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18th March '09

BAY SHINE IN CLOSE LOSS

Colwyn Bay 2nds 9  Nant Conwy 2nds 10

(Nant win 65-16 on aggregate)

The Bay 2nds covered themselves in glory in this second leg of the final of the Geraint Morgan Shield played under lights at Brookfield Drive on Wednesday night finally just going under by a two tries to three penalties win by Nant. 

If the Bay lads were nervous after the first leg tonking by the Valley boys in November, they did not show it.  Robust in defence and imaginative in attack they took the game to their opponents who, as usual, were well drilled and lightning fast in possession.  The Bay scrum was especially effective with the Nant forwards regularly being pushed off the ball in the tight.  Callum Stronach, Steve Williams and Dan Lycett were particularly powerful in this aspect of the game in the front row.

At half time the Bay were 5-3 down but after flyhalf Tom Williams slotted his second penalty on the hour, the home side went into the lead – a lead they held on to bravely until the closing five minutes when the visitors scored their second try.  The Bay maintained the pressure to secure a third penalty through Tom Williams and just fell short at the end of a pulsating 80 minutes. 

Congratulations to Nant on winning the Shield but what an inspiring performance by the Bay lads in defeat against a Club from a League higher than them.  Without exception all the players, coaches and subs are worthy of a huge pat on the back:

7th March '09

SHOTTON STRUGGLE AT THE BAY 

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 26  SHOTTON 3     

The Bay’s resurgence which started in the second half against Denbigh last week continued last Saturday at Brookfield Drive as they seem to have ended Shotton’s hopes of a League Championship with a very satisfying and in the end comfortable win by 4 tries (3 converted) to a penalty.

The Bay went behind to an early penalty but were able to hit back with a try from scrum-half Ben Evans which he converted.  A nasty heel injury to the impressive Shotton centre may have taken the wind out of the visitors’ sails but this is not to take anything away from the Bay’s performance as they made the very best of possession wide out.  If the experienced and heavier Shotton forwards had been able to play a tighter game the result would have been much closer.  The Bay went in 7 – 3 up at half time. 

The Bay’s confidence gathered pace in the third quarter as flanker Dan Lycett muscled his way over to extend the lead.  Wing Serge Cabazuelo put the game beyond Shotton with two well taken tries from deep both of which saw him cleverly feint to kick and dart through the defence.  Evans and wing Harry Morris added the conversions.

With Ben Evans and Dan Lycett not on first team duty their added strength gave the Bay more than an adequate share of possession which their Backs utilised well with some fluid passing and positional play out wide securing a well deserved win with former first team  backs coach Rhys Williams in a new role at fly-half especially prominent. 

The Bay have one more league fixture against Abergele 2s and home and away legs in the Clwyd Plate semi-final against Denbigh later in the spring but their next game is the return leg against Nant on the 18 March in the Geraint Morgan Cup at home under lights.  Kick off 7.30 pm.  The Shotton result will give the Bay lads confidence for that tough assignment.                  

28th February '09

BAY BESTED AT DENBIGH

DENBIGH 2NDS 27  COLWYN BAY 2NDS 15

Due to last minute unavailabilities on one side of the front row and other prop absences through illness,  injury or first team duties, the Bay had to travel to Denbigh to field a side that could not contest at the set scrum.  They went down in a game very much of two halves by 5 tries (one converted) to 3.

The Bay’s lack of concentration and commitment early on seemed to be a carry-over from last week’s drubbing at Corwen or was it just difficult for a reshuffled and (in some parts) new side to weld together effectively and quickly because they definitely were the stronger team in the second half?

By the break the home side had scored four tries and converted one of them but the Bay had managed against the run of play to score a try of their own through centre Morgan Edwards who was able to seize on the ball from quick line-out to go through.

22 to 5 down at half time felt like a mountain to climb.  Perhaps with Denbigh having got the bonus point  they took their foot off the pedal but the fact is that the Bay returned to good form of old in the second half as the back defence got itself organised and the home side began to fall out with each other. 

