COLWYN BAY 2S 23         ABERGELE 2S 20   

THE BAY PIP GELE

CLWYD PLATE FINAL

Local rivals the Ceebees and the Green Army gave good battle in the final of the Clwyd Plate last Saturday at Eirias Park with The Bay just managing to prevail by two converted tries and three penalties to two converted tries but only two penalties.

On a dry but very cold day with a wicked north easterly blowing into their faces in the first half things did not look good for The Bay as they went down in the seventh minute to a converted try from Gele second row Chris Meyers to which fly-half Carl Mattock added the extras.

The Ceebees dug deep and found inspiration when their full back and man of the match Henry Morris slotted the first of his three penalties from a 15 metres in and 40 metres out and into the teeth of the wind.  Gele bit back however with a penalty of their own three minutes later.  10-3 to Abergele after 20 minutes.

The Bay hit their stride however after 32 minutes when outside centre Serge Cabazuelo rounded off some slick passing after fly-half Tom Williams showed his class with a mazey run through the Gele defence before the ball went through two sets of hands to leave a straightforward task for Cabazuelo to touch down.  Morris converted.

The defining moment of the game came in injury time before the break when after another period of Bay pressure with the ball being recycled quickly, Morris again found himself in possession close to the Gele posts and used his strength to dot down to give himself his second conversion.  The Bay were now 17-10 and it was half time.

The Bay stretched their lead to 20-10 when Morris struck his second penalty after 47 minutes but Gele came back into the game when Mattock replied with his second penalty in the 63rd minute.  In this thoroughly engrossing and nerve jangling contest Morris having not missed from the ground all day, slotted his final penalty four minutes later.

The tension mounted even more after 75 minutes when Gele wing Craig Wright scooted over to score Gele’s second try which Mattock coolly converted.

Three points in it with five minutes to go and Abergele straining at the leash:  the Bay held firm to make their tackles count to enable them to hold out for a particularly hard fought victory against a side who contributed almost as well to a game much enjoyed by spectators and players alike at this superb venue.

GELE 2S COME BACK STUNS COLWYN BAY        

Colwyn Bay 2s tripped up in a pulsating thriller of a league game at Brookfield Drive last Saturday with the home side being pegged back from a 17-0 lead just before half time to lose by 4 tries (3 converted) to 3 tries (2 converted) and a penalty.

With the wind proving to be a critical factor in the game the Bay took the lead with a well struck 40 yard penalty from scrum half Henry Morris after 26 minutes.  The Ceebees added to this with tries from wing Lee Tetlow and No 8 Richard Chinery – both converted by Morris.   But it was a killer blow when the visitors got on the score board on the dot of half time with their first converted try.

Gele had the wind at their backs in the second half and that advantage and superior fieldcraft saw them run in three more tries in the second period.  Skipper and Lock for the Bay Dean Henson gave the home side some hope of a come back in the last quarter when he bulldozed through from 40 metres out but Gele finished the stronger side despite some very spirited attempts in the closing minutes to break down their defence with Jay Harding (hooker) and Serge Cabazuelo (inside-centre) especially prominent.

BAY 2NDS COME GOOD AGAINST RHOS                  

The Bay 2s travelled to Rhos on a cold wet and windy day to end their losing run in spectacular style by beating the home side by 8 tries (6 converted) to 1 converted try in the semi final of the Clwyd Plate.

Playing into the strong wind in the first half the visitors much improved cohesion was evident as passes were made to ever present supporting players and missed tackles were kept to a minimum – a product of the steady hard work in the training gym since Christmas.

Scrum half Lee Parkes opened the scoring for the Bay with a try with a strong run in from deep.  Fly half Henry Morris landed the first of his four conversions.  Rhos hit back after 25 minutes  with a try from wing Tom Jenkins and levelled the score when fly half Mike Evans-Jones converted.  But that was their last score as more tries came from the Bay from Number 8 and man of the match John Astbury and inside centre Tom Williams before half time to leave the Bay 17 -7 up at the break.

It was more of the same in the second half as Skipper Dean Henson, Parkes and Astbury again, wing Rob Norman and flanker Serge Cabezuelo crossed as the increasingly fluent Bay side  took advantage of the wind at their backs.

