MMD had been to Cardiff for the Dewar Shield U16 earlier in the season, when they were pipped by Bridgend Schools. Tancock’s triple ensured there was no more disappointment.
Swansea Valley put their powerful pack to good use in the early exchanges, but it was MMD prop Cai Caton who broke the deadlock with the opening try before Swansea skipper Xavier Love bumped off one would be tackler to launch a move that saw Vinny Hall and George O’Malley-Jones link before sending outside half Rio Jones over for the equalising score.
After a frantic start the pace dropped slightly before the end of the 20 minute first-half. MMD regained the lead when their captain Leo Danter produced a perfect show-and-go to break through the final rank of Swansea defence to make it 10-5 at the break.
MMD were always looking to exploit the wide-open spaces and in Tancock they had the player to thrive in those areas. His second half hat-trick turned a tight tussle into a comfortable win in the end for his side.
Tancock’s first score came after Swansea Valley had kicked down field. The ball was fielded by Tomi Malony at full back and he ran in back up the right side before handing onto Tancock.
Hemmed in on the right, he cut back against the grain, raced back to the left before finally finding an avenue to take him to the try line for the best try of the match. Back came Swansea with an immediate reply from Noa Evans, but Tancock then picked off a dropped ball in the back division to race clear for his second.
That made it 20-10, and when good handling from Jac Davies, Danter and Jax Torrance released Tancock on the overlap there was only going to be one outcome. His third try made in 25-10 before the highly impressive Vinny Hall grabbed one back in the final move of the game for the gutsy Swansea Valley outfit.
DC Thomas U11 Bowl Final
Swansea Valley: Ioan Thomas; Zack Morgan, Lincoln Watkins, Noa Evans, Vinny Hall; Rio Jones, Percy Wilkinson; Owain Harris, Xavier Love (captain), Matthew Ross, Jayden Blake, Jett Nelson
Reps: Oscar Owens, George O’Malley-Jones, Jack Watson, Zach Bateman
Travelling Reserve: Rhys Hill
Scorers: T: Rio Jones, Noa Evans, Vinny HallMynydd Mawr / Dinewfr: Tomi Maloney; Arfon Hughes, Llyr Humphreys, Jac Davies, Owen Tancock; Finn Chapman-Knight, Dafydd Williams; Cai Canton, Morgan Thomas, Jayden Ratcliffe, Leo Danter (captain), Bryn Humphreys
Reps: Noah Scoberg, Wil Elliot, Tyler Gregory, Jax Torrance
Scorers: T: Owen Tancock 3, Cai Canton, Leo DanterGo.Compare Player of the Match: Owen Tancock (MMD)