Ritchie Evans was a welcome and strong voice returning on the open side.  His inspiration and with  skipper for the day lock Dean Henson’s leading by example,  the Bay went into top gear and scored 2 second half tries from Iwan Roberts at fly half (a mesmerising and swerving run through the bewildered Denbigh defence from his own 10 metre line) and centre Dan Eames Hughes (a determined effort to run outside a tiring Denbigh defence that he was too quick for).  A finish to the game which bodes well for the two-leg Clwyd  Plate semi-final against these opponents in late April.

21st February '09

CORWEN SURPRISE THE BAY

CORWEN 22 COLWYN BAY 2NDS 0

The Bay made the long trip to Corwen with a strong side on paper but just could not get any go-forward co-ordination going and went down 4 tries (1 converted) to nil in a poor performance which was all the more disappointing as the home side had to go uncontested at the scrum from the start because they were lacking one experienced prop.

The home side however were able to capitalise on the visitors mistakes as knock-on followed knock on which gifted away possession to allow the home side to stretch away to a 15-0 lead after ten minutes with Corwen’s strong backs easily outflanking a weak Bay defence to run in three tries.

The Bay side came good in the second quarter and for most of the second half kept Corwen at bay but a tragic-comic effort to clear a long kick with a foot saw the oval ball erratically bounce into the hands of the swarming attackers who raced through to cap a comprehensive loss for the Bay who were nevertheless able to enjoy some very convivial hospitality in the Harp on the square in Corwen afterwards.

7th February '09

BENLLECH BEAT BAY

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 23  BENLLECH 32   

Benllech were the visitors at Brookfield Drive in a friendly in which they triumphed by 5 tries (2 converted) and a penalty to 3 tries (1 converted) and two penalties against a Bay side that were only 14 strong for the second half.

A closely fought first half saw the Bay lead by 13 points to 8 with two well taken penalties from fly half Iwan Roberts and a very impressive try from wing Adam Vallor who danced, dodged and sped his way from 40 yards out to dot down under the posts.  Roberts converted.

Just before half time ill-discipline left the home side one down in the scrum which badly loaded the dice against them and, in the second period, they conceded four tries, two of which were converted as possession inevitably eluded them.  The Bay lads never gave up however and were able to score 2 tries of their own through wing Lee Parkes and centre Dan Eames-Hughes.

The Seahorses have a week off now for the Six Nations before resuming their League programme on the 21 February against Corwen away.

31st January '09

BORDERERS BEAT BAY

CAER BORDERERS 39  COLWYN BAY 2NDS 5

Colwyn Bay 2nds travelled to the Border Country and came severely unstuck against a stronger than usual home side who won by six tries (two converted) and a drop goal to one try only from the visitors.                         

On a dry day with a brisk cross wind blowing throughout, although the eventual winning gap was large, it was not until deep into the second half that it felt as though the Bay had been well beaten.  Depleted from last week with little pivotal influence at the base of the scrum, the Bay went behind after 20 minutes taken by surprise by a swift tap penalty wide out. 

The home side’s second try was equally bizarre when blatant infringements were missed by the referee.  Caer were able to score a third time before halftime but the Bay quickly responded when skipper and centre Dougie Graham went over wide out.  Bay pressure mounted as the interval approached but unluckily went unrewarded.  Caer were 19-5 up at half time.                                                                 

In the second half individual brilliance from the home side fly half, centres and wings saw them score three more tries and get a very well judged long drop goal.  In the end Caer were clearly the better side with five or six players who would do well in higher divisions but the Bay lads fought well to the end and should not feel too dispirited by this result compounded as it was by some eccentric refereeing.