A real confidence booster for the Ceebees who can look forward with optimism to a final against local rivals Abergele on the 28 April.         

CEEBEES HARD LESSON AT RUTHIN 

The Bay 2s travelled to Ruthin for their third difficult game in a row and lost as expected against a strong Ruthin side which would do well in two leagues above if they were allowed promotion.  The League Champions for the last three years won by ten tries (four converted) to nil.

It did not take the home side long to release their skilful and swift backs and they crossed line regularly to be 29 – 0 up at half time.

With possession from the line out and scrum impossible, the visitors had to live off scraps which they did bravely but without much success as the Ruthin backs were as well organised in defence as attack.

In the second half the home side doubled their tries and conversion count to run out 58 – 0 winners.

The Bay 2s will not have long to lick their wounds before their Clwyd Plate tie against Rhos Wrexham away next Saturday – a game they can look forward to with much more confidence as they pit their indomitable team spirit and improving skills against more evenly matched opponents.         

COLWYN BAY 2S 0           MOLD 2S 30   

BAY 2S CLOSER THIS WEEK          

On a still sunny day at Brookfield Drive the Bay 2s season showed improvement again when they came off second best in the first round of the Clwyd Cup against visitors Mold 2s by 4 tries (2 concerted) and 2 penalties to none.

By the end of the first quarter the visitors had scored 2 tries (1 converted) and 2 penalties to get to 18 points.  Tries came from flanker Tom Jenner and inside centre Moses Tauyavu with the conversion and two penalties being slotted by outside centre Adam Blunden.

The Bay did well then for the next two quarters of the game tackling with much greater precision than of late and just missing out on a run away try from centre Serge Cabazuelo by a cruel bounce. They did not concede a point during that time but as they tired in the last quarter two further tries for Mold came from fly half Richard Cochran (converted by Blunden) and wing Steve Roberts.

The Ceebees are now in the Plate with a game v Rhos Wrexham which they can look forward to with growing confidence to give them a chance of their fourth final in four years. 

MOLD SHOW THE WAY TO THE BAY        

In a somewhat one-sided game played in a strong wind, Mold 2s, a team who could probably beat one or two teams in Division Two North, showed tight discipline, organisation and great skill to overcome a Bay side that again refused to give up by 10 tries (5 converted) and one penalty to nil in their latest Division Four North (East) League clash.

With the strong wind blowing straight across the pitch, the toss gave no side an advantage but the Mold skills asserted themselves with tries from outside centre Adam Blunden, hooker Dave Jones, flanker Nathan Ringo and wing David Hopkins.  Blunden converted his own try and scored a penalty.  25 – 0 to the home side at half time.

More of the same in the second period with tries from number 5 Steve Hedge, Blunden and Ringo again, full back Andy Roberts, fly half Richard Cochran and Wing Chris Elwell with Cochran and Blunden sharing the four conversions.

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 10  RHYL 2NDS 25

RHYL STEAMROLL THE BAY                

Winter relented on a cold still sunny afternoon at Brookfield Drive to enable the Bay 2nds to play their first game for eight weeks but visitors Rhyl proved too strong up front for them and they ran out victors 5 tries (none converted) to one converted try and penalty from the home side.

The first half saw a stale mate until just short of half time when Rhyl full back Stuart Fell-Cook scored the first of his three tries when he ran through some weak tackles to touch down out wide to see the visitors 5 – nil up at half time.

Strong running from the visitors’ backs saw them add three further tries (two from Fell-Cook and the third from fly half Wes Williams) before the reliable boot of Bay fly half Henry Morris slotted a penalty.  Again the Fell-Cook family hit the score line when brother Chris scored their fifth and final try before the committed and never-say-die spirit of the home side saw them get their only try of the match when skipper and talisman No 8 Dean Henson broke through from wide out on one of his many rampaging runs of the day.

LOCAL DERBY A GAME OF TWO HALVES    

The Ceebees travelled to Llandudno on Saturday on a bright day with no front row and only 14 players to put in a brave display only to run out of steam in the second half to go down by five tries (three converted) to three (two converted) in their latest Clwyd League clash.

The Bay started well with inspirational captain and No 8 Dean Henson after ten minutes breaking from the loose on the ten metre line to scamper 40 metres unchallenged to score under the posts.  Flanker Dean Jones converted.

