In the end it was Mon Stars / Ceirw Nant who came away with the win, 33-12, at Principality Stadium to leave the Welsh capital with the WRU Girl’s Hub Cup. It was a brilliant way to bring down the curtain on the first week of action at #RTP24.
Back row dynamo Poppy Hughes picked up the Go.Compare Player of the Match award for her non-stop performance, which included one of Mon Stars / Ceirw Nant’s five tries. Her performance at the break down was outstanding and it was fitting that her turn over paved the way for her outside half Saran Griffiths to race 30 metres for her second try of the game.
Griffiths ended with 18 points and formed a great half-back pairing with Gwen Hughes. Up front, Mon Stars / Ceirw Nant were well served by the rampaging Cadi Edwards, who eat up the ground with her long stride and also got on the scoresheet.
Not that the winners had it all their own way – far from it! Despite falling behind 21-0 to those tries from Griffiths, Hughes and Edwards, all of which Griffiths converted, Gwylliaid Meirionnydd / Ravens fought all the way to the end and picked up a try in each half.
The efforts of Efa Jones’ side deserved that and more, but a string of handling errors and a lack of precision cost them dearly in attack. In defence, they simply smashed into anything that moved and made their neighbours work hard for every try and point.
Their first half try cam e from prop Beccy Roberts, who picked up a loose ball five metres out and simply burst over the try line at the posts. Cara Jones added a second at the death to give her side the final word, Mari Elen adding the extras.
After racing into that 21-0 lead, Mon Stars / Ceirw Nant ended the first half with a fourth try from Grug Owen which Griffiths converted to make it 28-5 at the break. Griffiths added a fifth, and her second, in the second half.
Gwylliaid Meirionnydd / Ravens had four players in their side who were playing at the home of Welsh rugby in #RTP24 for the second time in a week having played in the U18 Girl’s School Cup final with Ysgol Pedre’r Berwyn – Cara Jones, Mari Ifan, Mari Elen and Efa Jones.
U18 Girls Cup – Gwylliaid Meirionnydd Ravens v Mon Stars/Ceirw Nant
Mon Stars/Ceirw Nant: Megan Williams; Leah Stewart, Mirain Jones, Non Evans, Grug Owen; Saran Griffiths, Gwenllian Hughes; Carla Williams, Grace Wynne (captain), Ella Basinger, Lilo Mutembo, Cadi Glyn Edwards, Sophie Davey, Poppy Hughes, Rhian Williams
Reps: Izzy Jones, Awen Mutembo, Mabli Grieves-Owen, Lucy Powell, Daniella Paganuzzi, Madi Davies, Erin Grace Williams, Martha Gilford, Jess Lloyd, Sara-Mai Jones
Scorers: T: S Griffiths 2, P Hughes, C Edwards, G Owen; C: S Griffiths 4Gwylliaid Meirionnydd Ravens: Cari Evans; Lilwen Davies, Cara Jones, Erin Lloyd, Jess Nahed; Hannah Williams, Mali Thomas; Elain Hughes, Megan Threlfall, Becca Roberts, Mari Ifan, Mari Elen, Robyn Unsworth, Efa Jones (captain), Mia Willis
Reps: Nel Grug, Nanw Edwards, Gwenith Williams, Efa Thorp, Lowri Jarman, Leah Williams, Eiri Thomas, Alys Jones, Erin Awel, Madi Edwards
Scorers: T: B Roberts, C Jones; C: M ElenGo.Compare Player of the Match: Poppy Hughes (Mon Stars / Ceirw Nant)