24th January '09

BAY 2NDS FLOURISH AGAINST FLINT

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 48  FLINT 2NDS 10

Colwyn Bay 2nds played their first game for over a month in the North East Counties League with a fine win by 7 tries (5 converted) and a penalty to two unconverted tries at home against a big Flint side who were run off their feet in the second half.                         

Andy Williams Owen at fly half got the scoreboard ticking for the Bay with an early penalty.  Prop Chris Dentith bulldozed over from close in to extend the Bay’s lead.  Winger Serge Cabazuelo, lock Mark Bratt (a stand out performance) and scrum half Barry Cravetto also touched down to leave the home side 25 points to five up by the turn round. The Bay’s fluency and superior power in most aspects of the play continued in the second half with Cravetto running in from deep side-stepping the despairing Flint tackles on two occasions to complete an impressive hat trick on his return to the team.  Lock Dean Henson completed the try fest for the Bay with a beautifully timed run on to a short ball from the set which sent him carving through the tiring visitors defence to complete a satisfying performance for the Bay 2nds.

 The Seahorses must win all their five remaining matches with  maximum bonus points and hope that other results favour them to achieve the top position in this League by the end of the season – an ambition which this performance makes a definite possibility.

BAY POWER PREVAILS AGAINST BRAVE GELE               

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 12  ABERGELE 2NDS 0

Colwyn Bay 2nds were back to full strength to play this North East Counties League game against Abergele 2nds and came out victors by two tries (one converted) to nil.  The game was switched to Pentre Mawr Park because the Bay’s Brookfield Drive pitches were all waterlogged after continuous heavy overnight rain.

The Bay’s two tries came either side of half-time.  Their first came when the battling Gele side made one of their few mistakes and dropped a pass at centre enabling centre Tom Williams to kick through and outpace the defence to touch down between the posts.  Fly-half Steve Thatcher converted.

The Bay’s second try came after 60 minutes when  a period of sustained pressure near the Gele line saw prop Alex Jones barge his way through wide out to touch down in the corner.

The home side’s defence was strong throughout.  The Bay lads (potentially a crack side on paper) should have scored more tries such was their dominance in the tight but the conditions did not help open rugby and that Gele defence did not let up for the whole game. There were stand- out performances however from a number of Bay players with scrum-half Lee Parkes, second row Chris Meyers (against his former team), and No 8 Richard Chinery especially prominent to name but a few from a Bay side who showed greater power, if not precision, throughout. 

The Bay lads have a well-earned rest from League duties over Christmas until they travel to League favourites Denbigh on the 10 January.  Curry night at the Clock House on Friday 19^th December and the annual Wales -v- Rest of the World at Brookfield Drive on the 27 December. 

Happy Christmas.

SEAHORSES SINK STUDENTS           

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 25  BANGOR UNIVERSITY 10

Bay 2nds played host to Bangor University last Saturday in a friendly game in which they triumphed by three tries (2 converted) and two penalties to two unconverted tries.

Returning fly half Iwan Roberts had a particularly successful day scoring 13 points (one try, two penalties and one conversion) with the Bay lads clearly the better side for the first sixty minutes when they scored all their points. 

Full credit though to the visiting students who came back late in the game to register two tries of their own whilst the bay were down to 13 men with wing Steve Davidson and flanker Dan Lycett both being ordered off the field.

The Bay opened with 2 penalties from Roberts before scrum-half Lee Parkes outflanked the visitors defence to show good speed to touch down in the corner.  The Bay turned round 11-0 up before Roberts scored a try from deep showing good body swerve and pace to touch down under posts.  Roberts converted his own try.  Dan Lycett extended the scoring with a powerful run on the hour to break some tackles and score the third try.  Newcomer Henry Morris converted.

A lack of discipline marred an otherwise strong performance with the Bay scrum being especially strong in defence where locks Dean Henson and Chris Meyers and No 8 Richard Chinery were particularly prominent.