Henson added another try on 37 minutes after centre Serge Cabazuelo had spotted a second which Jones converted but this was the last score for the Bay.  Tudno’s second row Mike Pierce went over as the final move of the first half.  19 – 5 to the Bay at half time. 

It was all Llandudno in the second half as they were able to strengthen their attack with replacements and with the Ceebees losing fly half Adam Brierley with a nasty shoulder injury to go down to 13 men, the stout Bay defence was too easy for the Llandudno side to outflank and they scored four more tries through full back

Alex Owen, flanker  Alan Davies, centre  Matt Tyson and second row Tyrone Jones.  Fly half Chris Morgan slotted three conversions.

A game played in good spirit between old rivals which was a credit to second team rugby in North Wales.

Ceebees outrun by Ruthin

Colwyn Bay 2nds found themselves on the wrong side of a heavy defeat by two-time reigning League Champions Ruthin 2nds at Brookfield Drive on Saturday conceding 11 tries (7 converted) to three in their latest clash in the league Division 4 North (East) series.

Long periods of the game however saw the Bay fighting hard to stay in touch but the nous and flow of the visiting Backs saw them get to 31 points to 10 ahead by half-time with the Bay points coming from two tries by Skipper and Lock Dean Henson.

The second half saw Ruthin add six more tries but the Bay manfully kept their heads up and were able to score wide out with ten minutes to go through winger Wes Roberts.

Ruthin scorers: Tries:  Hugh Sharples (Centre) (2) Pat Carroll (Scrum Half) (1) Lee Jones (Wing) (1) Shay Owen (Centre replacement) (1) Bryn Bolton (Centre) (2) Joe Barnett (Flanker)(1) Dafydd Hughes (Flanker) (2) James Tetlow (Prop) (1).Conversions: Jamie Morris (Fly half) (4) Shay Owen(3)

The Ceebees have a much better chance of success in their next game this coming Saturday against Abergele 2nds away at Pentre Mawr Park: a chance that Saturday’s “never-say-die” performance definitely deserves.

Colwyn Bay 2nds learned a lesson in platform, pace and control from a well-drilled Mold outfit in the latest round of the North Wales League Division 4 (East) campaign last Saturday at Brookfield Drive.

With the Bay tight 5 more than holding their own in the set scrum, the visitors were able however to present a threat to the Ceebees try line  every time their fluent back line gained possession.

In the first half Mold went 12-0 up within the first ten minutes when fly-half Adam Blunden and No 8 Sam Wilding scored breakaway tries one of which Blunden converted. By half-time inside centre Moses Tauyavu, wing Dave Hopkins and centre Chris Elwell had added three more tries all of which Blunden converted to leave Mold 33-0 up at the break.

In the second period the Bay lads, who never lost heart against a much stronger side, kept the score down to three more tries from centre Ashley Wakefield and a second each from Hopkins and Blunden two of which full back  Nathan Jones converted before the Ceebee 2s got what they deserved after a lengthy period of pressure on the Mold line when hooker Glyn Cartwright went over wide out. The prolific scrum half Henry Morris added the conversion to round off an entertaining open game for the neutral .

The Bay entertain Denbigh 2s this Saturday at home hoping to reverse a heavy loss early in the season which recent form suggests they may well be capable of doing.  

Ceebees thrive in the Rhyl heat

RHYL 2NDS 12   COLWYN BAY 2NDS 24

 The Bay 2nds made it two wins out of three league games with their first away win in the League Division 4 (North East) championship last Saturday on their trip to the Waen on a roasting 75º day when 20 minutes drinks breaks were allowed as a necessity.

 The Bay lads fought back well from a 5-12 deficit at halftime.  Rhyl 2nds were the first to score after ten minutes through Chris Felcrest and Bay replied on the half hour through speedy winger Iwan Thomas but bad tackling let Rhyl number 9 Jonathan Jones through to score under the posts.  Simon Field converted.

 The second half belonged exclusively to the Ceebees who scored three tries (fly half Henry Morris and Brett Jones [2]) two of which Morris converted to leave the visitors worthy winners of a very enjoyable sporting and well-refereed encounter despite the pressure cooker heat.