Having trailed for much of the game Bro Myrddin showed huge character to edge their noses in front before conceding again to trail 19-17 with time running out.
It was time for a hero to step forward and full back Lewis took his cue. Having missed by a coat of paint with a 38-metre penalty, he kept his cool to add the blow moments later when Ysgol Bro Dinefwr conceded again in the shadow of their own posts.
This time Lewis made no mistake from point-blank range and his side were 20-19 ahead with the last knockings of the game to play. It was a victory earned the hard way, especially as battling Bro Dinefwr scored their third try to take the lead when Bro Dinefwr were down to 14 men with Gruff Owen in the sin-bin.
That try, converted by skipper Ifan Davies, made it 19-17 and it was still anyone’s game. But opposing skipper Osian Jones and his twin brother Steffan wanted to make it theirs and, urging on their fellow pack members in a similar style to that which their Welsh international father Deiniol Jones used to do for club and country, they just got Bro Myrddin over the line.
Bro Dinefwr had an opportunity to notch the first points with a tap and go but Cai Harris’ hard carry was held up by a double tackle from Gruff Owen and Charlie Thomas. The defence on both sides was superb and it was the boot of Lewis that opened the scoring with a 40-metre penalty.
Davies had a chance to level the scores, but his penalty attempt hit the post. Undeterred, Bro Dinefwr broke their duck when centre Harri Davies took a miss-pass from scrum half Ioan Waters after a few forward carries off the back of a powerful rolling maul. Davies added the conversion.
Bro Dinefwr reverted back to their tap and go penalties close to the line, using the full might of their powerful pack, and it eventually brought them success when No 8 Hefin Hughes spun out of a tackle by Iago Dafydd to power over for his side’s second try.
The momentum was definitely now with Bro Dinefwr, but on the stroke of half-time Bro Myrddin hit back in the final play to score the best try of the day from turnover ball. A chip kick from outside half Thomas Williams bounced kindly to outside centre Rhys Jones who had fullback Lewis on his shoulder who then ran in unopposed from 40 metres out to score.
Lewis added the extras and that cut the gap to two points. More importantly, it was a huge psychological boost for his team after being under the pump for much of the first half.
Bro Myrddin carried their momentum into the second half as they picked up their second try through second row Sior Porter, who broke the line off the back of the ruck and dotted down to give them the lead at 15-12.
Bro Dinefwr piled on the pressure to try to get back in front and Bro Myrddin lost openside flanker Owen for repeat infringements after an earlier warning from the referee. Try scorer Hughes took the quick tap from the resulting penalty before fellow backrow man Blakeman crossed from short range to notch a try that his skipper, Davies, converted.
Having got back in front at 19-17, Bro Dinefwr now had to negotiate the final 10 minutes to take the title. Their fluffed their lines by giving Lewis a long-range effort and then lost their heads behind their own line when his kick bounced in-goal and was then knocked on.
That gave Bro Myrddin a scrum five metres out and replacement scrum half Efan Parry scampered for the line. He was just held short, but the referee ruled it was by a high tackle. That gave Lewis a second shot at glory and he needed no further invitation.
Ysgol Bro Myrddin U18: Tomos Lewis; Deiniol Rees, Rhys Jones, Ewan Jones, Meilyr Thomas; Thomas Williams, Ioan Waters; Iago Dafydd, Steffan Jones, Tomos Dafydd Jones, Gruff Ellis-Jones, Sior Porter, Osian Jones (captain), Gruff Owen, Charlie Thomas
Reps: Tomas Axford, Dan Evans, Dafydd Solway, Lloyd Wilkins Jones, Efan Parry, Dylan Davies, Dylan Davies, Rhidian John, Tomos Charles, Gethin Morgan
Scorers: T: Lewis, Porter C: Lewis 2; P: Lewis 2Ysgol Bro Dinefwr U18: Macs Williams; Ifan Rees, Elis James, Harri Davies, Oscar Isaac; Ifan Davies (captain), Williams Edwards; Cai Harris, Steffan Jenkins, Lloyd Thompson, Gruff Jones, Noah Evans, Iwan Blakeman, Iwan Morgan, Hefin Hughes
Reps: Ashley Chappell, Louis Zhao, Ben Jones, Tal Williams, Morgan Ridgeway, Ewan Chater, Iolo Everatt
Scorers: T: H Davies, Hughes, Blakeman; C: I Davies 2Go.Compare Player of the match: Tomos Lewis (Bro Myrddin)
Tomos Lewis