1st November '08

BAY CEMENT LEAGUE PROSPECTS        

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 19  CORWEN 10

Bay 2nds consolidated their position in the top three of the table with their fourth league win out of five against visitors Corwen at Brookfield Drive on Saturday by three tries (2 converted) to 1 converted try and a penalty in the North East Counties League.

The home side started confidently when returnee flanker Will Cormack showed raw strength to barge over from close in to open the scoring after 10 minutes.  Skipper Dougie Graham converted.  Bay went further ahead when flanker Mike McDonagh also showed good strength to power over.  Bay’s try of the game came from 2^nd row Dean Henson when he took a crash ball and broke a couple of tackles to charge like a rampaging bull to touch down between the posts from 35 yards out.

Bay turned round 19 nil to the good  but the visitors showed great spirit and battled back to 19-10.  Bay however continued to look like scoring again with their set play in both line out and scrum showing much improved cohesion and consistency.  It was only some eccentric whistling and some mishandling in the cold conditions that prevented the Bay from securing a bonus point with a fourth try. 

The League schedule is placed on hold now for the Autumn Internationals  but friendlies at Nant on the Thursday 20th November against Llandudno 2nds, Wednesday 26^th November v Nant 2nds (a round-robin Trophy tournament- kick offs scheduled for 630pm) and  at home against Bangor University on Saturday 15 November should keep the Bay lads match tight in the meantime and fit and ready for the resumption of their league programme against Shotton away on the 6^th December.

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25th October '08

SEAHORSES BACK IN THE GROOVE        

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 28  CAER BORDERERS 12

Bay 2nds gave an efficient performance to make it three wins out of four in the North East Counties league in their game against old rivals Caer Borderers last Saturday at a windswept Brookfield Drive ground to bolster their challenge for League honours come the season end.  Coach Steve Henson said “Three league wins in a row does not a winning season make but the lads are developing a spirit and consistency that means increased confidence on the ball and that holds a lot of promise  for the rest of the season”.

The Seahorses – playing into the strong wind in the first half – through better possession were leading 10 – 0 after twenty minutes with tries from fly half Dan Eames-Hughes who skillfully evaded tackles from close in and a remarkable try from Skipper and Centre Dougie Graham who ran unopposed from his own five metre line leaving the Caer defence trailing in his wake to touch down  about 120metres later taking into account at least three mesmerising changes of direction and a couple of sidesteps.

The Bay rested on their laurels for the rest of the first half to enable the visitors to score two well taken tries of their own – one of which was converted.  The home side ended the half 10 points to 12 down.

The Bay rallied in the second half to score a penalty from Graham and three further tries from No 8 Rick Chinery, full back (for the day) Steve Davidson and flanker Tristan Hird who thought the quickest when Graham’s penalty attempt hit the post and bounced back into his grateful arms.  Hird still had a bit to do but was able to outflank the surprised Caer defence to round off a thoroughly satisfying Bay performance.

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18th October '08

GELE WITHSTAND BAY EFFORTS

ABERGELE 2NDS 10  COLWYN BAY 2NDS 17

(Abergele 2nds win 39-22 on aggregate)

Colwyn Bay 2nds travelled to Pentre Mawr Park on Saturday needing to win by 25 points to avoid defeat in the first round  of the inaugural Clwyd Cup but found unexpected strength in depth in their doughty opponents who proved  in the event proved too difficult to break down.

From the outset the Gele defence proved awkward and resilient and with the Bay lineout and scum operating inconsistently, the Bay’s chances were few and far between with the Bay edging ahead after 20 minutes with a penalty from scrum half Andy Williams Owen.  The Bay were able to stretch to a 10 nil half time lead when 2^nd row Dean Henson with a beautifully timed run was able to run in virtually unopposed from a quick ruck close in.  Williams-Owen converted.

The second half went Abergele’s way until the 60^th minute during which time they bagged a converted try of their own when the Bay literally took their eye off the ball to allow the home side scrum to barge through from broken play fifteen yards out.  Bay pressure however paid dividends in the end when newcomer  Morgan Edwards at Centre ran straight and hard through a tiring defence to score under the posts.  Again Williams Owen converted.  The Bay side will now meet close rivals Denbigh away in the first round of the Plate next April.

