Zack Lloyd, Christ Tshiunza, Dylan Morgan, Luke Parker, George Riley, Emyr Jones
Reps: Charlie Phillips, Max Tustin, Ethan Cowan, Will Jameson, Will Mably, Dylan Bignell, Chris Thompson, Matt Bennett
Llandovery College v Gower College (Llandovery College, 2.30pm)
Llandovery: TBC
Gower: TBC
Neath Port Talbot College v Ysgol Glantaf (The Gnoll, 2.30pm)
NPTC: TBC
Glantaf: Theo Cabango; Tomi Owens,Mason Grady, Aled Evans, Rhys Thomas; Josh Phillips, Iwan Johnes; Cai Killen, Oscar O’Hare, Jake O’Shea, Cai Davies, Teddy Williams, Daniel Thomas, Ffin Barber (captain), Craig Miller
Reps: Dylan Barrat, Rhys McKenzie, Alfie Llewellyn, Sam Powell, Casey Davies, Joe Attkinson, Josh Attkinson
RESULTS TO DATE
Friday, 14 September
Whitchurch HS 22 – 25 Llandovery College
Tuesday, 18 September
Ysgol Glantaf 14 – 28 Coleg Y Cymoedd
Wednesday, 19 September
Cardiff & Vale College 0 – 10 Coleg Llandrillo
Coleg Sir Gar 62 – 7 Pembrokeshire College
Gower College 24 – 21 Neath Port Talbot College
Newport HS 24 – 0 Llandovery College
Whitchurch HS 7 – 15 Coleg Gwent