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27th September '08

BAY BATTLE TO BEAT RHYL

RHYL 2NDS 25  COLWYN BAY 33

Bay 2nds travelled to Rhyl on a gloriously warm and sunny late summer’s day to record their first win of the season by 5 tries (4 converted) to 4 (1 converted) and 1 penalty.  A particularly satisfying performance worthy of  comparison to the defence of  Rorke’s Drift as First Team call ups and injuries meant that the Bay were only 14 strong against the full 15 of Rhyl whose well weathered pack turned out to be very difficult to stop close to the line.

Playing downhill in the first half, the Bay went down to an early converted try which seemed to galvanise them  into action as by half time they had scored four tries all of which were converted by skipper and flyhalf Dougie Graham.  Superior speed and agility wide out were the Bay’s strength with the tries coming from Graham himself, hooker Liam Hasnip, wing Steve Davidson and centre Ritchie Evans.  Rhyl replied on the stroke of halftime with a penalty to leave the Bay 28 to 10 to the good at the break.

Without slope advantage in the second half the Bay found it hard to withstand the Rhyl leviathans up front who steam-rollered through for three more tries of their own.  Bay scrumhalf Lee Parkes however was able to outstrip the Rhyl defence  to latch on to a tap kick to touch down late on to make things relatively safe for the Bay side at the end although there were some nervous moments before the final whistle.

Overall then a confidence boosting win for the Bay whose Liam Hasnip at hooker had a stand- out debut performance ably supported by props Chris Dentith and Colin Hughes who earned the Bay more possession in the tight upon which the fleet Bay Backs were able to capitalise.

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20th September '08

BAY TAUGHT A LESSON BY GELE

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 5  ABERGELE 2NDS 29

The Bay 2nds came  severely unstuck on Saturday at Brookfield Drive against a strong Abergele seconds side able to field a number of 1^st teamers (who did not have a game) in their first round first leg fixture of the new Clwyd Cup competition for 2^nd teams in the old County of Clwyd.  Gele ran in 5 tries (2 converted) to the Bay’s single try.

The Bay’s inexperienced side were able to hold their own in the early exchanges before the better drilled Gele side were able to exert a dominance in the tight that they were able to maintain for most of the match - winning line out ball at will and securing most of the ball at the set scrum.  At half time the Bay found themselves 15 points to nil down. 

After the break and with minimal possession the Bay were still able to fashion some good passing moves and breaks from wing Jacob Ryan and pack leader Dean Henson gave a little indication of what this Bay side could do if better organised at the set.  Prop Forward Nathan Hughes burrowed through from close in to get the Bay’s only try.  The Bay side does not lack spirit but they will have to get a lot better organised if they want to make any progress in this Cup Competition.

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13th September '08

BAY OFF TO A LOSING START  

COLWYN BAY 2NDS 0 DENBIGH 2NDS 24

Colwyn Bay 2nds got their season in the North East Counties league off to a bad start going down to a four tries (two converted) to nil loss to a well organised and much more experienced Denbigh side at Brookfield Drive last Saturday.          

With a number of stalwarts either promoted to first team honours or unavailable for either fitness or holiday reasons, the Bay side was a scratch one with a number of new players involved and some more playing out of position.  Nevertheless they put in a very spirited performance with tackle after tackle being defiantly made with skipper and outside centre Dougie Graham, flanker Nick Trow and prop Alex Jones especially prominent.

The visitors scored two tries in each half and their superior skill and organisation was reflected in the eventual result but the Bay can take some heart from their never-say-die attitude and a couple of promising performances from Iwan Roberts at fly half – whose mighty boot on a lucky day might have scored a few points and Mike McDonagh in bullocking good form at No 8.

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